RECURRENT SIN

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

ARE YOU SEEKING?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

It can be tough making sense of recurrent sin. We KNOW better. We WANT to behave better. We work on it constantly. We set up boundaries and take safety precautions. We close the door to our hearts over and over again, but it seems we can’t get them to lock.

Recurrent sin is that lazy groove I spoke of last week. Recurrent sin is that “hard habit to break”; I spoke of a few DISPATCHES back.

You know the “sticky stuff”.

A brother and I were discussing this topic just yesterday and truth is recurrent sin is frustrating sin. It is heart-sickening stuff; frustrating stuff.

It is the kind of sin that makes you question your progress. It is the kind of sin that once we commit it, the devil rains down with a gully-washer of guilt that can knock us off our feet.

Yet as tough as it may seem, recurrent sin is just sin and for those in Christ Jesus it has no special power or dominion over us!

And while yes, it is imperative to confess that sin...

And yes 1 John 1:9 is powerful and true…

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

…and I know I run to this verse for reassurance that God will once again hear my confession for it –followed by my promise to do better, I am learning that sin HAS NO DOMINION OVER ME, it is not special and GOD has freed me from it already.

That is why I am pouring this truth into my heart daily almost moment by moment so that I don’t forget!

Romans 8:1

New International Version (NIV)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

I will be honest, the enemy continues to hound me and tempt me with my old vices and fallibilities; doing his best to beat me up, pull me down, blur my focus and shower me with shame.

And while I don’t discount in any way that my sin, my missteps, my poor judgment may still have temporal consequences, I am daily being re-girded by God unconditional love and pardon for me.

Never forget our sin causes US to ABANDON, (pay close attention to that!) our fellowship with God.

We choose the times that we walk away from the FATHER just as the prodigal son deliberately and willfully walked away from his father. And yes, confession is a vital part of a right relationship with the Father - maintaining intimate daily communication with Him - but our standing as His child cannot change.

You see, God does not encourage confession in order to wipe away our condemnation. Instead, He wants us freed from guilt's emotional bondage because He loves us. He wants to restore the relationship. He knows the healing power that it brings!

James 5:16

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed

So if you like me, are battling a recurrent sin in your life, deal with it. Confess it. Let GOD remind you that you are FREE FROM IT. And move past it!

Romans 6:12

The Message (MSG)

^12-14That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.

I love you all.

Have a blessed weekend!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney