Sin

This may be a long post so be prepared! :)

This morning I was reading my devotional, which led me to Psalm 139.

I've been struggling with this bible study on Craving God instead of food, struggling with my eating, once again,  and conviction from God that I need to do something about it.

This morning I was reading In Psalm 139~ O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceived my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down, you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completley, O Lord.

I just stared at these verses and prayed, Ok God, You know me, you know my thoughts, you KNOW my problems with eating and why I do what I do! Please help!

I decided I was going to listen to a sermon online, so I went to Mars Hill and put sin in the search and a few sermons popped up. One was over coming sin. THAT'S the one I need!

God knew exactly what I needed to hear. I'm so good for making excuses.  I love God, and I sure don't want to be the person that says I don't want to sin, and say i'm sorry for it, then turn around and do it again. I don't want to be fake. God knows my heart, and he knows every thought and every action, there's no hiding from him. lol.   I was saying to myself, why can't I stop? If I have God's power in me, and I love God, then why can't I stop be a glutton?  It's because I didn't want to. It's because I wasn't using God's power.

Pastor Mark Driscoll does not sugar coat anything, he tells it like it is and I needed that.

Here's how he sums it up~

~Sin is basically ignoring God and pretending he doesn't exsist.

~We are saved by Grace through Jesus to do good works and imiate Jesus.  (not saved by good works, but saved to DO good works)

~Life is like getting clothed and unclothed. We put on clothes for the day that we plan to live out for that day.

~We put on clothes to give an image.

* As Christains we either clothe ourselves with sin or Christ.

~You can't put Christ over dirty clothes.

He tells us to name our sin. This particular day my is gluttony, or self indulgence.

~He says we legitimize and justify our sin. ( Oh yes, I am the queen of this!! I can have that extra candy or treat or whatever because I "deserve" it, "why shouldn't I? Everyone else is having it!" " It's not fair that I can't have it but she can".  "It's just this once, just for today" "It's not a big deal, it's just food!" " I can't stop doing it)

~We may think our sin isn't a sin.  (I've been back and forth with this for a long time, I think when I do start thinking over eating is a sin Satan tells me otherwise)

~ God is shining a light on our darkness.  ( This i know to be true. I wasn't thinking much about my eating at all and boom I'm having a bible study about it at my house!)

~ The more I take my sin and run TO it, the farther I distance myself from God. (That makes me sad)

Mark also talked about cause and effect. If you sin, there is always consequences. If you over indulge in food, you get fat, unhealthy, some people even die.

Something that really hit me was when he said, " You are not a "VICTIM, you are a SINNER!"

I was making myself out to be a victim thinking, " I can't control myself, I have no self control"  I was wrong.

I am a child of God, I have the holy spirit living in me, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, am I going to use that power??! Or make excuses and continue in my sin?

Why am I giving myself over to this sin as though I am powerless to it?? Why was I doing that? No more will I do that!  I'm a Jesus girl!

I am an image bearer of God, I am NOT a victim. My fat shows my sin. Boom shaka laka. It's the truth. I don't care what people say, if I'm fat it shows that I have over indulged myself, and how does that show fruit of the spirit? It doesn't.

When your a "victim" you can blame someone and justify your sin. I can't blame anyone but myself for sin. Call it what it is Amy!

What I need is true repentance, to turn away from the sin of over indulgence, and turn TOWARD God.

What will that do? I will stop sinning and become closer to my  Lord.

Feed the spirit, get more spirit. Feed the flesh, well, die.  lol.  Stupid flesh.

Pastor Mark is so matter a fact in this message, but it's exactly what I needed. He basically is saying if your a Christian, your a new man, your wearing new clothes. Throw off the old and put on the new. He says it over and over, " Off with the old, in with the new"  It's not that hard of a concept, if your sinning, STOP IT! lol.

Our goal in life is to be closer to God.  When I am going to food instead of Jesus, I need to ask myself, " Is this going to draw me closer to Jesus or farther from him?"

It might be painful to tell myself no, but it will bring me closer to Jesus if I turn to him instead ans ask for his help and his power.

Do I worship ME or JESUS?

Jesus defeated sin on the cross. Do I Know Christ?? Apart from Jesus there is no victory over sin.

I know Jesus, so what am I doing??

It almost sounds too simple to me. Just take off the old and put on the new. How about that?

There's one more funny thing I want to share, we are taught to be loving and mericful, and give people grace with their sins, I agree with that. God gives us grace so we should give others grace and love and forgiveness when they sin, but Mark, at the end of the sermon, he says, " Pick friends that will say to you, " You suck! you have to stop doing that! But we love you!"

:)

He says, "be around people who will speak truth to you! The goal of a friend is to get you closer to Jesus."

Amen!!!!!!!

It's so easy for us to get offended when someone calls out our sin, it makes us want to call out theirs! But this is what we need! I want my freinds and family and husband to call it as they see it. 

I am a Christian. I have Jesus, who shed his blood to defeat sin. I have the holy spirit's power.

There IS hope and change and transformation in Christ and for crips sake I need to live like it! :)

I'll keep you updated on my battle with the flesh.

 If you feel led~ the sermon is posted here. It's about an hour long but worth every single minute of your time!