Tag: Sin

Posted in Beyond Comfort Zone, CONTROLLING SELF, Motivation, Uplifting Christ

Day 2: Breaking Free from Addictions

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8, AMP)

Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy. This is the good news we have as believers. Addictive behavior roots from a pattern we programme on our mind. Then it becomes something we do, sometimes, unconsciously. We may not even realize how it affects or hurts people around us, especially when all we care about is satisfying that short term desire. For instance a spouse who cheats on the other cares more about how to satisfy his/her sexual desires than how the other feels. It hurts God too that is why Jesus came to pave a way for us to be free.

As stated in Day 1, it’s not just about more sugar, smoke, caffeine, sex, drug, etc but it’s about looking at the broader picture; how the enemy wants to destroy your special gifts, talents, purpose, strength, and/or your body.

God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Cor 3:17, NLT)

  • 3 Remedies to Consider in dealing with Addiction:
  1. Commit to Prayer:
    • The first step is to commit to prayer and fasting. This is a battle between the Spirit and the Flesh. In effect, the more you feed the spirit, the more you subdue the flesh and its desires.
    • Prayer is one way to grow spiritually. Talk God about the struggle you face with the habit(s) and let him know your willingness to change. He will answer your request and give you more strength to win.
    • Fasting will help you discipline the body and it’s very good spiritual exercise
  2. Commit to His Word:
    • The Psalmist said “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11, NLT) Get to know the Word and what it says about your situation. Always remember that The Word will help you to win when the tempter comes.
    • Study the word daily and read more materials that will help you grow deeper in His Word. The more you study, the clearer you begin to see answers to your challenge
  3. Guard your Thought:
    • Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. (Ephesians 4:27, AMPC)
    • Every behavior starts with a thought. yeah! some small voice that prompt you that it’s time.
    • This thought becomes a foothold for the enemy to act. But as you pray and study God’s word, pray that the Holy Spirit helps you change you into a new person by changing the way you think.
    • A quick way to deal with negative thought is to replace with a good one. Therefore when the nudge comes, quickly run to the Word and direct the feeling to something positive.

Handle One day at a Time:

Do your Best each day and keep track of your progress. If you slip along the road, don’t give up. Maintain your composure and move forward. At the end of the day, it’s not about how many times you fell but about how you successfully finished your race. You can be Free. It’s just a decision away. Maybe I can help, why not send mail; upliftingchrist@gmail.com

Posted in FORGIVENESS, LOVE, Uplifting Christ

Love Keeps No Record Of Wrongs

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

love keeps no record of wrongsIf we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. (1 John 1:8 AMP).

We were sinners because of one man, Adam. But the scripture says that God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8, NLT). Remember, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Christ came to die so that we could have forgiveness of our sins. This makes forgiveness an important topic in our walk of faith.

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus talked about forgiving our brothers and sisters who have done us wrong. From the passage, the Master forgave the servant his debt he could not pay. The penalty was so severe that he had to fall down before his master and begged for more time to pay. The Master felt pity for him so he forgave his debt. But that servant could not do the same to another fellow who owed him a hundred silver coin. The servant was unmerciful to his fellow servant. In short, the Master got to hear what he had done, and took him to jail; tortured him till he paid the last penny.

Friends, we owed a debt we could not have afforded to pay but God sent His son to suffer and die on our behalf. He paid the debt we could not pay. He forgave us our sins. Like that Master and His servant, we ought to forgive those who sin against us because God forgives us when we go wrong.

Take a moment to answer these questions:

Do you remember the last time you sinned against God?

Did you pray for forgiveness?

Do you believe that He has forgiven you? If YES, you are blessed.

Let us move on the other direction;

Do you remember the last time someone (brother, sister, colleague, mother, father, teacher, pastor, family member, manager, director, supervisor, etc.) did something wrong (sin) against you?

Did you pay him/her back? Or you forgave him/her?

Often we find it hard to forgive others, especially when they deliberately hurt us. This makes us to believe that God acts as such so when we go wrong, we find it very difficult to forgive ourselves or even believe that God has forgiven us after we have confessed to him.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus added “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended us or done us wrong].” (Luke 11:4, AMP). The way we are going to receive forgiveness from the Lord is dependent on the way we forgive others when they sin against us. Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 18:35 after the master had punished the unmerciful servant: “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart” (Matthew 18:35, NLT)

God wants us to live in peace because in the beginning, he created a man and a woman. We are one family. For that reason, you are my brother/sister. We must love one another. I do not have to always keep record of the wrong things you do to me.

“…love keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV)

When God forgives you, it is as though you never committed that sin. He does that because He loves you. He does not keep record of your sins. In the same way, you ought to show your genuine love by forgiving others their mistakes without reminding them in the future.

God bless you as you decide to love those who have done you wrong or hurt you in the past or present by forgiving them their mistake(s). Amen

We can pray together: if you need strength to let things go, drop a message and I would pray with you. The address is upliftingchrist@gmail.com

Posted in NEW CREATION, THOUGHT FOR THE DAY, Uplifting Christ

Thought For The Day: January 24, 2015

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. (1 John 2:1-2 NLT)