Family of God: Re: [Awake4HisReturn] Stopping the Sin Cycle

Amen!

On Fri May 20th, 2011 2:29 PM CDT Shelley Cartwright wrote:

>i try too but fail mostly but still trying thats what matters
>
> Shelley
>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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