ALL IN – KILLING SIN
Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 34:33 (NIV)
I confess I enjoy negotiating. I enjoy seeing if I can get something I want a little cheaper. One of the greatest things for me is to feel like I've got a good deal on something. I confess I also will negotiate with my kids sometimes because it's fun. Negotiating is a good thing, but there is one thing you should never negotiate with, and that's sin. Every mistake I have made came from trying to justify or negotiate with my sin. God wants us to kill sin, not invite it to the table. The problem with sin is that it's like having a baby tiger; it starts out small but grows bigger and bigger, and one day, you won't be able to control it. In every room you walk into, there are three things at work: the flesh, the devil, and the Spirit. The flesh and the devil will always try to make sin look fulfilling and innocent, but the Spirit will convict you and invite you to surrender. Light and dark cannot coexist. One will win out, and if you keep blatantly sinning, the flesh or the devil will quench the Spirit of God's work in your life. The good news is that as soon as you turn to God, He will draw near because He is faithful!
Notice what it says Josiah did. He removed the idols. He didn't try to keep them around. He knew God wouldn't honor a partial commitment. God doesn't need us to be perfect, but He does require us to be surrendered, and if God has called you to surrender something, then we must be obedient. When we are, the Spirit of God will give us the strength and power we need daily because He is faithful. We can never overcome the devil or the flesh by our own strength. We might be able to for a while, but we will eventually grow tired. However, the Spirit of God never sleeps or slumbers. The Spirit of God has a power greater than anything the devil or flesh can throw at it. The way to kill sin is to surrender to God fully, and then through His Spirit, He will set you free and give you the strength you need.
APPLICATION: Don't give sin a seat in your heart. Surrender it to God.
PRAYER: Ask the Spirit to help you with any area you are fighting. Ask the Spirit where the flesh and devil are trying to attack you. Ask the Spirit to give you strength and surrender to Him. Thank Him for His faithfulness.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?