How To Overcome Sin

-

 


DAILY VITAMIN 

- How To Overcome Sin

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16)

The first thing we must know is that the believer has received the capacity to live above and free of sin. The chains of unrighteousness that kept us bound to sinfulness has been broken in Christ; however because (s)he still wears this corruptible flesh, there is still some level of vulnerability to fall: thus the need to continually stay sanctified in the Spirit. 

When John wrote that he that is born of God cannot sin (1 John 3:9), he was speaking about our original nature in Christ. We are not designed to sin, but by choice we can. But anyway, in today's devotion we'd learn how we can live never to choose to. 

All sins come from our submission to three things - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,  and the pride of life; and we are categorically warned not to love these things because they can deter us from the love of the Father (1 John 2:15-16). Every temptation is hinged on testing us on these three fronts, but we can overcome it because Jesus did. Thus, let's see how He did it. 

The devil came to Jesus and offered Him the chance to eat when He was hungry [the lust of the flesh], but He overcame. Then he offered Him a worldly kingdom [the lust of the eyes], but again He overcame. Lastly he offered Him a chance to prove His Lordship [the pride of life], but still Jesus overcame. In all these, we see that Jesus was walking in the (will of the) Spirit the whole time (Luke 4:1,14).

And so we are told that if we'd do the same, we'd also overcome (Gal 5:16). This is because the Spirit makes us free from sin (Romans 8:2). If we live how He leads us in Christ, we'd never fall into sin's trap (Romans 8:5,13). Recall, it is not the number of laws you try to keep that helps you stay sanctified; it is the better hope that does it (Hebrews 7:19)- that is, the Spirit of Christ at work in you. 

The problem most men face is yielding; and if we aren't yielding to the Spirit, then we are to the flesh. This is the only way to live free of sin as a believer: to walk in the will of the Spirit at all times - when tempted or not. 

Prayer:

Holy Father, I submit myself to your Spirit to guide me and lead me in all of your righteousness. May He teach to walk in your light at all times, and sanctify me anew each day, to live a life that is obedient to your will. Thank you for answering me Lord, in Jesus name. Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

What do you think?

Popular posts from this blog

Giving Generously

-
DAILY VITAMIN  There is a difference between giving and giving generously. Generosity is more than just how much you give, but how hearted you do. What makes the poor fellow rich in the sight of God is how richly he gives even though in need himself. Richly, not in terms of quantity or even quality, nor quantifiable mass, but richly based on how much from the heart it is given. Was the heart rich in compassion, God's love and mercy as it gave? Or was it full of egotism, self-pride and every trait that makes him believe it is all in his power? Remember, a broken heart and a contrite spirit[full of the first traits], God wil not despise (Ps 51:17); and as long as there is a willingness of heart and readiness of mind[spurred by genuine love], it is acceptable towards God (2 Cor 8:11-12). This is why God isn't just crazy in love with any giver, but a cheerful giver. One whose givings start from the heart outward. One who first gives with the heart and reflects it by his hands. Tha
Read more

See It God's Way

-
Image
DAILY VITAMIN - See It God's Way "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 TLB)     Have you ever noticed how at some point in your life when everything seemed to be going AWOL, then all of a sudden something great came out of it all? At least I have seen it happen without number in my life and others'. Well, that's exactly what God does for a living- turning bitter sources into a spring of life.     Just like most of us, one man who had a myriad of experience regarding this has to be David. David once said that he would have fainted if he hadn't believed to see God's goodness in his life. And went ahead in advising us to wait patiently for all God has promised regardless of what we are currently going through (Psalm 27:13-14). And believe me, he knows what he was talking about.     For instance, David had been told he had been chosen by God to
Read more

Desist From Rash Decisions

-
Image
DAILY VITAMIN Decisions made out of anger or envy are not only self destructive, but they also affect the attitude of those we seem not to desire their hurt. For instance, when the sons of Jacob conspired to kill Joseph, to them it was the perfect way to get rid of the 'big dreamer' that made them all look like vision-less fellows, and had taken their father's affection from them; so they took it upon themselves and agreed that they were totally correct in their intended evil action. After they had sold him and feigned his death, they might have believed it had all ended, only to be shocked with the countenance of their father, thereby sentencing themselves to a lifetime of grief and sorrows from the man they honored most- their father Israel. That alone was enough to prick their conscience until they were clouded with the mist of regret. They sought his attention for themselves, but all they created was a deficit to their own loss; thus causing more harm than what warran
Read more

Love Is Where Life Begins

-
Image
DAILY VITAMIN What's the most important thing to you in life? Think for a while before you answer. And you can take as long as it takes. Alright! Are you ready now? Let's continue. In everything you do always remember that love comes before ambition. Most times we get so carried away in climbing the ladder of success that we fail to recognize and notice when there are hands stretching high for us to help lift them up. We so much pursue self-purposed desires that we miss those God sends our way to impact; not that they didn't show up, but that we failed to notice their arrival.  And guess what: Our silver lining of greatness in the sands of time and in the mouth of men is not built by the success we built for ourselves, but by how much success we attained in imparting and influencing people. Any achievement of ours' that has no positive impact on others isn't labeled success, but a self-fulfilled goal; and that's why Mother Teresa wrote 'a life not lived
Read more

Actions Speak Loudest

-
Image
  DAILY VITAMIN - Actions Speak Loudest “Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 TLB) It was 4:30 p.m., sometime in late January 2015. The students were crowded en masse for Laboratory Practice registrations. Everybody was there; the sleek guys and girls, and the geeks as well. And also there was myself, and my very good friend Earnest. We were both members of the Christian Community on campus; but Earnest was the more vocal kind. Well, on this day, the hall was replete with students and the process slow, but eventually it got to our turn. The Registration Officer (R.O) requested for the required fee and documentation and thus signed me up; however when it was Earnest’s time to get registered, he failed to ask for the fee. Anyway, when we were both done with the process and on our way back home, Earnest softly indicated that we stop for a moment. As we stood there under the canop
Read more