When Evil is Found

Last night I was reading in Deuteronomy, currently I am in around chapter 22. Just to give a little background about this book, Moses is accounting all that happened between being freed from slavery in Egypt as well as various events that occurred during their wandering in the wilderness. Along with this, Moses gives praise for God's goodness in rescuing them and Moses also goes over a number of guidelines and laws to follow in order to keep structure and maintain civility. As I was reading, I kept noticing a repeating phrase: "You must purge the evil from among you."

I decided to rewind a couple chapters and count the amount of times I saw this phrase between chapter 17 and 22. I counted a total of nine times. Recently, I have learned that when something in the Bible is said repeatedly, it usually is for a reason - to get the point across that the repeating phrase is truth and should be followed.

With this in mind, I couldn't help but soak up its repetitiveness.

I knew it was for a reason that it was said so many times.

Here we have well over a million, possibly even two million people, and they've just been freed from slavery in Egypt. Now God has to train them to understand and obey a completely different structure. It was very important for Him to lay down these laws, without them there would be very serious issues, sin, and if you boil it down, things would become very disorganized and out of control.

My next thought was: How can I apply this to my life?
There are all sorts of evils in this world. Sin comes in many forms: idolatry, lying, lust, murder, stealing, jealousy, anger, etc. All of us have our own struggles and weaknesses, and all of us are prone to certain temptations.

God made it clear that when evil was found, that it should be purged. I was trying to find the specific meaning for the word "purge" in Deuteronomy but I was having some trouble. After doing some research on the web, my ultimate conclusion was that purge means to purify, or cleanse thoroughly. In some senses it can even mean to prune something. Pruning comes across very strong, for me at least, in the sense that it means something is dead and it must be done away with to keep the entirety of whatever the object (say a plant) healthy.

Returning to my original question, where does the application come in? God made it known that purging or pruning away evil was significant, that it should and must be done. I believe that this same line of logic should apply in our lives as well. If you see evil in your life, a sin you're struggling with, you should purge yourself of it. If you see a friend struggling with a sin, you should hold them accountable and encourage them to purge it from their life. Why is this important? For the same reasons that God told the Israelites to purge the evil. Evil is not just some nice little thing that you want to keep around. It's ugly, it destroys, its entire aim is to wreck havoc in the world, people's lives, in everything! If you follow Christ, you know that sin will not build you up or make you more Christlike, but instead it pulls you away from Him and can even put off your spiritual growth. That is why purging evil and sin is SO important! We all know it's a lot easier said than done, but with God as our stronghold, there is nothing we cannot overcome.

A verse that has been encouraging to me in life is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 which says:

"But he (Jesus) said to me (Paul), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” ¹⁰Therefore I (Paul) will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

I challenge you, as a follower of Christ, to take a look at your heart, your life, your mind, your words, your actions, everything, and see where evil may lie. If you find something, and I'm certain you will, then take a long look at it. Why is this evil in your life? How have you let it in? What can you do to be rid of it? What steps can you take to prevent from falling into it again? I encourage you to seek out the prayer and council of others depending on the gravity of this evil as well as receiving accountability from those who you are close to. Accountability can do wonders, wonders I say! It's so incredibly beneficial and can build you up in a way like nothing else can. Find a close and sincere friend or two, and share with them about this evil or struggle you're dealing with. Don't be too ashamed to share, that's the biggest trap of the devil. He wants you to feel stuck in sin, that you can't get out of it, that everyone will think you're a terrible person or that they will only judge you for it. It's not true! If you seek out and share with true lovers and followers of Jesus, they will want to support you, encourage you, and walk through the struggle with you, so that you may see the sweet victory found in Jesus!

"Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Do you hate sin like you hate pimples? Part 2

Note: To all guy readers, do not be turned away due to the use of words like "pimple" and "clear skin", etc. This post is in no way girly at all! It's just metaphorical, so please read and enjoy! ;)

On Monday I wrote a blog post describing the metaphorical relationship between pimples and sin. If you haven't read it, you can by clicking here!

