Re: [Awake4HisReturn] Stopping the Sin Cycle
Nothing in life worth obtaining or possesing is ever easy. Life in general is meant to bring out the best in us and sadly without God noone suceeds but with God all things are there for those of us that try for try is all we can do because not yet are we perfect.
i try too but fail mostly but still trying thats what mattersShelley
FamilyofGod@yahoogroups.com (moderater)
Awake4HisReturn@yahoogroups.com (co_owner)
The_Glitter_Room@yahoogroups.com (owner)
My god is bigger then any storm, so bring it on.....
From: Wanda Ward <angelina56p47@yahoo.com>
To: awake4hisreturn@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, May 18, 2011 7:33:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Awake4HisReturn] Stopping the Sin Cycle
Well i have been told we are free from our old sins, but we still have a sinful nature to deal with. We can spend the rest of our lives trying to learn how to live without sin. I am a sinner saved by grace and i try every day to live without sin.
On Wed May 18th, 2011 3:03 PM CDT Michael J. Knight wrote:
>
>Stopping the Sin Cycle
>
>
>
>Sometimes we think that when we become Christians, either we will be
>perfect or we must be perfect, and when we are not, when we sin terribly
>against God, then there is nothing for us to do but spin deeper into our
>own sinfulness.
>
>If you have ever felt like that, I bring you hope and a plan of attack
>to get out from under the mire.
>
>We All Fall Short of the Glory of God
>
>We might despair in the pattern of our own sinfulness because we
>recognize our own inability to fix the problem. But I thank God for the
>apostle Paul; he too struggled with the vicious cycle of his sinful
>nature. He says, "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the
>evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19).
>
>It is not simply a matter of recognizing our sin. And although we must
>repent of our sins before the Lord, we can have a repentant spirit and
>confess our sins before the Lord and still return to our own evil
>desires, just as Paul explains. So how do we break the pattern of sin's
>hold on our lives? Here are some thoughts that I have found in my own
>personal study of the Bible that I would like to share with you.
>
>God is Stronger than Our Struggles
>
>First we have help from God. God knows we are weak in our own power.
>Return with me to Romans 7. Paul is confessing his wretched state of
>sin, that spiraling cycle that keeps pulling him away from what he knows
>is right and good. This is the same man who sat at the feet of Jesus and
>wrote mightily under the power of the Holy Spirit the letters we read in
>the Bible, yet, he too struggled just like us. But instead of
>floundering in self-pity over his plight into sin or becoming
>fatalistic, Paul remembers the power of God to overcome his weaknesses:
>"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
>Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7: 24-25).
>
>And we can take comfort and confidence in the knowledge that according
>to 1Corinthians 2:16 we have the mind of Christ.
>
>Therefore we can be strong in the assurance that though we are
>struggling in our own weaknesses, whatever they may be, God is stronger.
>He who is in us is by far stronger than he who is in the world. Praise
>God!
>
>Put on the Full Armor
>
>Second, we have the power of God to vanquish evil -- wrong desires, evil
>thoughts, unwise actions, and the like with the weapons God has given to
>us. Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God: the helmet of
>salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the
>shield of faith, the sword of the Word of God, and the shoes fitted with
>the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:14-17).
>
>In this way the Christian can stand firm against the evil attacks of the
>enemy. See, we have all we need to take charge over temptation and
>pitfalls. We have faith in Christ, which is a gift from God; the Word of
>God set before us in the Bible we read; the righteousness that we
>received not because of our good deeds, but solely because of the fact
>that Christ died for our sins; and we have holy sandals to walk in
>peace.
>
>Choose to Follow God
>
>But there is something else we must not forget as we combat our sinful
>desires: God has given each of us free will. We have a choice whether to
>follow our sinful desires or to follow God's ways. If we truly want
>victory in our lives, we must consciously decide to follow God. We must
>recognize that we are responsible for the thoughts we think, the
>feelings we harbor, and the actions we choose to follow. Although our
>culture many times purports that we are victims of our own desires, we
>must reconsider what God says.
>
>God would not give us commands to follow if He did not give us the grace
>to be able to carry them out. Just as a wise boss wouldn't ask you to do
>something that you are incapable of doing, God never gives us more than
>we can handle. So get that notion that you can't do it out of your head.
