HOW TO STOP SINNING!!
Any true Christian out there that cares deeply about their relationship and standing with God will at some point come to the realisation that they have a sinful nature. This nature is like a magnet that draws you, towards doing evil. Many times you don’t want to do evil, you don’t want to sin and just like the apostle Paul you’ll cry out and say; For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
According to the apostle Paul there are some things that we know we ought to do, but just can’t. But those things which we don’t want to do, those are the things that we so easily gravitated to do. And the battle within rages on. And it's going to hurt you. Reason why is because you don’t want to keep hurting God by doing things He hates. There is probably one of you so addicted to porn and things of that nature, you hate doing this but you just can’t help it. Apostle Paul says in Romans 7;
For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
But Are we doomed? Is there no hope? certainly not. Because immediately after the verse I read you the Holy Scriptures give us our hope in this battle against sin; Romans 7:21-25
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Don’t go away. I want to unpack this for you, and everything will start to make sense as the video goes by. There are 3 things I want to discuss with you here.
Number 1: Trust is Jesus power and not your own self
See, God is a savior. He saves people from the penalty of sin when they believe in Jesus. Not only that He also saves them from the power of sin over them. One key thing I wanna stress in the video is this. Jesus is your only hope, He is your redeemer. There is no salvation in your own hand, or in your own strength. I mean did you create the whole earth and establish it, did you make the vast heavens, do you give the breath of life to all creatures? Certainly not. That is why I say you cannot save yourself. So Make a resolution in your mind that you’re not going to trust in your own saving power but that you are going to rely on Jesus and His mighty power to save you from the power of sin. Let me reveal how this is beautifully detailed in scripture. in point number 2
Point Number 2 : Walk by/in THE SPIRIT.
Jesus did miraculous things while he was on earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. He healed the sick, raised the dead and did what was deemed impossible in the sight of men. You’ll need that same power in your fight against sin. And you know what, The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead,That same mighty Powerful Spirit dwells in God’s people.
Romans 8:9 Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
That’s why you gotta make sure that you are born again and are filled with the Holy Spirit first. One must receive a supernatural birth where God’s Spirit comes to transform them and dwell in them. All one needs to do is repent and put their faith in JESUS. If not, they won’t have any power from God against sin.If you have not been born again, the Bible describes you as having a sinful nature, or "the flesh," which controls and dominates you, making it impossible to please God. Romans 8:7-8;
because the mind set on the flesh is at enmity toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God.
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? This concept is introduced in Romans 8 immediately after Paul talked about the battle within him as we’ve seen and how Jesus was his only hope. Romans 8 explains how that is, Galatians 5 even does it better; these two chapters are very related. In Romans 8:12
So then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.
There is a contrast in scripture between a born again christian with the Holy Spirit inside them and a non believer. A non believer has the sinful nature commonly referred to as the flesh. They are ruled by that. Sin is the automatic produce in their life. They can’t help it. But a born again believer has the Holy Spirit as well as the sinful nature. BUT, since the Holy Spirit is in them He will not fail, He will empower them to live holy. So when one yields their will unto the Spirit of God, as one chooses to live a life of continual surrender to the Holy Spirit, the influence of the Spirit will be great in their lives and the Spirit will put to death and overpower the sinful nature they may not walk in it. That's what it means to walk by the Spirit. Scripture says in Galatians 5:16-17
But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want.
The reason why you are not to do whatever you want is because you have a choice everyday, to either submit to the Holy Spirit of God and live a life where you invite His influence into your life and bear his good fruits or submit to your sinful nature and bear it’s bad fruits. But what does that LOOK like? Well see that in Point number 3.
Point number 3: WALK IN close fellowship with Jesus.
I want you to pay much attention here! How many of you would like to pursue a relationship with a spouse whom you never spend time together with, talk to once a week on phone and live millions of miles apart with the false pretence that the relationship is going to work? It’s really a joke if that spouse was a married couple hoping that the relationship would work. Why is it then that people expect to have a solid relationship with God when they rarely pray, pursue His presence, hardly read his word, hardly intentionally spend time with Him, and hardly consume goldy material? Jesus says in JOHN 15:4-5
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
The word abide here means to remain, continue, stay, reside. If you continue closely in Christ, from His nourishing power you will absolutely bear good fruit. You will not be overpowered by sin. You will be able to resist it. Jesus is able to save you from sins' power, but you must continue in Him everyday so that you may have daily victory. Since the flesh resides in you, it can easily pull you in its direction if you don’t continue in DAILY SURRENDER to Christ. You must Foster a serious committed lifelong relationship with Christ. He is faithful in his abiding, He'll do what He said He will do in His word. But the question on your part is will you abide faithfully so that this partnership with Him can help you bear good fruit (holiness and the fruits of the Spirit).
When I used to be a slave of sin addicted to watching certain evil things, my relationship with God was so superficial so shallow then, I hardly read His word, only prayed when I need help and before I went to sleep, I never really invited the Holy Spirit’s influence over my life and I never truly pursued Christ. Wanting to be more like Him. But when I started reading the word daily, praying serious prayers, seeking Him wholeheartedly as revealed in His word, the transformation came.
In short, the real saving power from sin’s clutches comes from Christ. Not from our own strength, you can’t fight sin on your own apart from God and win. It's a futile attempt. We need Christ and His Holy Spirit. We need to walk intimately with Him daily, surrendering to Him and the more we surrender, the greater His power works in us. Do those things that yield you more to Him. Engage in practices that draw you closer to Him: read the Word daily, pray constantly, and listen to edifying sermons.Truth is: The sum of the committed christian life MUST be filled with these spiritual disciplines. Look to Him, remain in Christ, and let Him continue His work in you!
