Weather people want to admit it or not we all miss the mark some times. I will be the first to wave my hands, jump up and down and say "yes, me too!" What happens when you fall? Especially when you work in ministry? Me personally if and when I do mess up, I feel soooooooo horrible that I don't want to encourage any one else on my blog or FB group, b/c I feel like "how dare I say anything, I'm a hypocrite!". #trickoftheenmey. Why is that? Because #1 I repented and #2 the Lord has charged me with a task and I have to obey. I don't want Him to catch me with my work un-done.
Ok you fell, you were wrong, NOW GET UP AND KEEP PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK! Romans 3:23 say "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". But you can't stay there. First let's understand our relationship with God and the part sin plays. In Genesis when God created us, he said "let Us make man in Our imagine". So we were made to be just like God, who is without sin. We were in fellowship with God, until the fall of man when Adam and Eve ate of the tree. Sin entered the world and there was a divide between man and God. Sin became apart of our nature. Genesis 5:3 says "And Adam live an hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his own likeness, after his imagine, and called his name Seth." Moreover, David said in Psalms 51:5 "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." Because of the fall of man we were disconnected from who we really were in God. A sinful man could not come before God which is why in the old testament we had to offer burnt sacrifices to pay for our sins. To quote T.D. Jakes "a innocent lamb paid the price for a crime he did not commit for a guilty man to live in a righteousness that he could not afford." But Jesus came, died and paid the debt so that can come boldly to the throne of Grace. (Hence the term "Lamb of God") So what does this mean? Our sins are already forgiven, we just have to accept it. He's not going to force it on us. (I can go farther about why we still sin but that's a whole other lesson that I am holding on to, this stuff is deep y'all!)
Now I want to pause here to clarify, because I don't want anyone to take this as license to keep sinning. Proverbs 24:16 states that a just man falls seven times but gets up. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SAINT AND A SINNER RIGHT THERE! Although a saint sins, he is not a sinner because he doesn't practice sin. You get up you repent and whole heartily ask for forgiveness and turn away from it, forgive yourself and keep it moving. But you have to turn away from it. The Bible says, "If my people who are called by My name would humble themselves and pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land." That's the key! If you truly love Him you would keep his commandment. Yes, he knows your heart, meaning he knows if you are sinning intentionally or if it is your true desire to present your body as a living sacrifice and live for Him.
If you can understand the fundamental concept that our lives is a constant battle between flesh and the spirit; a battle of ideas, that take place in the mind, then you understand the underlying theme of this Christian walk. A lot of time we make this walk so complex and mysterious and it really not. Have you noticed that when ever you get a revelation it's like a light bulb comes on and you are amazed that the you didn't get it before because it was just such a simple concept?
Again, Jesus already paid the price for our salvation. It is by grace we are saved. Romans says "That if thou shalt confess with thou mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God has raised Jesus from the grave, thou shalt be saved." So from that point you are saved but you have to renew your mind. "Let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus". [Philippians 2:5] "And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..."[Romans 12:2].
I use to pray that the Lord take away temptation, but T.D. Jakes said something that was sooooo profound but yet so simple (I love him, can't you tell LOL) "temptation would not be temptation if He took it away would it? " Even Jesus was tempted. If He was tempted, why do you think you shouldn't be tempted??? What counts is how you respond to the temptation. Paul ask God to take the thorn from his flesh and God answered him and said "My grace is sufficient for thee" [2 Corinthian 12:9]. Again, this is a war between spirit and flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (KJV) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but might through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Ok for better understand for those who may not understand what the KJV is saying NLT says "We use God's might weapons, not worldly weapons to knock down the stronghold of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We Capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ" --All in the mind.
So what ever man (spirit or human) you feed is the one that's going to get stronger. If you constantly feed you flesh, carnality will win, if you edify the spirit-man, then you will over come the flesh. For in this flesh of ours dwells no good thing [Romans 7:18]. So how do you get this booger under control? The same way you discipline a child. What happens when you give a child everything they wants? They get spoiled and out of control. Fast. Deny your flesh. Okay, so the word says "train up a child in the way they should go that when he is old he will not depart from it", so same thing with the flesh. When you fast and deny your flesh what it wants, you are preparing for the battle. If you discipline your child at home, then they know how to act when they get outside right? SAME THING! The enemy tempts us. He doesn't make us do anything. God gave us free will to choose. But if you go into temptation (battle) without being prepared you will lose every time. And if you lose, get up repent and keep pressing toward the mark. But he does gives us a way of escape through the word. The devil tells us lies and if we are not prepared we believe them because that's what our flesh wants to do.He appeals to and entices the flesh in which dwells not good thing. But we fight Satan with the word. Ephesians 6:11-17 "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having you loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and you feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God".
The word also says "resist the devil and he shall flee", so if you keep grounded in the word and are prepared for battle, resisting the temptation, the devil will realize that his tactics aren't working and he can't keeping tempting you with the same thing. I going to leave you with one more scripture as food for thought, Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee".
That's it in a nutshell luvs! LOL I did not intend for this to be such a long post, but I had to preach to myself for a moment, and I just get soooo excited about the Word but hey to God be the glory anyhow. LOL. I pray that this encourages someone. LOVE YOU ALL!
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