Let's continue on! Keep in mind that this post will be done through the using of the metaphor, so hopefully you won't get too confused. :)

What if I'm constantly breaking out?

If sin is constantly having control over your life and perhaps you're even letting it - then maybe you were never freed from sin to begin with. When you become saved through Jesus Christ, you're then automatically freed from the bondage of sin. Check it out:

Romans 6:6-11

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. that we should no longer be slaves to sin—Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Romans 6:18
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

This is not to say that you will never sin or struggle with sin again, rather it means that because of your being born again, you are now at an advantage with Christ to overcome and defeat sin - just as Jesus did. If you find yourself constantly giving into sin in various aspects of your life, rather than giving it up for Jesus' name and because you love Him - maybe you should reevaluate your heart and find where it's truly at. 

If you do know Jesus yet continue to sin against Him, He will certainly discipline you(Hebrews 12:4-13). He does this out of love, like a parent to child. I have seen Him do this in my life and in the end, all I can speak of is thanks to His name.

What if I have a reoccurring pimple?

For some of us, if not all, there is a specific sin that always seems to be knocking at our door. One day we may think we have fully overcome it in every way, just for it find us where we are the next day. The struggle can go deep - it can relate back to past events in our lives or things that have caused us to think or act a certain way which relate to this sin. If there is a reoccurring sin in your life that seems to continually have its grip on you, I encourage you to seek out the power and strength of Jesus.

Romans 6:22

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Remember, through the death of your old self, and the new life given through Jesus, you are set free from sin. It is no longer your master, but rather Jesus is. Though you may be tempted, you may also overcome that temptation as well! In tempting moments, Jesus can and will provide the strength you need to say no to whatever it is - but you must seek Him out in those moments. Say a prayer, read your Bible, call a close friend, etc. All these things are helpful and necessary when struggling. I will say that you may never be completely free from the temptations of certain sins, but you ALWAYS have a choice to obey or disobey Jesus. You will always have the opportunity to turn to Jesus in those moments - and I encourage you to! There is is nothing quite like the feeling of overcoming and defeating temptation and sin. :)

 
Why doesn't my skin ever completely clear up?

As previously mentioned, though we are now at an advantage towards sin, we are still sinful. We are still bound by the curse of sin until we die. The fight is tough and some times can be very discouraging. There can be very low and dark points, but we also can remember and trust in the promise of Jesus Christ. 

Hebrews 12:1-3

" ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

1 Timothy 6:12

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

No matter how difficult the struggle or how powerful the temptation of sin may be, there is nothing that can compare to the victory and joy in Jesus! Hold fast unto Him and you will see this victory! :)

Here are some things to keep in mind while dealing with sin:

1. Don't do things that lead to breaking out.

I know this doesn't necessarily apply to guys, but I think you'll still understand. When a girl tries on a make-up, lotion, etc. and it causes her to break out, she DOES NOT buy that product again. Makes sense right? 

The same thing applies to sin. If you know doing a specific thing, thinking a specific thing, being with a specific person, etc. will cause you to be tempted to sin, THEN DON'T DO IT. It is a very foolish thing to know what causes your temptations and then to continually put yourself in those spots. It may take sacrifice, but if you truly love Jesus, no sacrifice could be of too great worth, not to mention the sacrifice He made for you! 

2. It isn't YOU alone that gets rid of your pimples.

Think of it this way: You use facial cleansers or medicine to help get rid of the pimples you deal with. If it weren't for these cleansers or medicine, then your pimples may be more rampant and out of control. You yourself cannot really or truly get rid of your acne problems. The same goes with sin and Jesus. If you're not depending on Jesus (aka the "cleanser") in parts of your life where sin (ance) is prevalent, then you cannot expect for it to go away or for you to overcome it. The truth is, as sinful human beings, we are weak. It would be an unwise thing to depend merely on your own will power to defeat certain sinful struggles in your life. (John 15:5 - Apart from Christ you can do nothing) So stop depending on yourself if you are and depend on the power of Jesus!   

