[B]ut I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Romans 7

[B]ut I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Romans 7:23

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter ten - Learning Late in Life to Know and Kill My Most Besetting Sins.  Here, John Piper shares details of how Paul helped him see how he could kill his most challenging sins - primarily selfishness, which he describes how it then leads to anger, self-pity, quickness to blame, and sullenness.  He points to what is referred to by Paul in Romans 7:23 as indwelling sin where there is no premeditation to sin, it is simply a reflex based on our fallen nature.  He then shares how that we can only defeat sin that is forgiven - namely if we don't accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask for His forgiveness of sins - we will not be able to defeat the sting of sin and death in our lives - see also Colossians 2:14. Christ's death on the cross, according to Piper, becomes the "decisive impulse" in any sin-killing effort.  Piper continues by outlining how defeat of sin requires conscious and active effort - we cannot be passive. He points to Philippians 2:12-13 and unpacks this text defining (via Peter O'Brien in his Philippians commentary) this "work out" as "continuous, sustained, and strenuous effort."  This action may be self-driven, but is often done (and recommended as such) with the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Daily reading and study of God's Word is a prerequisite as Hebrews 4:12 accurately and pointedly shares that the Word reveals our sin.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God and You first of all forgive sins and give me the Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ to arm me to defeat sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

 

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 20 of Advent, and today John Piper uses the analogy of an assembly line to represent how sin persists in the world and how Satan is behind all of this persistent sin as those who live in darkness continue in their sin either because they have not been exposed to the light of Jesus Christ or because they have been exposed to the Light and have either rejected it or not yet been drawn to the Light enough to the point where they now live in the Light.  Of course this Light is Jesus Christ and God offers us the Light so that we can be free from the slavery of sin.  Piper wants non-believers to go on strike at the assembly line of sin; he encourages us that God has defeated sin already and anyone who follows Jesus has the freedom Christ offers - freedom from the slavery of sin, and from the sting of sin and death.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Light and Truth and You give me freedom - freedom from the slavery of sin and freedom from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings. My sin is great and it continues. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. v56-57

John Piper writes that Christ's resurrection is foundational for our faith.  Using Romans 10:9, he writes: ..."believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is much more than accepting a fact. It means being confident that God is for you, that he has closed ranks with you, that he is transforming your life, and that he will save you for eternal joy.  Believing in the resurrection means trusting in all the promises of life and hope and righteousness for which it stands.  It means being so confident of God’s power and love that no fear of worldly loss or greed for worldly gain will lure us to disobey his will".

With Christ and His forgiveness, the Holy Spirit and eternal life, we have freedom and victory over the sting of sin and death

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a an awesome God who loves me and who has given me freedom and victory over the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  I am blessed beyond what words can describe.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings. I worry, and fail to be as encouraging as You desire for me.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Hosea 14

The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. v9

Much of our culture has pushed aside God, viewing Him as some distant, uninvolved God that has no role in our life.  Absent God in our lives, we act without boundaries assuming this is freedom.  Yet ironically, we find ourselves more troubled than ever because of this "freedom".  For those of us who love and follow God, we understand that following God provides true freedom because we are no longer slaves to sin and death.

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 6:17-18

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Hebrew 4:12-13

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You provide the freedom that we long for - freedom from the sting of sin and death...and You are with me...always. Thank You Jesus!  I desperately need You.  I am broken and I continue to sin.  I am lazy and selfish.  Please forgive me and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength.  Please heal her of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. v27

We all want to lead a good life but the the world defines a good life in a way that leads to the snares of death.

Fear of the Lord starts with humility, recognition that we all need a savior, and a desire for Jesus.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:3-6

We must lose ourselves, seek an identity in Christ, and serve Him and others for His glory.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Jesus also comes to free us from the sting of sin and death and to provide life "to the full":

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 

My Prayer:  Lord, what a great God You are - You suffered and died on the cross then rose again and came to save me from the sting of sin and death to provide life to the full!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such efforts and love.  I am impatient, lazy, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.

Proverbs 8

But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death. v36

A life without God is a life conformed by the patterns of this world and by the patterns of the prince of this world - slave to sin and death.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:11-14

 

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God, full of love, compassion, and mercy for me...even though I am not deserving.  Thank You Jesus for Your grace!  Help me overcome my stress and worry, impatience, anger, and arrogance.  Please forgive me and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.

Psalm 140

Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. v7

We know that sin is everywhere and that it is more powerful than we are.  We need to be alert!

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

 

And as David writes in this Psalm, God is our deliverer from sin - He is the only one that can protect us from sin and temptation.  See Matthew 4 and Luke 4 where Jesus is tested by Satan and defeats Him by calling on scripture.  Jesus of course defeated the sting of sin and death by rising from the grave after His resurrection.  What a great God and deliverer we have!

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are my strong deliverer and my shield.  Thank You for being there to help me defeat sin and temptation.  I am not worth such efforts and love because I worry...and far too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength. Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

Psalm 129

But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. v4

The world is full of sin (including myself) and I need protection from the sin and the wicked influences that are part of the world.  I am DEEPLY thankful that I have a God who is willing to die on the cross to protect me from the sting of sin and death.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

Only God can do this and Jesus proved in Matthew 4 that God is more powerful than Satan.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God full of love, compassion and mercy.  You have saved me and You continue to save me from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such efforts.  I worry FAR too much.  Please forgive me. Help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.