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Pastor Craig Groeschel on anxiety
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Pastor Craig Groeschel Shares Powerful Word: ‘Anxiety Is Not A Sin’

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

Life.Church senior pastor Craig Groeschel shared a powerful word addressing one of the mental health issues many face today. He remarked that “anxiety is not a sin.”

Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most rampant issues faced by society nowadays, especially since the pandemic hit in 2020. According to World Health Organization, “anxiety disorders are characterised by excessive fear and worry and related behavioural disturbances.” The stats they recorded in 2019 revealed that “301 million people” were battling anxiety worldwide. And it significantly spiked when the pandemic happened.

Anxiety

Joice Kelly. (Photographer). (2021). woman, Retrieved September 20, 2021 from: https://unsplash.com/photos/rXrMy7mXUEs

That said, Pastor Craig Groeschel has something to say about such an issue. He preached about anxiety and pointed out that it’s not a sin.

Craig Groeschel is the Senior Pastor of Life.Church, which he founded together with his wife Amy in 1996. The church’s mission, according to its website, is “Leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.”

It Isn’t A Sin

In Pastor Craig’s Instagram post, he stressed, “Anxiety isn’t a sin. Even Jesus battled anxiety on His way to the cross.”

Pastor Craig Groeschel on anxiety

Craig Groeschel [@craiggroeschel]. Life-Church Senior Pastor. Instagram, 20 Sept. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CxYYkomMafa/

He referenced how Jesus felt in Matthew 26:38 when the Lord said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

He went on to share three ways to deal with anxiety whenever it comes. First, he said, “It’s a signal alerting you it’s time to pray.”

TWO TRUTHS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DEPRESSED

Pastor Craig explained how Jesus demonstrated this when he felt anxiety creeping into his soul. He pointed out Matthew 26:39 and wrote, “Going a little father, Jesus fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.'”

Second, he said, “Anxiety is a signal it’s time to pause.” The pastor quoted Psalm 46:10 in the Bible, where God said, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Lastly, Pastor Craig added, “Anxiety is a signal it’s time to praise.”

“Worship is warfare,” he explained. “We don’t just praise God after victory, we praise Him before a victory. Anxiety is a complicated matter, and it is wise to seek mental and emotional help. We also seek spiritual help by taking time to pray, pause, and praise.”

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”

May this word from Pastor Craig help those battling anxiety. May God who gives peace heal you and free you!

Reference | Instagram – Craig Groeschel

Header Image: Craig Groeschel [@craiggroeschel]. Life-Church Senior Pastor. Instagram, 20 Sept. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CxYYkomMafa/

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sin
ArticlesFeaturedNewsVideo

BibleProject: The Real Meaning Behind ‘Sin’

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

BibleProject is unpacking the word sin to help believers better understand what it truly means.

What is Sin?

Everyone is familiar with the word “sin.” In fact, most people have a good idea of what it means. But did you know there is more to this word?

The Christian organization BibleProject explains this in its more profound meaning in one of their creative videos on YouTube.

Sin

BibleProject. (Screenshot). (2018). Sin Involves More Than You Might Think, Retrieved September 8, 2023 from: https://youtu.be/aNOZ7ocLD74

The Hebrew word for “sin” is “Khata,” and its Greek word is “Hamartia.” The real meaning of sin is “to fail” or “miss the goal.” To make it more clear, it’s like in archery when a player has to shoot the arrow with a bow and try to hit the bullseye. And if they fails to do so, they “miss the mark” and receive a low score.

Failure To Love God And People

The BibleProject explained, “There is the biblical proverb that warns against making hasty decisions because you are likely to ‘khata’ your way, miss your destination.”

So, in conclusion, according to the Scripture, “sin is a failure to fulfill a goal.” Now, the question is, what is really the goal?

BibleProject further explained that “sin is a failure to love God and others by not treating them with the honor they deserve.” God’s plan was to make man as bearers of His image on earth. But that failed when man disobeyed God.  As a result of missing the mark, we now live in a broken world that God had to redeem and restore.

The video also explained that “failing to honor God is deeply connected to failing to honor people.”

