joeb Posted May 14, 2015 Posted May 14, 2015 Are you proud of, or ashamed of, your sins? Do you broadcast them and say how proud you are of behavior that caused Christ to have to die? Or, do you admit to them, take responsibility for them, but hold a sense of shame for your behaviors that caused Christ to die for you? Do you want to be known as the "Christian liar", or the "Christian thief", or even the "Christian adulterer"? Or, the "Christian whatever your sin is". Or do you want to be known as the overcomer? Do want to be separated from your sins or identified by them? What does our attitude towards about our sins say about which we love more, God or our sins? Now, if God has given you victory over your sin and you state that I don't have a problem with someone saying, I was a thief and God changed my heart and motivations so that I am no longer a thief. That is glorifying God. It's telling the world about the power and love of God. I have experienced that kind of change. I abused drugs for years. I was basically born to be an addict. My earthly father was an alcoholic. He drank so much his own father-in-law had to fire him for drinking on the job. When he got fired his father-in-law was doing him a favor for he was falling timber drunk. That's one of the most dangerous occupations you can do sober, let alone drunk. I no longer crave getting high. The desire is completely gone and it's been gone for a good twenty years. During that time my life has not been easy, but I've never craved getting high to escape it. That change has nothing to do with me other than me desiring it and continually asking for victory for a good many years. But all desire, all craving is gone. God can and does change hearts and lives. He can change anyone's life and heart, but we must either desire that change or be willing to be made willing to change and keep on asking God to change our hearts until that change happens. That is sanctification. It's trusting God to change our hearts so that our behavior naturally changes to follow what is now in our hearts. That change takes place by faith. A faith that trusts God and continues to trust Him even when we can't see the changes happening. A good tree produces good fruit. A bad tree produces bad fruit. This change cannot happen if we deliberately continue to practice our sin. We can't pray for change and then deliberately go out and choose to indulge in our sin. We might be overcome at times and God will not desert us during those times, but we can't just go out and deliberately choose to sin "because God will forgive us". The Bible has quite a few examples of people doing that and they did not end well. phkrause 1 Quote Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.Alexis de Tocqueville
GayatfootofCross Posted May 14, 2015 Posted May 14, 2015 (edited) praise God Joeb! And good to meet you here! I hope to hear more from you on this. Addiction runs heavily in my family. Such heartache all the way around. I have found JESUS and a few pockets here and there of the Body of Christ. Unfortunately most of my family don't know JESUS. And family get togethers there is smoke and drink flow freely. God has helped me there in all that. He is good as you Testify! We rarely leave this earth unscathed. GBU Joeb Edited May 14, 2015 by GayatfootofCross Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet
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