In this blog post I want to share part of a lesson that I recently prepared for one of my discipleship classes in Juarez, Mexico. A lot of people are haunted by the sins of the past and cannot let them go. Others have a problem giving up their sin life totally. Although they want to stop, they always fall back to the same thing and they continually repeat that which they hate. Their sin is destroying them and their loved ones. They feel that their sin is far to evil for God to forgive. My hope and prayer is that this post will help you. Maybe you know of someone with this sin struggle. If you know of such a person you may want to share this with them and help them rise up and get a brand new start. Of course this is not a book, it's just a short blog. A whole lot more than what I share here can be said. But hopefully this will be a start. I suggest to those who are struggling with sin to follow this up by confession (to God, Christian friends, a pastor, or anyone that you confide in), seek forgiveness (including forgiving yourself), and seek further help. You CAN be set free; there IS hope!!! Get your bible out now and find the scriptures listed on this post.
Probably the most quoted Bible verses used in churches, books, teachings, etc. were written by the Apostle Paul under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Before Paul knew anything about Jesus he persecuted Christians, brought them before the authorities, and many of them died under his direction. Yet God arranged for this man who wanted the destruction of God's own people to come to know Him (read Acts chapter 9). God had a plan for Paul and He has a plan for you (see Jeremiah 29:11). God changed Paul so radically that He even changed his name (his name used to be Saul). Paul became the greatest figure in the life of the early church. And his contribution to God's Kingdom continues today even though he died about 2,000 years ago. So don't believe the lie that you are hopeless.
Satan is a liar. He is called the father of lies by Jesus (John 8:44) and he will try to convince you that you have no hope, no forgiveness, and no future. But Jesus is the truth (John 14:6) and He came to set you free from the devil's trap and his lies. He came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8). Jesus will forgive you and purify you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The Apostle Paul wrote that there is THEREFORE no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1; I suggest you read Romans chapters 7 and 8). The Gospel (defined as the Good News) is filled with such scriptures (especially in the New Testament). Don't listen to the Devil's lies, listen to God's truth. After all, who has the final word?
Let me paint you a picture. You're standing under the cross of Jesus, who is God in the flesh. His blood is running down the cross and falling to the ground. His lifeless body was the payment made for your sins (Romans 6:23). He had no sin. You believe and accept His sacrifice as the offering for your sins, ALL of your sins. You hear the Father's voice from Heaven. He asks you, "Did you commit murder"? Now you can point to the body of Jesus and say, "No, it was He who did it". The Father can ask about your adultery, your stealing, your lies, and an endless list of every imaginable sin that you have committed. And to each and every single one of the questions you can answer the same way: No, it wasn't me, it was He who did it. That's what it means when we say that Jesus took our sins upon Himself. And it gets even better (for us). There is a trade off. Our sins are taken on by Jesus and we take on His righteousness. When God looks at you it's as if He looked into a mirror. He sees His own righteousness. Through Christ we have become the righteousness of God.
☺GOD MADE HIM WHO HAD NO SIN TO BE SIN FOR US, SO THAT IN HIM WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (2 Corinthians 5:21; see also Romans 3:21-31).
We receive all this by faith (believing) and because of God's great love for us (John 3:16). Do you believe that your sins are too great, too terrible for God to forgive you? Then what you believe is that your sins are greater than the power of the blood of Jesus. No, my friend, the blood of Jesus is the most powerful thing on Earth. Through your faith in Jesus you will become a son of God. Not all are sons of God. We are all created by God, but not all are sons. Those who do not believe in God and do not serve Him are sons of Satan (John 8:44). I would not want to be a son of Satan. I used to be, but not anymore. Ask the Lord to open up your eyes that Satan has blinded (2 Corinthians 4:4), then you will understand and know the truth. And then you will be set free!! And you will no longer want to live in sin. No son of God purposely sins. Our sinful nature is gone; taken away by the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will live in you and direct you in your new life as a son of God. You will love Jesus so much that you will no longer desire to sin to keep mounting your sins upon the body of Jesus.
If you want God to forgive you, first you need to repent. Ask Him to remove your sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. Ask Him to take away the desire of sin as He comes in to live in you. Ask Him to give you a hunger for his word and therefore increase your faith (Romans 10:17). As the Holy Spirit to help you live this new life in Christ. Ask Him to help others forgive you. And thank him for making you a new creation...your past no longer exists but you are new a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You have been born again (John 3:3). Now go tell others about the new you. Not all will accept you but that's alright. Remember Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Satan came to kill, steal, and destroy but Jesus came that you may have life (John 10:10). Abundant life!!!
Please send me your comments on the comments section below.
Welcome to the family of God.
Daniel Torres
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:1-8, 10 NIV
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:1-8, 10 NIV
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