“So, sin is about more than just doing bad things,” they clarified. “It describes how we easily deceive ourselves and spin illusions to redefine our bad decisions as good ones.”

Watch the full BibleProject video below.

Sin Involves More Than You Might Think (We'll Explain)

Reference | BibleProject

Header Image: Julio Rionaldo. (Photographer). (2019). Word Sin in light Retrieved September 8, 2023 from: https://unsplash.com/photos/xO538bkwzTI

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Jesus Encountered A Woman Who Is Living In Sin
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Jesus Encountered A Woman And Saved Her From A Life Of Tragedy And Sin

by Kriza Jo Tanduyan
written by Kriza Jo Tanduyan

After a long journey of struggling with sin, Jesus encountered a woman and transformed her life.

Living in Sin

It was Friday night when Jannel Palacio experienced one of the most heartbreaking moments in her life. She and her family had gone out to a club and as they were leaving and their car pulled out, all she remembers is gunshots. Her brother lost his life that night in the tragedy. Jannel explained, “I feel like the most form of evil that somebody can experience or see. If this is what bad look like, then I want to see good, and God is good.”

Eventually her cousin invited her to go to a church. She went, but felt uncomfortable because, at the time, she was living with someone she wasn’t married to. She felt convicted to stop sinning. In fact, the message that night kept tugging at her. “God wants us to come exactly how we are, and it’s not our job to fix ourselves before coming to him,” Jannel recalled. That night, she gave her life to Jesus.

Jannel was having a hard time walking with Jesus. She was still living with someone and they weren’t married. She also started drinking and doing drugs. She ended up pregnant, and feeling hopeless opted for abortion. She had hit rock bottom. But God was pursuing her.

Woman encountered Jesus

GODTV (Screenshot). (2023).Salvation Testimony, Retrieved September 7, 2023 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0CuS11LhQ

Meeting Jesus

One year after she lost her brother, Jannel felt the urgency to seek God. So she went to a church. “I remember telling God like, today’s the day that I’m gonna meet you,” Jannel said. She began to hunger to know Jesus. In a service, she responded to an altar call and someone prayed to her. At the same time, God spoke to her.

“He said I forgive you for everything. And at that moment, I just felt like this joy rushed into my heart. I felt like this overwhelming flood just filled every part of me, and I’ve never felt so much joy,” Jannel tearfully shared.

After that, she decided to leave everything she knew because Jesus was better than anything she had experienced. She also learned to let go and surrender to the plans of God. She no longer felt emptiness inside.

God has been so faithful to Jannel, and He will also do the same in your life!

Watch here and claim her testimony today.

Reference| GOD TV

Header Image: GODTV (Screenshot). (2023).Salvation Testimony, Retrieved September 7, 2023 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0CuS11LhQ

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ArticlesFeaturedNews

What To Do If You Fall Into Sin

by Christa
written by Christa

Christians may fall into sin, but “it is almost impossible for a Christian to continue living in sin.”

Christian May Fall Into Sin But Cannot Live In It

Dr. Peter Tan Chi, founder and senior pastor of Christ’s Commission Fellowship, shared a powerful reminder about falling into sin.

He said, “A Christian can fall into sin. That’s possible.” Then, he asked, “But can a Christian continue living in sin?”

“What’s my proof? Those of you who have Jesus Christ, when you commit sin, how do you feel? Do you feel good, or do you feel bad?”

“Why do you feel bad? Because you have the Spirit of Christ in you,” he said.

Pastor Peter added, “If you commit sin and you don’t feel bad, you don’t feel guilty, then my answer to you is this: I don’t judge you. But you have to ask yourself, do you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Because to have Jesus, it is almost impossible to continue living in sin.”

As 1 John 3:5-6 says, “But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.”

And in verse 9, it says, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

Indeed, if a person is in Christ and yet continues to live in sin, he is only deceiving himself.

If Jesus came to take away our sins so that we are made righteous in Him, how can we continue to return to what He has removed from our lives?

If you’re struggling, ask the Holy Spirit for strength and deliverance.  May this remind us that following Jesus is turning away sin.!

