If You Repent and Sin Again
We cannot stop sins on our own. But through Jesus Christ all things are possible.
Why Do I Keep Sinning? How Practice I Stop Sexual Sin? What Are Ways to Stop Backsliding?
Overcoming Your Worst Sins The Biblical Way
These are all valid questions that Christians face. No matter where yous live, your age or your background, all Christians will be tried and tested with sin in their lives. Living in a earth full of sinful temptation makes the boxing for Christian purity that much tougher. Simply the Bible of form, holds the solution to battling and in some cases, eliminating sure sins in your life. This article will explore one of the methods to overcoming your worst sins and keeping them away for proficient.
The story of King Josiah is a remarkable account of spiritual revival and re-dedication to God in a time of deep sin. Josiah, who became King of Judah at age eight afterwards his male parent King Amon was assassinated, led a sinful nation back to holy living and a right human relationship with the Lord. Through his deportment, a pattern emerges that every Christian can apply to help overcome sin.
Know Your Condition
"for the Lord seeth non equally human seeth; for man looketh on the outward advent, but the Lord looketh on the heart." – 1 Samuel 16:7.
Josiah'south grandfather, King Manasseh, was one of the worst, most wicked Israelite kings of all time. The king was the spiritual leader of the nation and Manasseh's reign was one of the lowest points for pure evil, rebellion and satanic behavior:
And [King Manasseh] did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, subsequently the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he congenital upwards once more the loftier places which Hezekiah his begetter had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and fabricated a grove, every bit did Ahab rex of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
And he built altars in the business firm of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of sky in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he fabricated his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he fix a graven image of the grove that he had made in the firm, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have called out of all tribes of State of israel, volition I put my proper noun for e'er: – 2 Kings 21:2-7.
This list is staggering for the corporeality of evil Manasseh had fallen into. He congenital altars of worship to the fake gods of the Canaanites, Israel's enemies. He worshiped Baal, one of the principal pagan gods of that time. In the temple of God, the holiest identify in all of the world, he fix up altars to worship demons and fallen angels. The Male monarch consulted with wizards and communicated with "familiar spirits", which were demons that impersonated the expressionless. He even took a graven image of a faux god and placed information technology inside the temple, the very place where God Himself would reveal His presence once a year. On top of all this, Scripture tells us that he performed an occult ritual cede of his own son, causing him to "pass through the fire" or burning his kid alive as an offering to a pagan god. This man'south evil is stunning and the Bible says he "led the nation" in performing evil.
Amon, the son of Manasseh, continued all of the evil of his father and reigned just 2 years earlier being assassinated. And this was the country of the Kingdom of Judah when Josiah took the throne. God's called people, the Israelites, had fallen deep into rebellion. And this is a moving-picture show of how far a Christian can fall today. Idea a Christian is not committing the same sins as Manasseh, they tin can fall into rebellion from the "small sins" in life. The commencement pace to stopping sin is to recognize it. Lying, stealing, beingness covetous and blasphemy are all evil in the sight of the Lord simply as worshiping a pagan god. Sexual sins – whether it be pre-marital sexual activity, watching pornography, adultery or lusting for another person who is not your spouse, are all sins that are can pull a person into a feeling of addictive behavior, where it seems like in that location is no way to cease the urges to disobey the Lord.
The cyberspace tin can be a gateway to sinful temptation.
The Bible says with regards to sexual sin:
Abscond fornication. Every sin that a human doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his ain body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are non your own? – one Corinthians 6:eighteen-19.
If you are a born again Christian, your body is literally the temple for the Holy Ghost, who you received at the moment yous believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Discover that the the Apostle Paul explains this concept in the context of sexual sin. Fornication, which is sexual activity outside of union, is just every bit sacrilegious and disrespectful to the temple of God as Manasseh setting upwards satanic altars. How have you treated the temple of the Holy Ghost? Accept you lot protected your body from sin? Have you kept it pure from demonic and satanic influence? Have you kept your optics and listen away from sinful sexual imagery and thoughts? Have y'all used your body to seduce others into evil? We all take committed these sins in one form or some other. So empathize that The Lord sees this every bit pure rebellion against Him and will judge whatever Christian who is committing such sin. Thankfully, Scripture provides an example in Male monarch Josiah of how to go out of this sinful state.
