“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Learning to say “no” is the by-product of saying “yes” to the Spirit.
It is important to understand this distinction. So many well-intentioned believers spend a life time trying to overcome sin in their lives. They wake up each morning with this prayer on their lips: “Lord, please help me to not sin today.” At the end of the day, they look back only to see their prayer went unanswered.
A better prayer is this: “Lord, teach me to abide in you and to follow the leading of God’s Spirit in my life.” God’s Spirit is never going to lead you into sin. He leads you to trust in the Lord, to live righteous and upright lives. He leads you to love and serve others. In living out the Spirit’s work in your life, you will automatically be saying “no” to sin. Peter put it this way:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4
Walking in the Spirit is trusting God to complete the work He began in you. You can count on Him to complete this task, even when you do not fully cooperate. This is His promise: “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”
When we do get off course, and we will, the Holy Spirit merely recalculates our journey and continues His work in conforming us to the image of His Son. He does so without condemnation. Nor does He manipulate us with fear or guilt to get us back on track. He uses our mistakes, reminding us of the forgiveness we have in Christ, and works them together for our good. He comforts our hearts with this amazing promise: “that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
You are not alone on your journey. Jesus is there with you every step of the way. Trust Him, rely upon Him, and live out what He is working in your life. When you do you will be saying “no” to sin and “yes’ to the will of God.
Thank you Bob for your continual clarity of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us..To understanding that God started His work in us and He will finish His work that He has started..I remembered when I was in the realm of trying to clean up my flesh..Trying to eliminate those thoughts that the flesh constantly generates within my thoughts..Trying my hardest to be a good christian, but constantly feeling disappointed and hopeless in my efforts..Thanks be to God, I have been made alive in Christ..In Him I am now able to rest in His finished work…
Thank you for the undiluted Word of God…
Merve
If we think about Sin, that is exactly what we will do, But if we will Listen to the Heart of Gods Heart that Lives in Our Heart, and is Sealed within our Heart, If we think about that, are we going to Sin? No way because we are Listening to the Spirit that is Sealed in your Heart. Can you Sin yes, are you going to want to No. And as a Bonus, God gave us the Mind of Christ to boot.
Below is a message the Lord gave me about
learing to say no to sin. It is titled, God Forbid.
God Forbid. . .
Joshua 22:29) God forbid that we should rebel
against the LORD, and turn this day from
following the LORD. . . .
(Joshua 24:16). . . God forbid that we should
forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
(Mark 10:14) . . . Suffer the little children to come
unto me (unto Jesus), and forbid them not: for of such
is the kingdom of God.
(Romans 3) (31) Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
(Back up to verse 26) (26). . . that he (that God) might
be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in
Jesus.
(Romans 6) (1). . . Shall we continue in sin, that
grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we,
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (6)
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him
(with Jesus), that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin. (11) Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (15)
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under
the law, but under grace? God forbid. (16) . . . his
(God’s) servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the
servants of righteousness. (22) But now being made
free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 9) (14) What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy. . . (16) So then it is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth (It is not by our own efforts to
try and earn God’s mercy), but of God that showeth
mercy.
(All who trust in the blood of Jesus for God to
forgive them, and confess Jesus is Lord, and believe
Jesus is resurrected and at God’s right hand, will
have God’s mercy, and shall be saved. Read Romans
10:9-13.).
(1 Cor. 6) (15) Know ye not that your bodies
are the members of Christ? shall I then take the
members of Christ, and make them the members
of an harlot? God forbid. (17) But he that is joined
unto the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. . .
but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his
own body. (19) What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost (the Holy Spirit)
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit,
which are God’s.
(1 Peter 1) (18). . . ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold (not redeemed
by our riches). . . (19) But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish. . . .
(Galatians 2) (17) But if, while we seek to be
justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is
therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
(19) For I through the law am dead to the law, that I
might live unto God. (20) I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me.
(Galatians 6) (14) But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world. (15) For in Christ Jesus. . . (I am) a new
creature.
Very reassuring. Putting our focus on His love, instead of our sin (to sin or not to sin…that is the question…) is a much more freeing and secure lifestyle. Thanks, Bob
Thank you bob for a word like this