Header Image: Umit Bulut [Photographer], retrieved September 4, 2023, from: https://unsplash.com/photos/qbTC7ZwJB64

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Jesus Came To Remove Sin, Not To Fight It
Faith

Jesus Came To Remove Sin, Not To Fight It

by John Mathai
written by John Mathai

Jesus mission was to come in the form of man to reverse the curse of sin. Man was helpless to obey the law because of sin. Sin had control over man and so no amount of self effort could remove the stain of sin. God knew this from the beginning and so prepared the answer for the sin problem. He sent His own Son, Jesus, to be the sinless, spotless lamb of God to be the acceptable sacrifice to cancel the power of sin. Now In Jesus we are cleansed and free from the power of sin. Heaven’s answer to sin was completed on Calvary when Jesus said “It is finished”.

Spirit

In the spirit we are completely redeemed from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit resides in our redeemed spirit and helps us in our daily walk. In Him we have power over sin and so don’t have to fight it. Our soul however still is under the influence of Satan who is the god of this world. We therefore could be tempted and fall to the power of sin. This is the dilemma we face when we are challenged to walk by the Spirit. In the Holy Spirit we can walk victoriously but in the flesh we will face defeat. This is where the warfare happens and we have to choose how we will walk.

Victory in the Holy Spirit

To walk in the Holy Spirit is life and abundant life. This is what Jesus promised us but we have have our free will to choose how we will walk. Our choice makes the difference between life and death. We need to separate ourselves from the world and be one with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent for this purpose to help us in our daily walk. Now we can choose to walk according to the Spirit or our flesh. Let us be free from the bondages of our soul. Let us choose to walk by the Spirit and choose life.

Dr. John Mathai

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Read more on the GOD TV blog here

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Your Sins Are Forgiven
FaithGod's Word for the Day

God’s Word For Today: Your Sins Are Forgiven

by Lily Benson
written by Lily Benson

In the depths of brokenness and the weight of sin, there is a promise that echoes through the pages of Scripture—a promise that offers hope, redemption, and a fresh start. Your sins are forgiven

What Does the Bible Say?

Isaiah 1:18 declares, “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” These words resound with the incredible truth that sin is forgiven, and through Christ, you can experience the transformative power of God’s cleansing grace.

It is an invitation to enter into a profound encounter with His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Ephesians 2:8-9 reassures us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our forgiveness is not earned but freely given by a loving and compassionate God.

In order to make the promise of forgiveness a reality, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to shed His blood as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. In 1 John 1:7, we are assured, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” Through the power of Christ’s blood, your scarlet sins are washed away, and you are made white as snow.

The forgiveness you receive from God should not be taken lightly. It is an incredible gift that will set you free from the bondage of sin and guilt. Embrace the cleansing power of Christ’s blood, and walk in the freedom of His forgiveness.

Salvation Prayer

Friend, if you have never confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior and want to experience His grace and mercy, His love and redemption and want to then join me in this simple prayer and let the promise of Isaiah 1:18 wash over you today. Allow the truth of God’s forgiveness to penetrate your heart and transform your life.

Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.

Read more on the GOD TV blog here

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Break chains of addiction
Articles

How To Break Chains Of Addiction Off Your Life

by Al Gibson
written by Al Gibson

Not everyone who is bound wants to break chains of addiction off their life until they finally come to terms with their situation and call out for help. The good news is that with God it is possible to break chains of addiction and be completely set free.

No matter what addiction we face, God offers us a way out. It could be anything from smartphone dependency to drugs and alcohol;  or lust and issues related to Sex in the Digital Age.

If you’re caught up in a cycle of addiction, you probably think the way out requires a complex rehab strategy to break chains of addiction but that’s not necessarily the case. With God, things are pretty straightforward, in fact so simple that at times we may not always see the solutions He offers – though they are staring us in the face!

No matter what your struggle is, God knows and He cares and He wants you to be free. He wants to help you break chains of addiction.

Whatever addiction you may be affected by, whether it is what you allow your eyes to see or the amount of food that goes in your mouth, the core problem is our age-old battle against ‘SIN’. Sin comes in many different forms and we all struggle with something. No matter what your struggle is, God knows and He cares and He wants you to be free. That’s why He has made a way out for you and me to break chains of addiction.

