How have you been doing since Sunday? Has the flesh been waging its war on your soul as it has mine? Have you had your gun loaded ready to put it to death? Have you reviewed the points from Sunday's message to use as your ammo in this fight?
The message on Sunday was what we call a "means of grace". God uses means to pour His grace into our lives. Without this grace the battle against sin would be hopeless. But God gives us much grace and uses many means to complete the work He began in us.
One means of grace is Christian fellowship. For those of you who are married to Christian husbands, this is a means of God working His grace into your life. He, like no one else, knows the real you. There isn't much hidden from a husband. So, why not ask him to pray for you for a particular sin struggle you are experiencing. And while you are at it, why not give your husband to a couple of questions to ask you from time to time that have to do with how you are doing in your battle with this sin. It is less intimidating if you give him the questions to ask. But it is also a good practice in humility when he comes with his own observations, questions and care.
If you are not married to a believer, or if you are not married, why not find a woman from your care group with whom you can ask to help you in this battle?
We really should not fear this kind of care. We should only fear the power of the flesh and how sin will grow if we do not keep pelting it with the holy bullets of God's grace.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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3 comments:
I'm wondering when it is (if ever) appropriate to not confess sin to others.
This is something I often think about. For if we confessed every sin we made a habit of, we would be always in confession. :/
On the other hand, my flesh knows that there are certain sins that I would much rather others never knew about. Usually it is fear of embarrassment or the thought, "What will they think of me?!?!" that keeps me from seeking accountability.
So how do you know whether it is your sinful flesh waging war or just common sense saying there is no need to confess certain things to others? I guess this is where I'm stuck...
Someone once gave me a general rule to follow when wondering what sin to bring to another's attention. It is: "persistent sin that is bearing bad fruit." Betsy Ricucci
I think this helpful for addressing the sin of others. But for ourselves I think we have to be more ruthless because as you know Robin, "the heart is deceptive above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 Humans have an uncanny way of explaining away, excusing, tolerating and making light of their sin.
For me I would rather frequently seek the help of another rather than be caught in sin's web of deceit. (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10) Yes, it probably will mean many conversations begin with confession, but the goal should always be that the conversation quickly shifts toward the cross and other evidences of God's grace in our lives.
I would suggest a weekly conversation as a starting place, but there may be times throughout a week where you just know you need the help of another. Tim and I are aiming at this. It doesn't always work out for every week, but we do try to serve each other's souls in this way as often as possible. The more we do this, the less awkward it is.
Maybe one place to begin is to share with a trusted, mature and godly person your fear of embarrassment (which is pride). That one should actually be the easiest because I guarantee it is something the other person (no matter how wise or godly he/she is) struggles with as well.
One thing for sure is: we must not rely on our common sense. If there is any conviction in your heart about anything, it is always wise to use the help of another and to at least ask for prayer.
Really, really helpful! Thank you.
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