A Christian man once said to me, "Pastor, I dread the Summer time. Women show so much more skin and lust overtakes me!" I did appreciate his honesty, but also realized he had no idea that he could actually begin a transformational process to change his 'natural' responses. This man had already 'surrendered' to the temptation because he thought that sin is like gravity, uncontrollable and irresistible. He was chained to the sinful nature because he was still thinking like a slave!
Is there something that happens in your life, some way that you sense you are living beneath God's purposes? Temper, greed, dishonesty, selfishness, pornography, abuse of drugs or alcohol, failure to genuinely love other people are just a few things that are the work of the old sinful nature. Will you change? Will serve God well and with holiness today? Maybe you're reluctant to answer because you, like my friend, think that wrong choices are inevitable, like gravity. If you believe that, you are in the grip of a lie! Yes, it is true that the impulses of the sinful nature are powerful. Our old habits are reinforced by long practice, and we are subjected to the pressures of an ungodly world around us. However, we need to know that we sin because we quietly surrender ourselves to do so. In Romans 13:14 we are urged to: "let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires." The KJV says, "make no provision for the flesh!" One way to grasp that challenge is to restate it like this: "Don't store up food to feed sin so it gets strong. Starve it, instead!"Don't read me wrong today. I am not suggesting that any of us will every reach a place on this earth where we live completely without failure and sin. Wouldn't that be heaven? Yes, matter of fact, it would! And yet while we wait for our final perfection, the Bible calls on us to be: "transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." {2 Corinthians 3:18}
So, how are we transformed to be like Jesus?
The influence of evil and self has been defeated through Jesus Christ. He gave His life on the Cross and was raised from the dead, accomplishing a spiritual work that now makes a holy life possible for all Believers! That is the first fact to accept! Satan maintains his powerful influence over us by lying and illusion. Fear and ignorance provide him a place to do his infernal work. So first, we believe the Truth - that Christ has defeated sin and accept Jesus' proclamation of our freedom from sin's dominance.
Then, we invite the Presence of the Holy Spirit to become our Counselor and Friend, who lead us through situations that provide opportunities for growth. You can trust God in that process. He'll never allow you to be overwhelmed by life. One day and one situation at at time we own Christ's victory and implement new ways to respond to life. We make choices to facilitate His work in us. Note the interplay of personal responsibility and the power of the Spirit that is pointed out in Philippians 2:12-14 -- NIV "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Many Christians with wonderful intentions, keep on failing and falling because they believe in the myth that somewhere they will find an overwhelming, 'life completely changed in an instant' experience. They wander in search of this magical moment from prayer meeting, to wonderful worship service, looking for the ministry of some anointed preacher. Those of us taught in the Pentecostal traditions are particularly vulnerable to this misunderstanding. The Bible does promise us an empowering experience with the Holy Spirit. Baptized by His Presence, we are changed. But, we must never think that our temptations are, once and for all, taken away by His fiery Presence. We cannot become passive, waiting for a moment of deliverance for our passivity, our failure to possess the power of God will cause us to remain slaves to sin. Powerful experiences of the Holy Spirit are valuable as crisis moments in which God points us in a new direction. Lasting transformation happens through sustained spiritual work. It's a process.
Work out your salvation... let God use the ordinary situations of life to shape you, to test you, to deepen your faith in Him. Practice the disciplines - solitude, confession, worship, study, service - that create opportunities for the work of the Spirit to be accomplished.
Grow up in Christ and begin to enjoy the productivity that comes with maturity.
So, are you going to serve God whole-heartedly today? The answer -- Yes, in Christ I am free, and with the power of the Spirit, I am more than a conqueror!
Here's a word from the Word - "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6
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