So, with all this talk of repentance and turning our backs on sin, what do we do if we slip up? Is God's grace big enough to cover us when there's one vice we can't seem to shake? Is it possible to know complete freedom from sin?
Well, I don't have perfectly packaged, brilliant, and revelatory answers for these questions. In fact, they are ones I stuggle with on a regular basis, especially when it seems inevitable that I slip up. I know the Biblically based, church answers: 1) Confess and continue to seek His forgiveness, allow Him to change your heart through prayer and studying the WORD, find an accountability partner, and pray for the strength to stand firm the next time you're tempted; 2) Of course His grace covers you, He loves you unconditionally and is always ready and willing to forgive; 3) YES! Jesus declared this freedom to be the very reason He came to earth - in His resurrection He conquered death and sin! And though these answers are immensely encouraging, I often long for that complete freedom so desperately that I really beat myself up when I happen to slip. But I know that guilt and shame are not from God, in fact they are often traps from the Devil. They are his way of zapping our hope and stealing our joy. And the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)!
Wow, after recalling all that I have to remind myself that I AM FORGIVEN. And that the Devil is a liar and guilt and shame have no place in my heart! (Also, I little something I remember from reading Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life: we cannot just quit a habit, we have to exchange one habit for another - so you can't expect to avoid a temptation if you are constantly thinking of how to avoid it, you have to fill your life with other, more fulfilling activities! We have to shift our focus and take every thought captive!)
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