Yesterday I think I learned an idea that I want to dwell on because I think it has very practical applications to all of us who struggle with sexual sin.
It will come as no surprise to you that I am a firm believer in the biblical fact that once a person accepts Christ to be their Savior, being born again by the Holy Spirit, and sealed by the Spirit as God’s guarantee of our eternal inheritance…at that moment in time they are completely forgiven of all their sins. All their past sins, current sins, and even future sins.
This is because when Christ died on the cross, paying the penalty for the sins of the world, all of our sins were paid for. So, when one is born again that payment is applied to all of the sins of their entire life. Completely paid for. Red as scarlet become white as snow. Sins buried in the deepest part of the sea and separated from us as far as the east is from the west. Plus, we read in Hebrews 10:14 and 17;
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time
those who are sanctified.”
~~~
“And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will no longer remember.”
According to those passages we have been “perfected for all time” even while we are in the process of being made holy or sanctified. And God has chosen to never remember our sins.
However, that does not mean that because all of my sins were forgiven that I should go ahead and dive headfirst into the deep end of porn. Absolutely not! Because sin in and of itself is destructive. Sin kills. Even though forgiven when I sin, I need to remember the wages of sin is death.
God is not trying to take all the fun out of life by telling us to not be involved in any kind of sexual sin. He is wanting to save us from the results of sexual sin…which will eat away the good things of our life and draw us into continuously wanting more. We become isolated because we are hiding our secret life of sexual sin. It becomes an addictive behavior and even an obsession taking more and more of our time and slowly killing our relationships with others. It will destroy you, your marriage, your family, your job, and can land you in prison.
So, if it is true that all of our sins are forgiven why does God tell us that we need to confess our sins. I think it is because when we confess our sins, we are washing off the residue sin brings into our lives. See what John says in 1 John 1:9;
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Since I know that all my sins have already been paid for and forgiven through the finished work of Christ, I thank God for the forgiveness I already have in Christ. But notice what it says about cleansing. I have forgiveness, but I need cleansing.
We cannot sin and walk away from it unscathed. Just as I cannot roll around in dirt or garbage and not have some of that dirt remain on me and some of that garbage stink remain on me…so also, we cannot indulge ourselves in sin without there being some kind of residue.
So, think of that residue as something you cannot see…but you can smell. Sin has an odor and it is the odor of death. Sure, we have learned how to cover up our sin smell. We can act as if everything is just fine. We are good and happy Christians because that is the image we are supposed to be showing.
What would happen if people would decide how you are doing not on how you looked but how you smell? I can see you from a distance and you look like everything in your life is wonderful. But if we were to sit down and talk for 30 minutes, and you told me the truth, then I would know the origin of the stink.
At first, I might sense there is an odor but not be sure. One time I was having lunch with a pastor who had been involved in an affair. The affair had been confessed to his wife and they had gone through a lot of work to save their marriage. In fact, he was even heading up a ministry helping save marriages in crisis. But as the conversation went on I was noticing some stink and it was not my enchilada, beans, and rice.
So, I asked him point-blank if he was still in contact with his affair partner. He lied and changed the subject. However, the odor seemed to be increasing so I asked him again and he lied again. Now the scent of lies was pretty strong and after a few minutes I asked him a third time…and after a long pause, he finally broke down and told me the truth.
After telling me the truth he agreed that he would go home and tell his wife the truth. He stepped down from his ministry position and started getting the help he needed to break the power of sexual sin on his life and marriage.
Therefore, John writes;
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth…”
I seriously wonder how many Christians are coming to church appearing that they are walking in the light pretending everything is ok…when in fact they are walking in the darkness of sexual sin? Some say 60% of all Christian men and 30% or all Christian women are addicted to porn.
However, the next verse says;
“…but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Fellowship with one another. That means we are having a connection with one another because we are telling the truth to one another…which is what walking in the light means.
We are in the light and not in the darkness because we are telling others the truth about what is really happening in our lives. We are confessing our sins to one another like we are told by the Apostle James. We are being honest and getting help, real help, instead of continuing in our stink pretending we do not stink.
If you want to find a place where you can do that…where you can walk in the light…where you can tell the truth and get help with your porn issue…where there is no condemnation and men are helping other men bear this burden of sin…I only have 3 words to say.
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