It is important to note that our refusal to conform to worldliness, must go far deeper than a change in our behaviour. It is easy to maintain an outward appearance of a life lived abstaining from worldly pleasures, whilst possessing worldly attitudes in our hearts. It is for this very reason that we must ensure that both our minds and actions, reflect the values of God’s kingdom and not that of the world’s. The refusal to conform must be firmly situated in our hearts.
It is only when the Holy Spirit renews and redirects our minds that we are truly transformed. “I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart.” (Ezekiel 36:26) – God empowers us to follow Him, to live a life that honours and glorifies Him - something that we can’t do in our own strength, but through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Lord always meets us at our place of need and understands that we struggle with sin. He equips us so that we may overcome and be victorious (Philippians 2:13). As mentioned in the previous post, newness of life and an end to the old man begins with a new mind, a new mind is followed by new passions and followed by new behaviour.
The Sin Struggle
As humans we are carnal and slaves to sin (Romans 7:14). It’s in our nature to rebel against the standard of God’s law and seek to gratify the flesh and its desires. We are prone to worldliness which is characterised by three attitudes: lust of the flesh – concerned with satisfying our physical desires; lust of the eyes – craving the accumulation of things; and the pride of life - obsession with one’s importance (1 John 2:16). Sin is an inward struggle (Romans 7:23) and we should never underestimate the power that it can have over our lives, but instead depend totally on the work of Christ for our salvation. King Jesus has given us victory over sin; the extent of his suffering and death satisfied God’s wrath, so we are free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and have been given the power to do God’s will. Knowing this, we can’t afford to make excuses for our sins, justify ourselves when we fall short of God’s glory or blame it on the devil – don’t give him so much credit. Instead, we are encouraged to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:14) We do this by not giving our desires the opportunity to lead us into sin. Avoiding certain things/activities/people/places that open the door to satisfy the flesh, because we realise that it is crucial for us to protect our spiritual life and guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23).
“Be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may do what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
Overcoming the Sin Struggle
Two key aspects of our Christian walk are the refusal to conform to worldliness and the inward transformation of our hearts. We must resist the attraction of sin; staying alert to what we feed our souls; considering whether or not, what we expose our minds to, edify our spirit man, or weaken it. We should strive daily to not chase cheap and temporal means of satisfaction, but live in the reality that God is the only one that can truly satisfy us. Any void in our hearts can only be filled up with contentment in Christ alone. There are things we search and long for without even realising, in hopes of gaining fulfilment in some way, either through relationships, materialism, success etc. But we must learn to find true delight in our Heavenly Father. Nothing in this world can compare to the completion we have in Christ Jesus. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we realise that the world’s seductive attractions, are only cheap substitutes for what our God can offer.
“I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
As believers, we must be consistently instructed by the word and consciously walk in submission to it (James 1:22). We must allow it to be the greatest influence in our lives and the light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). It must be consumed as a matter of sheer discipline and obedience, that will leads us to fall deeper in love with God, as we desire to grow in our knowledge of Him and seek His face wholeheartedly. The word of God should be our best friend (Psalm 1:2). Reading must be habitual, and the words will move from head knowledge to being immersed into our spirit – the word becomes flesh and we will bear fruit. The Spirit of God will bring scripture to remembrance (John 14:26) to guide us in situations when we need it, it is not enough to know scripture but we ought to actively apply it daily. We must allow scripture to be our soul food, it allows us to hear God’s voice directly – he speaks. The greatest cause of spiritual weakness is when we do not spend time with God. Hence why the enemy ensures that we are preoccupied so that we find no time to read His word. But we MUST prioritise the necessity of God’s word in our lives, so that we can conquer the attraction of sin, and walk in righteousness alongside our Lord and Saviour.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:15-16)
Falling and Rising
Confession is a crucial step towards spiritual restoration and walking in alignment with God’s word. Carrying the weight of sin, condemnation, fear of embarrassment and shame, are all detrimental to growth and having freedom in Christ. For a long time, I thought that I could give my life to God, without having to expose the old man, the person I use to be. As long as I had changed my life around, no one needed to know about the depths of my sinful nature. The reality of this, did more harm than good. I carried a burden that I didn't need to carry, I was becoming the obstacle for my freedom in Christ. Continuing to live in the dark by harbouring my past, gave the enemy a hold over me and I was not living in the newness that God wanted for me. I realised that I needed to start talking, I cared more about God’s opinion of me than that of man, and I wanted to be free. I no longer wanted my past to weigh me down, but instead to drive me into the light. Jesus carried my burdens, my sin died with Him on the cross and I didn’t need to feel condemnation (Romans 8:1). The day I shared my testimony in church, was the turning point in my walk with God. It was the day I became completely bold and fearless. I was healed, I felt lighter on the inside, and began to experience true joy that was not conditional, but instead rooted in God for His work over my life. I encourage you to “live like you have nothing to hide” – the words of my Pastor. It is essential that we are accountable to the body of Christ, you don’t need to talk in front of a whole congregation like I did. But confiding in your pastor, a youth leader or any other member of the church is important. As believers it is crucial that we seek wise counsel and don’t do this walk alone. Note that: “there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (Luke 8:17)
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)
Resisting Temptation and Growing In God
Finally, in order for us to be ultimately resist temptation in our lives: we must walk in the same way Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). We must be led by the Holy Spirit in everything that we do and be completely submissive to the will of the Father. We must deny ourselves, in utter rejection of self-will and self-sufficiency and rely on God, completely dependent on His grace and love. When we take up our cross, we are willing to pay any price for Christ’s sake, we become so desirous of God and His righteousness that we joyfully make sacrifices in order to please our Heavenly Father. We must die to self daily, resisting the desires of our flesh and making the submission to God’s scripture, a pattern of our life. I want all that you’ve read to provoke you into reflection and from their into action.
