v22
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
For those of us who have believed in Jesus Christ, now that we've received Him, we don't have to sin. He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness, so that we have everything we need to live a godly life. He doesn't ever let us be tempted beyond what we're able to handle, but He always makes a way of escape so we can endure it. How gloriously freeing this is!
We're not under the power of sin any more. We can choose to lean on the Lord for help to do what's right, and then we will be able to do what's right. This is only an opportunity we have because we have Him. People who don't know Him can't experience this freedom. But often, we, as His people don't realize this opportunity we have.
He gives us power by His Holy Spirit, living and working in us, so that we can be bold, and stand strongly. We don't have to study beforehand what we will answer accusers. We can receive wisdom and the words to speak from the Lord, supernaturally, right at that moment. As long as He is on our side, we don't have anything to worry about.
What joy there is, that we don't have to get mad, or tell a lie, or be contentious, if we choose not to. All of the riches of the Lord's help are available to us, so the only way we'll sin is if we allow it. Let's realize that when we're tempted, or when we're going into a tempting situation, and let's take advantage of leaning on the Lord for strength, and let's not allow the sin.
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I remember talking about this with you before. I said that it's true we don't have to sin, but as Christians we're taught, "Nobody's perfect so everyone is going to make mistakes." I asked you what the balance is between knowing that we WILL NECESSARILY make mistakes and knowing that it isn't NECESSARY TO make mistakes, and I really liked your answer but I don't remember what it was. Maybe if it's written here I can reference it if/when I forget again.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember my exact answer that time either, but I can answer here.
ReplyDeleteIf we sin, it's our choice... Just like, if I eat lunch in a few minutes here, that's my choice. It isn't really completely necessary for me to eat lunch; I wouldn't starve if I skipped it today. But I will necessarily eat lunch, only because I choose to do so.
It is sort of inevitable that, in all probability, we'll still choose to sin some time: But we're not enslaved to it, and every time, it will be entirely our own responsibility. So the difference is, that now, being made free from the slavery of sin, we have everything we need to choose to not do those things.
Basically, equating the axiom of "everybody makes mistakes," with "it is NECESSARY TO make mistakes," is the logical fallacy of retrospective determinism: assuming that since something did happen, then it must have been inevitable.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, this fallacy often leads to hasty generalization, that given the same conditions, the same thing must happen again. I think that this particular deception is one that the enemy often uses to convince us to sin.