You Don’t Have to Sin

I have really good news.

You don’t have to sin.

Sometimes we think we simply must rebel against God and that we don’t have any resources to keep us in obedience to Christ.

That is simply not true. It is not inevitable that you sin, and it is not beyond the power of God to bring you through the temptation.

What makes it possible that we would remain obedient and shun temptation? What can we do to find strength and help in times of temptation?

First, we can look closely at the Word of God and find help for the hard times of life. The Psalmist talked about the Word of God being a “lamp to our feet and a light to our path“ (Psalm 119:105).

The same Psalm records the Psalmist saying that he will treasure God‘s word in his heart so that he may not sin against God (119:11). This, of course, means that it is possible not to sin based on the power of God‘s Word.

As we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, two things happen. We equip ourselves with the power to overcome temptation, and we begin to change so that sin does not become a desirable part of our lives.

Second, we can covenant with other people to turn from our sin and turn to God. When we have people who love us and want the best for us, we find strength in those people. This certainly is part of the reason God established the church. When we join with other believers we find help for the trials and temptations of life.

Third, God’s Spirit dwells in each believer. Since we have the Spirit of God, we have what we need to be obedient to God. Paul commanded believers to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). This should be a common occurrence for the follower of Christ. Paul promised that living by the Spirit meant that we would not carry out the sins of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

We have been given the means not to sin. Let us look to God’s Word, the church, and His Spirit to give us strength for life’s journey.

If you would like to receive a devotional like this each day, you can sign up at waylonbailey.com or in the box below.


 

 

Share this post

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on email

2 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *