What Christian doesn’t yearn to be free from the nagging presence of sin? In one degree or another, our humanity traps us in a repetitive cycle of failure—just the grinding reality of a redeemed life pitted against our self-serving flesh in a sin-riddled world. Thankfully, God has made provision for our sin! But what did He provide, really?
        Many argue that in Christ we possess the power to become holy in our walk with God—by choosing obedience over sin. Well, shooting for holiness in this way is a noble pursuit, but the strategy is flawed. Why? Because the purpose of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice is to impart God’s own righteousness to us, in spite of our sinful nature.
       Because we now belong to Him, we don’t need to earn God’s favor. We already have it! God showers His grace on us, and in so doing His righteousness becomes our own. By His grace alone we are given the unbridled capacity for intimacy with God, in spite of the weakness of our flesh.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Self-interest, ugly as it may be, is actually a gift of God. It helps us make our way in this world. Having a healthy sense of self-worth—feeling significant—motivates us to reach toward God’s purpose for our life. It’s rooted in the fact that we truly are valuable.
       God showed me this in an unusual way. Next door to us lived a child with Down Syndrome. He functioned at the level of a three-year-old, though he was much older. But his condition allowed him to speak freely from the heart—totally without pretense. Every time I saw this young man, he asked, “Do you love me?” Now we wouldn’t dare express ourselves like this, but isn’t this need at our very core? “Am I significant to you? Am I deserving of your love?” Self-interest—a gift of God? Yes! Because an inconsequential life is tough to bear, and one that is meaningless is practically a death sentence.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Jesus said His kingdom is like someone who discovers hidden treasure, or a valuable pearl, and immediately recognizes the magnitude of his find. It’s about surrendering everything to gain this amazing salvation, but I think there’s even more to it than that. Why? Because what we first find so precious has the tendency to lose value in our eyes.
       One day I was struck by how oblivious the owner of the treasure was to its true worth. Are we like that? Are we like the owner of the field who neglected to notice what was so easily uncovered by some passerby, or akin to the merchant so lax in his trade that he failed to recognize the true value of the pearl he owned?
       Have we forfeited our treasure in Christ for something less meaningful? In the weakness of our flesh, it’s not uncommon to fall short of a single-minded pursuit of Christ. There are reasons a zealous heart slips into complacency, and understanding them is extremely helpful in trying to rekindle that lost fire.

From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

“Wisdom shouts in the street…Turn to me and I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” so says the first chapter of the book of Proverbs. It is God shouting this message. Just imagine it—the Creator of all things calling, calling, not as a whisper, but as a roar! And He continues to cry out today. Yet because God does not threaten immediate judgment on those who ignore Him, His call goes largely ignored, drowned out by the clamor of self-interest.
       The message goes on to say, “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand no one paid attention,” you will be ignored “when distress and anguish come upon you.” God promises blessing for those who respond to Him, and judgment for those who refuse. Which will be your heritage? Choose wisely; choose life—eternal life in Jesus our Lord!

As I began to learn about God as a new Christian, I saw that sin is a big issue for believers. The Bible has dozens of warnings about sin, most which point to my personal responsibility to say “no” to it. But saying “no” was the very thing I was having trouble with! The more I learned, the more confused I seemed to get. What really baffled me was Paul’s account of his own struggle with sin.
       Yet why not be confused? Regarding human weakness, Paul said, “If I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” What in the world did he mean by that? Could he actually be shirking off personal responsibility for sin? There’s no question that Paul recognized his duty to wrestle against his flesh in resisting sin. He’s not excusing sin, but rather trying to get to the root of the problem in the believer’s life. Shouldn’t we be doing the same?

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Why are cars called autos? It’s because they’re self–powered. In the Greek, the word autos means self. God has designed us with the capacity to make our own choices—we’re self-propelled, so to speak. Self is simply me, a personal being given the glorious gift of existence and awareness. But this gift of life has the effect of placing me at the center of my own personal universe. Sure, we deny that the world revolves around us. Yet given the true nature of self, it’s hard to believe otherwise!           

The Bible uses the term heart to convey the idea of self. Think of the heart as the engine that runs our being. Both our mind-set and our behavior are dictated by what is in the heart. Jesus said, “The good man brings forth what is good out of his heart; but the evil man brings forth evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Ask yourself: “Why do I believe what I believe? “ To believe is basic to the nature of man; it is the most powerful of all human drives. Because this is so, philosophy has flourished throughout our history, the early Greeks being a prime example. Sadly, man’s ideas have taken root to the extent of infiltrating Christ’s Church itself. Because the nature of life is what has always spurred philosophy, the question keeps arising: “What is truth?” as Pilate asked Jesus while examining Him.

Truth is simply reality—things the way they really are, not as we wished they were. Absolute truth is derived from God’s revelation, because only He knows how things truly are. What God has revealed is found most prominently in the Bible, of course. Get to know your Bible intimately and you will find His truth deeply rooted as an anchor of the eternal life He has promised. \lsdunhideuse

Ask yourself: “Why do I believe what I believe? “ To believe is basic to the nature of man; it is the most powerful of all human drives. Because this is so, philosophy has flourished throughout our history, the early Greeks being a prime example. Sadly, man’s ideas have taken root to the extent of infiltrating Christ’s Church itself. Because the nature of life is what has always spurred philosophy, the question keeps arising: “What is truth?” as Pilate asked Jesus while examining Him.

Truth is simply reality—things the way they really are, not as we wished they were. Absolute truth is derived from God’s revelation, because only He knows how things truly are. What God has revealed is found most prominently in the Bible, of course. Get to know your Bible intimately and you will find His truth deeply rooted as an anchor of the eternal life He has promised. \lsdunhideuse

Jesus wants each and every one of us for His very own. But He wants us to want Him. That’s His plan in a nutshell. And God has provided everything we need to step right into our place as His treasured sons and daughters. The Apostle Peter said it well: “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
      We merely need to obey what has been revealed to us. All we have to do is say “yes” to Him. Here’s how: Acknowledge the sin that has separated you from God; turn away from it; surrender control of your life to God; invite Jesus Christ into your heart as your Savior and Lord. It’s that simple!

Is it really fair on God’s part to allow just a few of us to enjoy life with Him forever? Is God biased; is He unjust? Why not all of us? Why not put together a plan that would ultimately save all mankind? The single most important thing to understand when dealing with the Creator and Sustainer of all things, is that it’s His laws that apply, not ours. This is God’s deal. We don’t make the rules; He does! How do we know this to be true? The Bible says so.
         We’ve all heard the expression, “I’d bet my life on it.” Truth be told, that’s precisely what we are doing throughout the span of our lives here on earth. This is no game! Eternal life or eternal separation from the Giver of life hangs in the balance. Which will it be? You are betting your life on it.

From: The Path through the Maze—Answering Life’s Ultimate Question: What Happens After We Die?