>You can with God's help.
>
>Renew the Mind
>
>Now God shows us how to control the sin nature. Let's begin with our
>mind. We harbor a thought that is contrary to the will of God. Perhaps
>we are jealous. Perhaps we have lustful thoughts. Before these thoughts
>turn into actions that go against God's desires, we must control them.
>How? The Bible tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience
>of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Give it to God and find out what God
>says about what you are thinking. What does God say in response to
>bitterness, lust, hate, slander, etc?
>
>It is crucial that we as Christians know the Word of God. This is the
>essential ingredient in mind renewal. We have the mind of Christ, yes,
>but we too quickly forget what He is saying to us if we are not keeping
>in close contact with His Word. In Romans 12: 2, we gain a clear picture
>of how to handle our thought life: "Do not conform any longer to the
>pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
>Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his
>good, pleasing and perfect will".
>
>When we detoxify our bodies, we rid them of impure things and consume
>only things that nourish. When I get sick, I avoid harmful foods like
>chocolate or simple carbohydrates and choose to eat the things I know
>will heal my body, like fruits and vegetables and whole grains. It is
>the same with our mind. Nourish it with the Word of God on a daily
>basis.
>
>Get a Daily Dose of God
>
>Sometimes we think that we can live two or three days on a verse that we
>got from Sunday's message. But remember when God sent manna to the
>Israelites in Exodus? God specifically told them to pick up only as much
>manna as they needed for that day and no more. When some decided to
>hoard more for later, the manna became infested with worms and was no
>longer good to eat (see Exodus 16:17-20). In the Lord's Prayer it
>specifically says, "Give us this day our daily bread." There is reason
>for this.
>
>Sometimes we are not sure if what we are thinking is right or wrong.
>Don't be afraid to question. It is a valid response. The Bible tells us
>to use discernment. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test
>the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false
>prophets have gone out into the world" (I John 4:1). God even equips us
>in this area. We can test the spirits by seeing them in the light of the
>Scriptures, but there are times when we still do not understand what is
>right and good according to God. Therefore, God being rich in mercy,
>tells us in the first chapter of James to simply pray to Him for wisdom
>and He will give it to us without finding fault.
>
>Walk in the Spirit
>
>Once we have our mind righted, we are ready to walk in the ways of our
>Lord. Walking is such a great illustration of the entire Christian life,
>because it includes our mind, our will, and our active response. Before
>we place our foot on a path, our brain must signal our legs to move.
>Something must occur in our mind. But we also choose the path we take.
>This includes our will as well. Then our body must follow by taking
>steps. Thus the cycle is completed.
>
>The next question is: How do we walk in a way that pleases God? First
>John illustrates our Christian journey as one in which we walk in the
>light. If we walk in the light, which is God, then not only will we have
>fellowship with others, but the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin
>(see I John 1:5-7).
>
>In Romans 8:9 it says, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful
>nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." Further in
>the same passage, Paul continues: "Therefore, brothers, we have an
>obligation -- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to
>it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if
>by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live,
>because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans
>8:12-14).
>
>As these verses and many others attest, we have the choice to walk and
>live in God's ways. And lest we forget, we also have help from God
>through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to overcome the sin that wants
>to overwhelm us.
>
>Give Burdens to God
>
>Last, take heart, my friends. We all sin. We will again. But God
>forgives. God is the God of restoration and second chances—even
>third and fourth and fifth chances. When you are troubled by your own
>sin, rest in Him. God cares for you and He is ready and willing to help
>you at every turn. All you have to do is recognize your error and ask
>for His help.
>
>"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
>petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace
>of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
>your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
>
>He who has ears to hear let him hear.
>
>Remember
>Only one life, will soon be past,
>Only what is done, for Christ will last.
>
>The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
>communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians
>13:14)
>
>Love & Prayers,
>
>Michael J. Knight.
>
>"By the grace of God I am what I am…." 1 Cor 15:10.
>
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-C-T-S/
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-C-T-S/>
>
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InnerVoiceMinistries/
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InnerVoiceMinistries/>
>
>What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.
>
>
>
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