E
The sin checklist thing is definitely not a good idea. Been there done that before. Failed every time. The harder I would try the more I failed in something. All I got from that was guilt and shame. I was definitely not free from the power of sin.
It can get pretty confusing at times.
You have one group of people telling you all the things that you "have to do" and yet, you see them struggling and failing too. That is the "workers for salvation" that way fails every time. They are not walking in Jesus' strength they are trying to walk in their own strength. They think that their work will somehow make them worthy. They are walking in themselves. They are not free from the power of sin.
Then, you have another group keeping the ten commandments and not failing in the "big sins"...So they think they are perfect and don't have any sin. The self righteous. In their view, they sit high above all judging the sins of others. Yet, they are in themselves and also failing horribly. They are not free from the power of sin.
Then, you have another group, who tell you that you can live anyway you want. They say that since Jesus died and paid the penalty for our sins, we are saved and no longer have to worry about sin...which is true...sin has no more dominion of us. Yet, they fail in that they don't really put any faith in Jesus that he can help them overcome. They allow sin to have dominion over them. They are self willed and seeking self pleasure. They are not concerned with the will of God and do not really put their faith and trust in him, either. They are following their own will and are in themselves. They are not free from the power of sin.
There has to be another way, right.
This is pretty difficult for me to explain it all, but I will try.
Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin. He did not fail. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. The key to this, is loving God above all else and putting all faith in the Jesus Christ our Lord. We are dead and buried with Christ. We are a new man...the spirit is regenerated and we now have access to the Father. There is no longer a separation between us and God. We are now in Christ and the Father sees us through Christ. Scripture even tells us that we have the mind of Christ. He has made us to sit together in heavenly places with Christ far above all power and principalities.
The enemy doesn't want anyone to know or believe that because he is the accuser of the brethren. He wants to keep us held down in guilt and shame so that we can't truly put our faith in Christ, walk in the Spirit, and experience the freedom that is in Him.
It can get pretty confusing at times.
You have one group of people telling you all the things that you "have to do" and yet, you see them struggling and failing too. That is the "workers for salvation" that way fails every time. They are not walking in Jesus' strength they are trying to walk in their own strength. They think that their work will somehow make them worthy. They are walking in themselves. They are not free from the power of sin.
Then, you have another group keeping the ten commandments and not failing in the "big sins"...So they think they are perfect and don't have any sin. The self righteous. In their view, they sit high above all judging the sins of others. Yet, they are in themselves and also failing horribly. They are not free from the power of sin.
Then, you have another group, who tell you that you can live anyway you want. They say that since Jesus died and paid the penalty for our sins, we are saved and no longer have to worry about sin...which is true...sin has no more dominion of us. Yet, they fail in that they don't really put any faith in Jesus that he can help them overcome. They allow sin to have dominion over them. They are self willed and seeking self pleasure. They are not concerned with the will of God and do not really put their faith and trust in him, either. They are following their own will and are in themselves. They are not free from the power of sin.
There has to be another way, right.
This is pretty difficult for me to explain it all, but I will try.
Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin. He did not fail. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. The key to this, is loving God above all else and putting all faith in the Jesus Christ our Lord. We are dead and buried with Christ. We are a new man...the spirit is regenerated and we now have access to the Father. There is no longer a separation between us and God. We are now in Christ and the Father sees us through Christ. Scripture even tells us that we have the mind of Christ. He has made us to sit together in heavenly places with Christ far above all power and principalities.
The enemy doesn't want anyone to know or believe that because he is the accuser of the brethren. He wants to keep us held down in guilt and shame so that we can't truly put our faith in Christ, walk in the Spirit, and experience the freedom that is in Him.
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