Put your focus on The Lord
Getting deeper into God'southward Word volition aid avoid sin.
And [King Josiah] did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the mode of David his father, and turned non aside to the right manus or to the left. And information technology came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the male monarch sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the business firm of the LORD, maxim, Go upward to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the business firm of the LORD, which the keepers of the door accept gathered of the people: And allow them deliver it into the mitt of the doers of the piece of work, that accept the oversight of the business firm of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house.. – 2 Kings 22:two-5.
Despite the rampant sin around him, Josiah was seeking God. He walked "in all the way of David his father", pregnant he was not going to serve false gods, merely only worship the true and Living God of the Bible. And he wanted to repair the temple, that had was neglected and damaged over the years of his male parent'due south and grandad's reign. In order to overcome sin, a Christian has to acknowledge it and have a heart to get right with God. If you are reading this article, that is a sign that y'all want to remove sin from your life. [B&E: And this article is specifically for those who are born-again Christian believers, whose sins, by, present and time to come are already forgiven. If you are not 100% sure that you are going to Heaven when y'all dice, please see our Gospel page first].
Repent
Confess yours sins to God and pray for His Spirit to continue to piece of work in your life.
And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the firm of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it… And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the male monarch had heard the words of the book of the police, that he rent his wearing apparel. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the rex's, saying, Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, apropos the words of this book that is constitute: for bully is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled confronting united states of america, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to exercise according unto all that which is written concerning us. — 2 Kings: 22:half-dozen-xiii.
The Kingdom was so far gone into sin that "the book of the law" , the starting time v books of the Bible (which was the entire Bible for Jews at that point in history) was lost! There were no Bibles in employ at all in the Kingdom of Judah. The High Priest happened to notice a copy of one during the temple reconstruction projection. Josiah at this indicate was 23 years old and had never fifty-fifty read the actual words of the Bible. Only when he heard it, he immediately repented. He understood just how sinful the nation had been and how much of God's wrath was kindled confronting them. Where there is sin, there must be repentance. Exercise non hesitate to get into prayer and confess your sins to God.
Scripture is clear: "If we say that nosotros have no sin, nosotros deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in u.s.. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive u.s.a. our sins, and to cleanse the states from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9).
Frequent, repeated sin is near always a sign of lack of time spent in Scripture and prayer. Some Christians take several Bibles in their abode, but without reading them regularly, the "book of the law" is only as lost equally information technology was in the days of Josiah. Commit to daily Scripture reading as a way to strengthen your walk, prepare your mind for battling temptation and to increment your faith. As the Book of Romans says: "So so faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans ten:17). You cannot change your behavior on your ain. Every person, Christian included, has a sin nature that continues to desire sin equally long every bit we are in our earthly flesh. Simply information technology is The Lord who has inverse you through religion in Jesus Christ and will continue to work on you through the presence of the Holy Spirit within you.
The refining of a Christian is a supernatural process and trying to use "willpower" or "conclusion" alone volition lead to failure. It is The Lord who works change in us and seeking Him daily is essential to living for Him. Jesus Christ taught: "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63). Fill yourself with God'south Spirit! Reading the Bible daily and praying several times a day get in very, very hard to live a wild life of abiding sinful rebellion. It is God's Word that will increase your religion, convict you of sin and bring yous to repentance and seeking forgiveness from The Lord.
At present some people at this indicate may say "I do these things. I admit my sin. I truly feel bad when I commit them and I confess them to God. Only however, I notwithstanding autumn back into the same old sinful habits." Well honey, understand, that Josiah was just getting started in his boxing against sinful rebellion and so are you.
Commit To Live Holy
Removing sinful beliefs from our lives is our reasonable service.
And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the male monarch went upwards into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and keen: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was plant in the business firm of the LORD. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant earlier the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the 2d order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. –2 Kings 23:ane-iv.
Josiah fabricated a commitment to alive for God and cease the wheel of sinful rebellion that was plaguing the nation. And the foundation of that was The Word of God. The King gathered the entire nation and read them the Bible as the opening of his pledge to lead the people in living for The Lord. Notice he did non make the delivery in private. He made information technology publicly. Are y'all fix to stop sinning? Tell people. You lot do not accept to tell them all of your business, but yous should allow your family and friends know that you take committed to living holier and no longer sinning in the ways you lot accept in the past. This not but holds you accountable to those effectually you, it is a way to serve as a witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, your life is your testimony. How yous live can affect the ways those effectually yous see the Christian faith. What do those close to run across as your Christian testimony?