You can break chains of addiction

The simple solution is REPENTANCE. As Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery, “Go and sin no more.” Repentance means turning around from the way you’ve been going and to start heading in the opposite direction! It involves coming to terms with the fact that you have a problem and making a decision to turn your back on it.

This means naming the issue. It could be anything from overeating to binge watching TV to all kinds of things that steal your time, health and relationships, robbing you of your family, vocation, and destiny. There is no doubt about it, sin brings devastation. The Bible says the result of sin is death. It also tells us that the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. That is what addiction accomplishes for us. Yet many of us continue to flirt with our addiction and its false promises. It may offer temporary comfort but ultimately it will lead us down a trail of destruction.

This reminds me of the well-known quotation… “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” The writer of this statement is unknown but the truth it shares should be made known to everyone to help them break chains of addiction. Even so, we may know what’s best for us and yet somehow, in this world where anything goes, we can easily be anesthetized to the consequences of our negative actions.

The answer as I have said is repentance, which means choosing to follow Jesus no matter what. Remember that old Sunday school song…   ‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus’ –  “Tho’ none go with me, still I will follow… The world behind me, the Cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.”

Repentance requires naming the problem and refusing to accept its ongoing existence in our lives by putting our faith in Jesus to break chains of addiction. After all, His Name is the Name Above All Names – the name that is higher than sickness and disease, the name above addiction. As we speak His name over the situation, we give Him permission to intervene in our situation and our faith rises to break chains of addiction. And, of course, as we pray and confess our sin to God He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us.

If you are struggling today, trust Jesus to deliver you.

He said He did not come to condemn the world but to save it. He said He came to set the captives free. Yes, the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. (Romans 6:23). And that doesn’t just mean life in Heaven where there is no sin, it means having a victorious life on earth. It means we can break chains of addiction no matter what they are.

Yes, the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy but Jesus came to give us life and life in abundance (John 10:10). Abundant life is not struggling with sin. God has made it possible for us to be reconciled with Him, forgiven of our sin and empowered to break chains of addiction and live a victorious life.

Sin is like a deep ravine that separates us from God. In order to cross that vast divide, we need a bridge. Jesus is that bridge. As we accept Him as our Savior, we are empowered to live a new life in Christ, putting our past behind and embracing the freedom we can have in Jesus.

For those Christians who continue to struggle – do not feel condemned. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it. The Bible also tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Repentance is the first step to break chains of addiction but there is much more we can do to walk in victory. Different Christian writers have different perspectives on how one can overcome, but I would like to share just five things that have worked in my life to break chains of addiction.

5 steps to break chains of addiction

  1. Renew your mind As the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out!” If we have spent years putting garbage into our minds it may take as long to change our way of thinking. God’s Word is the only thing that cleanses us and we need to read it and replace our addictive thoughts with scriptures that inspire us towards godly living. Romans 12:1-2 instructs us not to conform to the ways of the world, but to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. We are called to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Sin stems from rebellion against God and our sacrifice to Him is the exact opposite of that.
  2. Fast. Jesus said that some spiritual conditions can only be turned around through fasting in prayer. God delivered me overnight from smoking years ago, but when it comes to overeating I’ve had to learn to live a fasted life. It’s obvious, what we feed grows and what we starve dies. Sometimes we have to cut off certain things, separate ourselves from people who hold us back and avoid particular places that perpetuate a weakness. Fasting is not just about what we eat, it can be about denying ourselves things we know will cause us to stumble. I sometimes do a liquid fast for three days and I feel the supernatural power of God sustaining me. I’m all too aware that I could never do this in my own strength and I encourage you to try fasting and see what God supernaturally accomplishes in your life.
  3. Prayer is simply communicating with God, telling Him your deepest thoughts, including confessing your weaknesses. Run to God every time you mess up, don’t run away from Him. Remember when you have a setback you don’t go all the way back to square one, you can pick yourself up and get back on track. Through prayer, you can learn to come alongside God and walk in His strength to break chains of addiction.
  4. Be on the alert for situations that will take you back into your addiction. We all have triggers and it’s important to know what your triggers are and avoid them. Watching Christian TV is a great way you can learn to live above temptation. This is part of renewing your mind, but it also helps connect you with the testimonies of others who have learned to walk in victory. GOD TV receives e-mails regularly from those who have been delivered from all kinds of addiction, from alcoholism to pornography, drugs and many other life-controlling issues. Many have been able to turn away from an unwanted same sex attraction, others have broken free from fear and anxiety. Trust God to meet you where you are at, break chains of addiction and turn your situation around just as He had for many others.
  5. Have a vision. Discover what God has called you to do. See fulfilling your calling as infinitely greater than wallowing around in your addiction. As the song suggests, trade in your sorrows, trade in your shame. Lay them down for the joy of the Lord. As Jim Elliot says “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Never give up hope.

We serve the God of all hope, full of mercy and compassion. We as believers will always face temptation, but God promises us He will always make a way out. Let’s give up the things that hold us back, break chains of addiction and embrace all God has for us.

Also read: How To Be Free From Addiction: Four Keys To Finding Freedom

 

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sin and struggle
Faith

Andrew Farley On The Only Power To Overcome Sin, Struggle And Addictions

by Kyle Winkler
written by Kyle Winkler

We boast about amazing grace when it comes to our salvation. But when it comes to addressing the sins and struggles that arise as we live our faith, people often turn to various means of performance. That usually comes down to more Bible memorization, more prayer, more fasting or more adherence to a set of rules.

The problem is, as the apostle Paul revealed, disciplines and rule keeping “provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (Colossians 2:21–22). In fact, he warned that those kinds of things tend to only empower sin more (1 Corinthians 15:56).

The Answer to Holy Living

So what’s the answer to holy living? It’s grace. The same grace that saved you is what maintains and empowers you. Of course, that includes forgiveness of sin. But grace isn’t only forgiveness. It is also the truth of who you are and what you have because of Christ. That’s the part of grace that is especially helpful when it comes to dealing with sin, struggles and addictions.

To beat vices like lust, lies, and anger, Paul instructed, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:24).

Many mistake “put on” as some kind of ritual of behavior modification. But it isn’t. “Put on” means to accept that you have a certain quality or character. Accordingly, when you forget the lie that you are a horrible sinner and accept that you are forgiven, clean and new in Christ, you will behave better naturally.

The Most Powerful Message

How does that work? I recently invited Dr. Andrew Farley onto my podcast to discuss this with me. He is one of today’s great minds on grace. In this revealing interview, Dr. Farley explains why the grace message is the most “high-octane” message, and the only one with the power to put sin in its place, once and for all.

Is what you’re doing not working? Why not give grace a try? Tune in to discover how. …

The Power of Grace to Overcome Sin | Andrew Farley & Kyle Winkler

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Read more on the GOD TV Blog – godtv.com
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Featured

John Piper Answers: Does God Forgive Sins You Continue To Repeat?

by Rhoda Gayle
written by Rhoda Gayle

Does God forgive the sins you continue to repeat?

John Piper

In the “Ask Pastor John” podcast, theologian John Piper answered his listener’s question, “How can I say that I have repented if I commit the same types of sin over and over?” John answered the question by first acknowledging that it is the most common question an honest and serious Christian ask. He then explains what is a sin.

“Any thought, any attitude, any word, any facial expression, any gesture, any action that does not flow from a treasuring of Jesus is sin….Sin is a condition of the heart that is bent away from God in preference for other things, and sin is an expression of that preference in our mind or attitude or behavior,” John said.

Sin

The 75-year-old theologian then continued to define two different types of confession. One type of confession is an expression of guilt for a sin they can’t control themselves giving into them. That confession is “superficial” and a “cloak for fatalism.” John called it an “I feel bad about them, but I can’t help myself” type of mentality.

And the other confession is feeling the same guilt and sorrow for the sin, but the sinner chooses to wage war against the sin.

“You aim, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to defeat it,” John said. “You plan to rob the sin of its power over you.”

