Easy to confess, hard to forsake

There's something that's a problem for people --

SIN.

Some religious practices involve confessing sins to spiritual authorities to receive forgiveness.

There's an idea that "confession is good for the soul" even if the confessor doesn't believe in a certain religion or type of spirituality.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. James 5:16

If we confess our sins, He [God the Father by the Son's blood vs.5-7] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

When God raised up His Servant [Jesus vs.13-15], He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. Acts 3:26

"Lord, please forgive me for that sin."

Now what?

Are we to stop sinning? John 5:14; 8:11

Peter wrote about false teachers. 2 Peter 2:1

Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable.

They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. 2 Peter 2:14

The implied meaning from Peter is that we ARE supposed to stop sinning as compared to those he described in negative ways.

Paul wrote,

What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Certainly not!

How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Romans 6:1-2

Christians aren't supposed to keep on sinning as a lifestyle. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 John 3:9; 5:18

No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning.

No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. 1 John 3:6

We're to go and sin no more, so that's why we need help.

"I've confessed my sins and I feel better. And now I'm ready to forsake them."

Have you ever been there?

I have.

When sin was pointed out, 2 Samuel 12:5-7; Romans 7:9; Galatians 2:11, 14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 then the challenge began.

I wanted to stop it and live in holiness. Matthew 5:8; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:14-16

Who is really ready to give up the pleasures of sin? Hebrews 11:25

Maybe we have to see spiritually Him Who is invisible as Moses did Hebrews 11:27 to jump start the process.

Could we read and study the Bible as a manual for holy living? Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

It's called the Holy Bible for a reason.

YOU CAN HAVE A HELPER

In the battle to keep our bodies under the rule of the Lord, 1 Cor.9:24-27; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18

yield to the Holy Spirit Romans 8:5 Whom God the Father sends in the name of Jesus. John 14:26

If you don't think it's a battle, Ephesians 6:11-12 it's probably because you haven't let the Bible convince you that you aren't yet perfect. Romans 3:9-20, 23; Philippians 3:12-14; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8, 10

Also, maybe you haven't tried to change your life to walk in the steps of Jesus. 1 Peter 2:21-23; 1 John 2:6

When we want to become more like Him, Romans 8:29 the Holy Spirit has important roles for believers.

Here are a few --

He will teach us all things. John 14:26

He will testify of and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, John 15:26; 16:14

so that we can also. John 15:27; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

He will guide us into all truth and show us things to come. John 16:13

He will help us to pray with all kinds of prayer and requests. Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:18

He will help us to continually give thanks and pray without stopping. Ephesians 1:16; 5:20; Philippians 1:3; Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 5:17-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Timothy 2:1-2

The Holy Spirit wants to give us His help.

Because of the love of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for us, John 3:16-17; 16:27

we can boldly go to the throne of grace to find mercy and obtain this help in time of need to resist sin. Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16

Here are a few examples of the Holy Spirit's help against sin --

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.

They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:16-17

Through this Comforter, Helper, Advocate, Standby, and more, we can make provision for His spirituality instead of the desires of the flesh. Galatians 6:8

LET'S DO OUR PART, TOO

Paul wrote,

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.

Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life;

and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. Romans 6:12-13

Therefore I urge you, brothers [and sisters], on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1

Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:14

To make provision, that is, a plan in our mind for the flesh is usually a first step toward sin.

Rather, we can with purpose put on the new person that we are through the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10

We can seek what's above with the Savior.

Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2

"I'M GOING TO NUMB YOU."

There's an interesting word that's often translated as "mortify," "kill," or "put to death" the deeds of the body.

Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

To "put to death" literally means to apply a numbing agent, like novocaine, lidocaine, etc., to paralyze, in a spiritual way, our physical parts to the enticements of sin.

Who has the power to "inject" us with the medicine of the word of the Lord? Proverbs 4:20-22; 6:24-25

By now, we should realize that the Holy Spirit is the One.

As the Lord Jesus Christ said,

"He [Holy Spirit] will glorify Me [Jesus] by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.

Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine.

That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you." John 16:14-15

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. 1 Peter 5:6

Your thoughts?

R. Jason