GlobalChristians

Connecting With Jesus: Victory Over Sin

What do I mean by "connecting with Jesus" ? This is a modern way of referring to "the principle of the exchanged life" - that fact that our life was finished on the cross and a new life was given to us. this life is Christ in us the hope of glory. It is as we connect to that new life within us that Christian growth and transformation occurs. The next few Eternity Daily Bible Studies will focus on explaining this further. Today we will look at gaining victory over sin.

Do you want to have victory over sin? Then connect with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the life of Jesus flows into your soul you will be changed. You will find a new desire to be holy and gradually acquire the strength and power to be good. Here are two key bible passages

(Romans 8:4-6 NASB) in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. {5 } For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. {6 } For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

(Galatians 5:16-18 NASB) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. {17 } For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. {18 } But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

The flesh is your old nature, your sinful desires, the sweaty immediate, self-gratifying part of you and its at war with God. The flesh wants to go to a strip joint but the Spirit wants to go to church - where will you end up? The flesh wants to take a bribe but the Spirit wants to be honest - what will you do? The flesh wants to yell at someone who insulted you and really tell them off and the Spirit just wants you to calm down and be mature - what happens?

What happens depends on where you put your mind. If you start thinking about the flesh and mediating on that..then your body will follow your mind into sin. If you set your mind on the bribe and the money, guess what - you will weaken. And if you stew and fume and fret about the insult and think how good it would be to let the person have a piece of your mind - guess what - you will blow up. The mind set on the flesh weakens you spiritually - and is death.

The reverse is also true. If you fully set your mind on the Spirit and how good it would be to be at church and how noble you will feel if you are honest and how you want to be mature like Jesus then your body will follow your mind and you will do good things. The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

Your mind is like a switch or a distributor. Set the switch on God and divine energy flows in, set it on the flesh, and sin flows in. Keep your switch on the right setting and you will find it easy to beat sin.

Now for a bit of basic theology to help you understand why this is so...

When you were born-again God made a new person inside you and said "behold all things are new.." (2 Cor 5:17). This newness is not a new idea, or a new concept but a new life, a new person.

Now the new person grows through connecting to Jesus and receiving the love of Jesus and the truth of Jesus and working that out on a day by day basis. You are like a grape on a vine - you have to stay connected to grow. (John 15:1-8). Your spirit receives from God's Spirit all the heavenly nutrients you need to grow as a Christian - through the vine - the life of Christ.

How do you stay connected? Keep your mind set on the Spirit. By setting your mind, your switch, on the Spirit then you "make contact' and life and love and truth flow to you from God - and its this life, love and truth that helps you do right and avoid wrong. So keep your mind set on the Spirit by thinking of good and noble, true and lovely, right and proper things (Philippians 4:8).

More tomorrow...

Blessings,

John Edmiston