Since the fall of man, sin has been in every man's and woman's heart. Sins such as pride and idolatry, greed and jealousy, fornication and adultery, prostitution and homosexuality, murder and glutonny, or any other sins, dwell in man. They dwell in our old sinful nature.
Even children, whom many assume to be innocent or neutral of these sins, are born with natural predisposition to these immoral acts. They are not unforgivable. There is forgiveness for these sins but none of us can overpower our sinful nature by our own strength.
But praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His grace He delivered us from the power and penalty of this evil nature and its wicked deeds in our lives.
By the power of the Spirit, God has set us from the dominion of sin. In Christ, He made us new creation and imparted to us the power of the coming ages. We are no longer slaves of unrighteousness but of Christ, God's Son.
We have been given power to resist every sin and to say "No" to temptation that rises within our hearts and minds (Titus 2:11, 12). This is the freedom that God grants to those who are tired of living in sin and rebellion against Him who deserves our love and loyalty.
God gives the gift of fredom from and forgiveness of sin to them who forsake their wicked ways and turn to His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, immoralities hurt our neighbor. But these heinous acts are first and foremost grievous sins before our holy God who created us to become temple of His Holy Spirit.
A true Christian cannot excuse or justify himself or others of sin because he knows that God requires holiness and purity. He can only humble himself and repent from sin asking God for His mercy and pardon for He is forgiving and kind.
As Christians, "God expects us to assume our responsibilities for keeping the sinful desires of the body under control. It is true we cannot do this in our own strength. Our sinful desires, stimulated by all the temptations around us, are too strong for us," says author Jerry Bridges.
"But though we cannot do it by ourselves," Bridges continues, "we can do it. As we set ourselves to the task in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, we will see Him at work in us. We will fail many times, but as we persevere, we will be able to say with Paul, 'I can do everything through him who gives me strength' (Phil. 4:13)" (Jerry Bridges, "Pursuit of Holiness" [NavPress, 2006], 112-113).
Therefore we can pray to God, "Dear Lord, we desire that your Word be the moral compass of our lives. Deliver us from spiritual complacency amid moral disintegration that surrounds us. We desperately need Your resources to live in this world in which evil is celebrated and biblical standards are mocked.
"Teach us to live by faith in Christ and not by sight. Enable us to hate sin and forsake iniquity and immorality and to practice godliness and holiness without which we cannot see You.
"Thank You that You do not abandon us despite our moral shortcomings. Remake us from within that Your purity might be manifested in our lives. May Your Holy Spirit have His way in our hearts and prepare us today for tomorrow's temptations. Amen" (Prayer adapted from Paul E. Engle & Marie W. Engle, "God's Answers for Life's Needs," 134).
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