Written by: Rachel Junaid
The Sin Struggle
As humans we are carnal and slaves to sin (Romans 7:14). It’s in our nature to rebel against the standard of God’s law and seek to gratify the flesh and its desires. We are prone to worldliness which is characterised by three attitudes: lust of the flesh – concerned with satisfying our physical desires; lust of the eyes – craving the accumulation of things; and the pride of life - obsession with one’s importance (1 John 2:16). Sin is an inward struggle (Romans 7:23) and we should never underestimate the power that it can have over our lives, but instead depend totally on the work of Christ for our salvation. King Jesus has given us victory over sin; the extent of his suffering and death satisfied God’s wrath, so we are free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and have been given the power to do God’s will. Knowing this, we can’t afford to make excuses for our sins, justify ourselves when we fall short of God’s glory or blame it on the devil – don’t give him so much credit. Instead, we are encouraged to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:14) We do this by not giving our desires the opportunity to lead us into sin. Avoiding certain things/activities/people/places that open the door to satisfy the flesh, because we realise that it is crucial for us to protect our spiritual life and guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23).
“Be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may do what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
Overcoming the Sin Struggle
Two key aspects of our Christian walk are the refusal to conform to worldliness and the inward transformation of our hearts. We must resist the attraction of sin; staying alert to what we feed our souls; considering whether or not, what we expose our minds to, edify our spirit man, or weaken it. We should strive daily to not chase cheap and temporal means of satisfaction, but live in the reality that God is the only one that can truly satisfy us. Any void in our hearts can only be filled up with contentment in Christ alone. There are things we search and long for without even realising, in hopes of gaining fulfilment in some way, either through relationships, materialism, success etc. But we must learn to find true delight in our Heavenly Father. Nothing in this world can compare to the completion we have in Christ Jesus. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we realise that the world’s seductive attractions, are only cheap substitutes for what our God can offer.
“I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
As believers, we must be consistently instructed by the word and consciously walk in submission to it (James 1:22). We must allow it to be the greatest influence in our lives and the light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). It must be consumed as a matter of sheer discipline and obedience, that will leads us to fall deeper in love with God, as we desire to grow in our knowledge of Him and seek His face wholeheartedly. The word of God should be our best friend (Psalm 1:2). Reading must be habitual, and the words will move from head knowledge to being immersed into our spirit – the word becomes flesh and we will bear fruit. The Spirit of God will bring scripture to remembrance (John 14:26) to guide us in situations when we need it, it is not enough to know scripture but we ought to actively apply it daily. We must allow scripture to be our soul food, it allows us to hear God’s voice directly – he speaks. The greatest cause of spiritual weakness is when we do not spend time with God. Hence why the enemy ensures that we are preoccupied so that we find no time to read His word. But we MUST prioritise the necessity of God’s word in our lives, so that we can conquer the attraction of sin, and walk in righteousness alongside our Lord and Saviour.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:15-16)
Falling and Rising
Confession is a crucial step towards spiritual restoration and walking in alignment with God’s word. Carrying the weight of sin, condemnation, fear of embarrassment and shame, are all detrimental to growth and having freedom in Christ. For a long time, I thought that I could give my life to God, without having to expose the old man, the person I use to be. As long as I had changed my life around, no one needed to know about the depths of my sinful nature. The reality of this, did more harm than good. I carried a burden that I didn't need to carry, I was becoming the obstacle for my freedom in Christ. Continuing to live in the dark by harbouring my past, gave the enemy a hold over me and I was not living in the newness that God wanted for me. I realised that I needed to start talking, I cared more about God’s opinion of me than that of man, and I wanted to be free. I no longer wanted my past to weigh me down, but instead to drive me into the light. Jesus carried my burdens, my sin died with Him on the cross and I didn’t need to feel condemnation (Romans 8:1). The day I shared my testimony in church, was the turning point in my walk with God. It was the day I became completely bold and fearless. I was healed, I felt lighter on the inside, and began to experience true joy that was not conditional, but instead rooted in God for His work over my life. I encourage you to “live like you have nothing to hide” – the words of my Pastor. It is essential that we are accountable to the body of Christ, you don’t need to talk in front of a whole congregation like I did. But confiding in your pastor, a youth leader or any other member of the church is important. As believers it is crucial that we seek wise counsel and don’t do this walk alone. Note that: “there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (Luke 8:17)
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)
Resisting Temptation and Growing In God
Finally, in order for us to be ultimately resist temptation in our lives: we must walk in the same way Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). We must be led by the Holy Spirit in everything that we do and be completely submissive to the will of the Father. We must deny ourselves, in utter rejection of self-will and self-sufficiency and rely on God, completely dependent on His grace and love. When we take up our cross, we are willing to pay any price for Christ’s sake, we become so desirous of God and His righteousness that we joyfully make sacrifices in order to please our Heavenly Father. We must die to self daily, resisting the desires of our flesh and making the submission to God’s scripture, a pattern of our life. I want all that you’ve read to provoke you into reflection and from their into action.
Written by: Rachel Junaid
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