Titus 2:11-12

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,"

Once again, there is hope and victory in the name of Jesus! If you trust and depend on Him to bring you to this victory then I guarantee you that you WILL see it!

3. It's a process

Just like pimples, they don't just quickly vanish or go away. It takes time, typically several days for it to come and go. The same applies to sin in our lives. If you are quick to spot the pimple AKA sin coming on in your life, and apply some form of cleanser AKA Jesus (reading God's word, praying, seeking council, etc.) then the quicker it should go away. Still however, some pimples can really take their good 'ol time on leaving. Don't be discouraged if sin is not so easy for you to be rid of in your life. Through this constant process of having to trust in Jesus for Him to enable to you to overcome it, your relationship with Him can grow tremendously! 

My Challenge to you: Keep running the good race and trusting in Jesus! Think about the principles and concepts I mentioned and see where they can apply to your life. As followers of Christ, we are already on the winning side, so don't forget that and keep serving your Jesus! :)

Do you hate sin like you hate pimples? Part 1

You know what bugs me? When finally, that nasty pimple is gone from my face, just to wake up the next morning with a brand spankin' new and nasty one! Aren't pimples just so gross and annoying to have to deal with?

I was thinking about it recently and I discovered that pimples and our sin have a lot in common.

Though you may not physically SEE your sin like a pimple, sin's description at the core, is quite similar. Think about it. What are pimples? They are spots that are unclean, clogged (doesn't that just make your gag-reflex go off?). What is sin? Spots in our lives that are unclean and where we are perhaps spiritually "clogged" . 

Does your sin bug you as much as pimples do? Enjoying and lathering up in your sin is like saying you enjoy pimples! Ew!

According to God's word, we are called to hate evil things, or sin. Check it out!:

"Let those who love the LORD hate evil,"

Psalm 97:10a

"Hate evil, love good;"

Amos 5:15ab

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;"

Proverbs 8:13a

Are there some "unclean" and "clogged" parts in your life that you've been forgetting to "scrub" with spiritual "cleansers" such as reading God's word, praying, or fellow shipping with others?

My challenge to you: Take a good and long hard look at your heart, where are there parts that are in need of a cleansing? Spend some time with God and ask Him to reveal where these spots are.

This post isn't over yet! Check back in a couple days for Part 2! 

Click here for Part 2! 

I'm Forgiven!

While doing my school work today, I've been listening to K-Love. The song "Forgiven" came on, which is by Sanctus Real. It's one I haven't heard in a really long time and it brought up some past memories of mine in which I do regret but through the lyrics, I was reminded of what Christ has not only done for me, but for you and anyone else born into this world.

Here are the Lyrics..

"Well the past is playing with my head

And failure knocks me down again

I’m reminded of the wrong

That I have said and done

And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life

I know what I’ve been

But here in your arms

I know what I am

[chorus]

I’m forgiven

I’m forgiven

And I don’t have to carry

The weight of who I’ve been

Cause I’m forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind

And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night

When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride

Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

In this life

I know what I’ve been

But here in your arms

I know what I am

[back to chorus]

When I don't fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere

When I don’t measure up to much in this life

Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ ‘cause

[back to chorus]"

I'm quite sure that all of us have done things, said things, thought things, that we wish we hadn't. It's very easy to get caught up in the regretful things we have done and forget the meaningful, God-glorifying things we have yet to do.

If your past ever seems to bug you or even go so deep to ache your heart, I encourage you to remember that you ARE forgiven. Let God's Word speak for itself:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.” Isaiah 43:25-26

When you come to Christ and repent, He no long remembers your sins but they are completely blotted out! There is hope in the name of Jesus Christ!

My Challenge to you: Whether you struggle with things in your past or not, praise Jesus for His amazing love, mercy and forgiveness! There is nothing that can hold you back, no sin that you cannot conquer, no challenge that you cannot overcome, no past regret that you can't make peace with - in the Name of Jesus. Beneath His wings, there is a promise for all of our futures! :) What an encouraging promise that is!

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus …”

Romans 8:1