I stopped bloging earlier in the year becasue I had a distribution list that I used in its place. I just signed in and I was very surprised that there have been so many views of past blogs.
One of the reasons for not using blog was becasue of the difficutly in posting blogs from my document draft.
I pray that you take a few minutes to read the below piece I put together last week after many revisions. My wife thought that the original draft may have been a little harsh. I took her counsel and changed it and I believe the article is better because of the revisions. I usually keep these to one page, as many will not read if it is too long. This was an exception. I hope you enjoy.
Can You Compete With Sin?
We live in a
world constantly in competition whether it is sports, video games, positions,
finances, credentials, accomplishments, recognition, appearance, etc. We
even compete for the love and acceptance of our parents, siblings, spouses,
girlfriend/boyfriends, and church. Men are especially competitive, but women
are catching up. We can say that we are competitive to a fault in this
day and age.
Today, we will
talk about a competition that we can’t be competitive with no matter how hard
we try. The competition I am talking about is SIN! Sin in ourselves
and sin in others. God. Our thoughts, emotions, bodies, actions,
and time are in competition with sin. Sin even affects our heart (Matthew
15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts).Anger – When someone is in a state of anger/rage, we have great difficulty reaching this person. Although we may think we can compete with their anger, we do so with great risk of conflict. The anger in them does not allow them to see or hear reasoning. There is a veil over them and they have turned away from the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away).
Broken heart/hopelessness/depression/rejection – Ever try to reach someone who is depressed? Whatever you have to say will not bring comfort to them. Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression….. Anxiety is fear and fear is one of the spiritual roots of depression.
Pride – Ever try to convince someone that what he is saying or doing is wrong? Jeremiah 17:23 But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction. Or been around an arrogant person and find it difficult to be in the same room with them? Proverbs 21:4 A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.
Fear – What society has labeled stress and anxiety is really worry/fear (Matthew 6:34 do not worry). Fear will cause great destruction in our spiritual and to our physical (immune system). Fear cause high blood pressure, headaches, itching, depression, phobias to name a few. We can’t compete with our fear or the fear of others. Fear (sin) will manifest in us and will hinder God from manifesting in us. John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” We will fear even when we think we aren’t in fear because fear has become a part of our existence in our mind, body, and soul.
Addictions – Addictions are defined as: to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively. Allow me to list a few addictions: Alcohol, Drugs, cigarettes, shopping, perfectionism, caffeine, video games, TV, sports, exercise, food, sex, gossiping, and many others. We can’t compete with our addiction and the addictions of other people. Addiction can become our gods. Our God in Heaven will not compete with other gods (Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous god….)
Definition of Conscious: the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good
Definition of Subconscious: the mental activities just below the threshold of consciousness
One example often used to explain the subconscious mind is the process of car driving. Initially when you are learning to drive, you have full concentration on the road, gear, clutch, etc. You are concentration on the process of driving; you look at every pothole, every bump, and every obstacle. As you get trained on driving, the act goes into your subconscious mind and you tend to drive without making a conscious effort to drive. You automatically avoid the obstacles, you automatically change gears when required while you could be doing umpteen other things at the same time like talking to your companion sitting beside you, listening to the music and observing the countryside. As you practice driving again and again, you make decisions automatically and you drive naturally. Driving decisions and actions go out of the conscious mind to the subconscious mind.
It is important to know how the conscious and the subconscious mind operate when exposed to sin. Sin is an acquired trait that will compromise our conscious (knowing right from wrong) and enters our subconscious. Sin now becomes a way of life for us and it is hard for us to distinguish right from wrong because we think sin is normal when it is not. Even when we know it is wrong, we are powerless to change in most cases. We can’t compete with sin.
When you are in your sin, it is an object of focus in your life. Sometimes you are actually thinking about it. Other times it is there beyond the realm of conscious thought. You are susceptible to sinful thoughts. You are susceptible to be programed by sin and that is why your mind needs renewing.
So what is the answer to this dilemma? We can say to do this and to do that. We can say to surrender to God and repent. We can receive counseling for the same sin over and over again and nothing changes. I am not suggesting that some of these things don’t work but, in reality, it is very difficult to turn from our sin without help directly from God.
Again, we need help from God? First, we call on the Holy Spirit to help us (John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…). Second, two paragraphs ago we discussed that our mind needs renewing. How do we renew our mind? We do this by immersing ourselves in the Word of God. His Word is a direct link to God because the Word has been there from the beginning and the Word is God. (John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God). His Word will give us understanding, wisdom, knowledge, revelation, discernment, instruction, guidance and His love. We read and we read and we continue to read His Word until His Word becomes etched in our hearts. (Hebrews 8:10 ….says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people). His Word becomes our conscious and subconscious. His Word becomes the essence of our being. His Word and our sin will not coexist. Lastly, we are to operate in the Spirit in everything we do. (Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD).
The majority of believers do not read the Bible on a consistent basis. How can we truly know God if we don’t read His Word? How can we know about His promises of deliverance from sin? Read His Word and He will teach us how to face our enemy, take authority over the dark kingdom, and come out from the bondages of sin so that we can have the special relationship that God the Father wants with us.
God hates sin because it separates us from Him. (Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities (sin) have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear). Therefore, we are to hate sin as well and not to compete with sin. We have to make the choice to take authority over sin in the name of Jesus.
Hebrews
10:21-23 (NLT) And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s
house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully
trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with
Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure
water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can
be trusted to keep his promise.
Blessings to you all,
