Keep Standing
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ~2 Timothy 2:22
I was told of a man who had a sin issue. He had reportedly prayed for years, asking God to take away the desire to sin but, since it hadn’t happened, he came to the conclusion that God must be OK with it. Otherwise, the man was convinced that he would magically stop sinning. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I have heard similar beliefs. People criticize Adam and Eve for blaming others for their sin, but even they knew better than to blame God.
In the above verse, Paul tells Timothy to flee youthful lusts and to pursue righteousness. That is the crux of Christianity, the part that makes us different from the world. If it were easy to stop sinning, more people would do so. The fact is that sin is constantly dangled on a string in front of us until it looks overwhelmingly tasty so that many lose their self-control and go after those youthful lusts which lead them straight to the gates of Hell. Some see what’s coming and turn around before they get there, but many refuse to see the warning signs until it is too late.
God is not a genie whose job is to obey our commands. He created us with minds, wills, and emotions. When you become His child, He begins to change your heart and your desires, but you have got to surrender those things to Him. You have to be willing to take the path of escape that He provides. If you don’t, He is not going to force you to do so.
The Bible is full of instructions for God’s children. It frustrates me when professing Christians excuse behavior or don’t believe that God really meant things that are clearly outlined in His Word. The Church needs to wake up and pursue righteousness! Don’t just open the door if it happens to show up; go hunt it down. Find people who have it and learn how to get it for yourself. The Christian life is not a passive existence; it is an active war. We need to be arming ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness. Don’t wait until the fiery darts of temptation are cast your way. Start now to equip yourself to stand. Then, having done all, keep standing.
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