John doesn’t have a concrete answer to the question his listener has.

“I don’t think we can provide a list of sins or a number for the frequency with which you can sin and get away with it,” he said.

However, he is emphasizing that we must wage war against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. We can never be free from sin until the day we are made holy in the presence of Christ, what we can do is wage war against them until the very end.

Read also: EX-SATANIST WARNS AGAINST CELEBRATING THE HALLOWEEN

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Reference: Faithit 

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victory over sin
Faith

How To Experience Instant Freedom From Sin

by Kyle Winkler
written by Kyle Winkler

The enemy’s attacks on an unbeliever are very different from his attacks on a believer.

In the lives of people who have not put their trust in the saving work of Christ, the devil’s goal is to keep them from doing so. Ultimately, he wants to keep people eternally separated from their Creator. This is what the Bible describes as the power of sin (see Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23).

We can probably recognize the devil’s work to keep us separated from God from our own lives before salvation. If we do not recognize it in our own past, we surely see his schemes being attempted on some of our loved ones.

He works culturally through various worldly philosophies and theories to veil the reality of God so that people equate all things to some meaningless accident of nature. He works personally through abuse, trauma, disaster, disease, sickness and every other fallen thing to skew the character of God so that people will not consider a god who would allow such pain. He also targets people through addictions and other vices. His goal is to consume their focus before they have an opportunity to hear the Good News.

In the life of a Christian, however, these attacks do not have the same result. That is because the moment we believed in Jesus, “our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ” (Romans 6:6). Yes, belief in Christ broke the power of sin instantly. Christians are free from it (see Romans 6:7-10).

“But What If I Still Sin?”

As exciting as this sounds, the idea that the power of sin is broken is where many believers get hung up. Because they still struggle with sin, they begin to question if they were ever really a Christian. They say, “But I still sin, I still struggle and I still feel. I guess the power of sin isn’t broken for me. I guess I’m not really a Christian.”

This is a lie! The enemy can only use sin to make us question our status before God. But because of our new identity in Christ, sin can no longer actually separate us from Him. That is why Paul boasted, “[Nothing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Please understand that the Bible does not assure that a Christian will never sin or struggle. Even the apostle John warned that those who claim to be without sin are only deceiving themselves (see 1 John 1:8). Do not fall for the enemy’s sleight of hand to link what you do with who you are. As a Christian, the Bible assures that though you inevitably still fall and fail, these failures no longer define you. This is freedom from the power of sin.

No Longer a “Sinner”

The incomprehensible meaning of this is that though you may still sin, you are no longer identified as a sinner. After all, Christ “re-gened” you with His identity! Ongoing victory in your life hinges on renewing your mind to this truth. This is precisely why the apostle Paul encouraged, “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

Notice, Paul did not urge us to try to be dead to sin, as if it is something still to be done. No, he said to consider, which means to “think about carefully.” In other words, renew your mind to the truth that your missteps, mistakes, flaws, failures and shortcomings do not change your status before God.

Ongoing Victory Over Sin

With all that said, this does not mean that you should not desire or pursue growth in your life. It does not mean you should settle in the place you are today. Or that God does not care about whether or not you stop sinning. You should, of course, want to be freed from the entanglements and trappings that hurt you, hurt others or draw your focus away from God. Your heavenly Father intimately cares about what you do because He wants the absolute best for your life.

Unquestionably, sin and struggle are not part of God’s best for you. Perhaps the same ole, same ole is getting old to you. Trust me, I get it! But as I explore in my book, Shut Up, Devil: Silencing the 10 Lies behind Every Battle You Face, nothing physical, emotional or spiritual will change in your life until you start believing correctly.

I once heard the late preacher, Adrian Rogers, say, “The me I see is the me I’ll be.” That is what I found in my life. All the effort from all the years of trying to change things about me never worked to change me. Therefore, I continued to produce rotten fruit from the rotten root of how I saw myself. But when I understood the reality of my new, righteous identity in Christ and saw myself accordingly, the real transformation began to happen from the inside out.

Think of it this way: right believing influences right behaving, which results in right living. Too many of us battle because we have that the other way around.

_______-__

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