Josiah followed up his commitment by destroying the vessels made to false gods that were in the temple. This is yet another challenging aspect of overcoming sin. Whatever objects in your life that aid contribute to your sinful beliefs need to be removed from your life. If it is sinful music or DVDs, throw them away. If they are pornographic or inappropriate websites, have someone identify a countersign-coded filter on your calculator that can block the websites you do non want to get too (or just remove the electronics altogether). If your temptation is New Age books or occult-themed entertainment, become rid of them. Information technology may exist booze or drugs which may crave more intense methods such as a infirmary or rehabilitation center, but the first step is getting rid of your "supply."
Similarly, if there are places that lead you into more than temptation, whether it is a strip club, a certain person'due south dwelling house, parties, the shopping mall, Facebook, a bar or nighttime order, and so cease from them. Galatians 5 explains how critical this spiritual battle is to the Christian life:
For the mankind lusteth confronting the Spirit, and the Spirit against the mankind: and these are opposite the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the constabulary. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such similar: of the which I tell yous before, equally I have besides told y'all in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God… And they that are Christ'due south take crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. – Galatians 5:17-24.
Every bit long every bit we are still in our sinful mankind bodies, we take a abiding state of war betwixt our born over again Spirit, which simply seeks to serve God and the sinful lust that remains in u.s.a.. And if you are of Christ, the control is to "crucify the mankind" – or in other words, destroy the sinful ways in your life. But detect that aforementioned verse commands the crucifying of the "affections and lusts" as well. And this is where more of a challenge comes in – are you ready to stop sinning backsliding? Practice you actually desire it enough to stop going to the places that lead you lot into sin? This is what the Bible commands Christians to do who desire to alive after the Spirit and non the flesh.
Living for God is not just about resisting temptation to sin – information technology is also about avoiding the temptation altogether. 2 Corinthians 10 says: "For the weapons of our warfare are not lecherous, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the cognition of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" The easiest fashion to get rid of sinful imaginations and bring your thoughts to be more Christ-similar is to observe the things that are defiling the temple that is your trunk and remove them from your life.
This I say and so, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. – Galatians v:16.
Get Rid of Your Idolatrous Priests
Certain friends are always set up to atomic number 82 you back into sinful behavior.
And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it modest to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people….And he put downwards the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to fire incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round near Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven…And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men'southward basic upon them, and returned to Jerusalem…
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put abroad, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest constitute in the business firm of the LORD. – 2 Kings 23:three-24.
Many of the toughest sins to overcome involve other people. Whether it is a someone from a relationship that involves fornication, friends who lead you into sinful beliefs, someone yous enjoy gossiping about others with or maybe fellow gang members, at that place is no shortage of people in one's life who can serve to pull yous abroad from following the Lord Jesus Christ and instead serving sin. In that location are even people you may not speak to who lead yous into sinful thoughts whether they exist sexual, feelings of green-eyed, racist hatred or mockery. King Josiah was well aware of the many people who were assisting Satan in providing temptation into evil and made it his mission to remove every last person who was leading the nation into sinful rebellion and idolatry. This was not a casual effort. Josiah traveled the nation removing and in some cases killing those wicked priests. And this of course is an example for our ain lives, that while we should non harm anyone who leads united states into sin, nosotros should certainly no longer have them as major factors in our lives.
Again, the question arises: are yous serious nigh overcoming your worst sins? If so, and then the people in your life who participate, contribute or assistance lead you into rebellion confronting God should non be so influential in your life. If this sounds extreme, it should beloved. Await at the extreme lengths that Josiah went to in lodge to reconcile his nation back to God and end the downwardly spiral of sin. Friends tin be a major influence in leading a Christian into rebellion. So if they are a major source of continuing in your worst sins, limit the interaction with those people. Share the Gospel with those friends and allow them know you have no desire to participate in those sinful acts with them anymore. If the pressure from those friends is too great to behave, then cease from spending time with them.
