by Kelly Dixon
Reading: Romans 13:11-14
I sit and wonder sometimes as to what makes me stop and take notice. What makes me stop and take notice to those around me . . . those who I've known, but now they are far away . . . those who I haven't met yet, but they are right in front of me. What makes me take notice of the way I treat people in my life and the awareness of my sinful actions towards them. What really makes me take notice? Does God have to hit me over the head with a brick to get my attention? Does He need to leave me in my sinful state until I cover myself so much with the sin that I do not recognize myself? All these questions I wonder at times. It is in the midst of pondering these things that make me strive to be a better servant for Christ. For when I bring my sins to the surface I am able to deal with their existence. However, if I ignore my sinful ways, I am destroying my close relationship with Christ.
Repentance of one's sins is the essential step of salvation. When we receive Jesus as our Saviour, we realize we are sinners; are in need of a Savior; and repent of our sins. However, afterwards it is easy for us to neglect the importance of repentance as a part of our faith. Many times we fall into Satan's trap of belief that we will always be sinners and we are unable to overcome sin in our lives. This is a state of denial. We deny that we must continue to overcome sin in our lives even though Jesus has paid the price for those sins. This attitude of denial is detrimental to deepening our walk with Christ. It is right in the middle of our faith that we realize that continual repentance of sins must be done if we are to draw closer to our Saviour. As Christians we believe that Christ has forgiven us for our sins – past, present and future. But within this faith we need to grasp that if we are to obtain the promises of God we must strive to overcome sin in our lives. For example, God promises us His peace and is ready to give it to us in abundance. However, we must trust in Him and have faith that He will provide the peace we long to obtain. This trust can be overshadowed with sins in our lives. Such sins as worry can take us further away from trusting God and further away from the blessing of the peace that He promises.
How do we overcome these sins? Continual awareness and repentance is the only answer. If we are unaware of the sins in our lives then we will not be able to repent of those sins. Yes, we can ask for forgiveness of sins in which we are not aware. Since all sins were paid for at the cross, this forgiveness was obtained at the point of our salvation. However, we are unable to overcome those sins if we are not aware of them. It is important that we show our faith by asking God to reveal sins in our lives that keep us from drawing closer to Him and obtaining His blessings. After awareness, we must then repent of those sins and realize what repentance means. We repent when we feel such a regret for our actions that we change our ways, literally turning from the action and following the better way – the way of Christ.
Are you daily asking God to reveal the sins in your life? Man even though born into sinful nature was given a free will. As Christians, we have chosen Christ and when we were saved we received the Holy Spirit, Who indwells each of us. We have a choice not to sin in our lives and that choice begins with a realization of the sins in our lives. Once we are aware, we have the choice to repent and submit to the Holy Spirit. In our flesh, we cannot overcome sin, no matter how much effort we put forth. However, as we yield to the Spirit, He produces godly fruit through us and our sins are overcome.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Lead me in being aware of when I have sinned. Give me the strength to repent of those sins and the wisdom to know how to turn from my wicked ways. Show me how to submit to Your Spirit so that through Your strength I may overcome sin in my life. Overall, I will bring glory to You, which is my true desire. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Deepening The Walk Mini Bible Study: This faith series is being accompanied with mini Bible studies for further in depth study. When Ladies for Jesus offers these type studies, we call them “Deepening The Walk.” It is our prayer that you use this extra material to assist you in deepening your walk with the Lord. Deepening The Walk Mini Bible Study page.