In some cases you exercise not accept to, or sometimes cannot, disassociate with people. If there is a family member who you are angered with, cannot stand or leads you into sin, reconcile with them. If this is not possible at present, then endeavour to limit interaction with that person. If it is your own spouse that is driving you to extreme anger, bitterness and resentment, forgive them. God has forgiven you for all of your worst, most evil sins and thoughts, without condition. And you are to forgive in a similar way. Ephesians 4 says: "If then exist that ye have heard him, and accept been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And exist renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which afterwards God is created in righteousness and true holiness… Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the lord's day go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." The things or people who arouse sinful desires in us are "places" for the Enemy to gain a foothold and introduce more temptation to commit that sin. The reader would practice well to remove them to the best extent possible.
If you are in a sinful dating relationship and call back: "I love my girlfriend/young man. How am I supposed to but end our relationship?", at that place is a simple solution: marry them. The Bible says: "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man accept his own wife, and permit every woman accept her own husband…for it is meliorate to marry than to burn." (ane Corinthians 7). If you are so attached to a person who you are in a sinful sexual relationship with, the Bible commands you to get married. If you are not ready to marry that person, and then you are just using the relationship to serve your own rebellious lusts and it should be ended if it cannot be kept holy (as in dating without fornication). Jesus Christ said: "He that loveth father or mother more than than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cantankerous, and followeth later on me, is non worthy of me." (Matthew ten:37). Putting relationships with people who lead you into sinful behavior over your relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is on par with non taking up your cross to follow Him. So once again, the question is, are yous serious about overcoming your sin? If the answer is aye, the steps from Scripture are clear.
Phone call Upon The Lord
"I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears…This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round near them that fear him, and delivereth them." – Psalm 34:iv-7.
When you find the temptations of challenging sins returning, call upon the proper noun of Jesus Christ. Pray to God for help with that specific sin in your fourth dimension of testing. ane Corinthians ten says: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: simply God is faithful, who will not suffer y'all to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to deport it." In any sinful temptation that seems likewise hard to resist, pray to The Lord for that escape at the time y'all are experiencing the temptation. King David, afterward falling deep into the sin of adultery and murder said: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Pray for a right spirit when Satan challenges you.
The Approval
"[God] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." – Hebrews 11:half-dozen.
Blest is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the police of the LORD; and in his police doth he meditate day and night. –Psalm ane:i-2.
When a human being's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to exist at peace with him. – Proverbs xvi:7.
Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart {Josiah] was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself earlier the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a pathos and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept earlier me; I likewise have heard thee, saith the LORD. – ii Kings 22:viii-nine.
The Kingdom of Judah was so far gone into sin, that God had declared a judgment against them to punish the people for their evil. However, because of Josiah's astonishing efforts to cleanse the nation of its sin and remove the places of evil in the land, The Lord provided a reprieve of His judgment for the entire life of the young King. The unabridged nation was spared God'southward wrath for years, providing more people time to repent. Christians today can avoid the chastening of God by living for Him and showing how serious you lot are about removing the worst, nearly difficult sins in your lives. Jesus Christ said: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall exist gratuitous indeed." You tin be freed from the bondage of sin. You tin can conquer lustful desires. But it is done through the power of Jesus Christ. And in your efforts, you lot volition continue to be blest by The Lord.
There is no sure-fire fashion to remove all the sins in your life. The business relationship of Josiah is merely one of many examples in Scripture that show that private sins tin can exist conquered. Before being saved, the Apostle Paul spent years hunting down Christians, delivering them for penalisation and execution. And it took one encounter with Jesus Christ to bring that horrible sin to an terminate. The Apostle Peter denied fifty-fifty knowing who Jesus Christ was iii times and then went on to proclaim the proper noun of Christ to the signal that he was killed for being so outspoken. Did they ever sin over again? Of course. The great men and women of the Bible were just human beings going through the aforementioned daily fight confronting sin like nosotros all do. Simply through Jesus Christ they did overcome certain sins and were blessed for deciding to live for God over living for the globe. God will bless you for committing yourself to battle confronting sins that are plaguing you. And while every Christian (this writer included) volition continue to sin every bit long as we are alive in these earthly bodies, we can trust and know that God volition forgive us and give united states of america force and organized religion to fight even harder.
For more information on how y'all can attack and eliminate sin in your life see our next installment:
Spiritual Warfare Basics – Attacking Your Worst Sins
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