My behavior was radically impacted when I was born again. But it wasn’t long before a difficult question confronted me: how do I remain strong in my commitment to live in a way that pleases God when Jesus Himself said, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak?”
Weak indeed! What’s this all about, I wondered? I knew I had been deeply transformed, so why would I have even a remote desire to return to things so destructive in my past? It amazed me because I knew from experience that sin could never be a source of lasting joy. Yet I was willing to toy with it. Could I really be that stupid?
And another issue bewildered me. Why was I now completely set free from some old habits while others sprang back with a vengeance? There they were! Needless to say, the shame that came along with falling into the same old sins was extremely discouraging. The Bible talks about struggling with the old man; for me it was the old Dan!
From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
Listen to more Radio Features.
- 1. A Willing Spirit, but a Weak Flesh!
- 2. Trouble with Saying No to Sin
- 3. God Losing Value in Our Eyes
- 4. Thriving in a Sin-riddled World
- 5. Problems with My Heart
- 6. The Power of Sin Is the Law
- 7. Inheriting God’s Promise through Obedient Faith
- 8. Great Dreams Rooted in a Great God
- 9. Glorifying and Enjoying God: the Crux of Life
- 10. Sharing in Christ as Siblings
- 11. God Designed Life in Him to be Tough
- 12. Understanding and Embracing Suffering
- 13. Why are we the way we are?
- 14. Our Flesh: Body, Mind and Soul
- 15. Our Spirit: the Dwelling Place of God
- 16. Spiritual Life Means the Sharing of God’s life
- 17. Forget the Symptoms; Attack the Disease!
- 18. Rebuilding our Character is God’s Job
- 19. Does the World Revolve Around Me?
- 20. Free Will is Rooted in Self-interest
- 21. Self-interest—a Gift of God
- 22. Is Our Heart Capable of Genuine Change?
- 23. How Do You Feel about Yourself?
- 24. What if Sin Was No Longer a Problem?
- 25. Our Battle with the Flesh Demands Choice
- 26. Slaves Purchased to be Set Free
- 27. Moral Awareness at Our Very Core
- 28. Not in the Flesh, but in the Spirit
- 29. Dead to Sin? I don’t Feel Very Dead!
- 30. Dealing with Sin in a Whole New Way
- 31. Joined to Christ in Death and Resurrection
- 32. Our Body of Sin is Done Away With
- 33. Sin is a Symptom of a Serious Disease Within.
- 34. It’s not About what We Do or don’t Do
- 35. Duped by Satan into Earning Our Way
- 36. Attempting to be Justified Through Law
- 37. Why does God Keep Himself Hidden?
- 38. We Tend to Confuse Faith with Hope
- 39. God Hates Sin because of its Destructive Power
- 40. As We Attempt to Rid our Life of Sin…
- 41. “Give it Up! You’re a Failure!”
- 42. The Holy Spirit: Our Guarantee of God’s Promise
- 43. Pride is the Core of the Problem
- 44. The Purpose Law is to Expose Sin
- 45. “My flesh is finally dead!” Is It?
- 46. God has Acquitted His Children
- 47. Feeling the Need to Work for God’s Grace?
- 48. Amazing Grace can Breed Complacency
- 49. Building on God’s Righteousness
- 50. Satan Finds Fertile Ground in Human Nature
- 51. Blanketed by Gods’ Righteousness
- 52. Spiritual Circumcision: What a Concept!
- 53. The Importance of Being Fruitful
- 54. Aiming at Two Critical Targets
- 55. Exploitation of our Shame
- 56. Run to God when You Sin
- 57. Righteousness Can Never be Earned
- 58. Paul’s radical message of liberty
- 59. Law Intensifies Destructive Desires
- 60. Holy in our Attitudes and Behavior?
- 61. Being Holy Means Set Apart to God
- 62. Must We Try to Become Holy?
- 63. No Struggle in Bearing Fruit!
- 64. Always Trying to Patch Over Sin
- 65. Character won’t Change Overnight
- 66. In a Holding Pattern, are You?
- 67. Prayer is a Two-way Street
- 68. Don’t Despise Small Things
- 69. Does Sin Separate Me from God?
- 70. Still Trapped in this Flesh
- 71. Not Two Natures Battling Within
- 72. No Guilt Trips; God’s on a Gift Trip
- 73. Sin: Pitfall or Practice?
- 74. Like It or Not, We’re All Slaves
- 75. Two Natures Struggling Within?
- 76. Pursuit of God by Obligation?
- 77. Preparing the Soil of Our Heart
- 78. What’s My Purpose, Anyway?
- 79. We’ll Always have Shortcomings
- 80. The Plague of Nagging Sin
- 81. Having Become Acceptable to God
- 82. Immersing Ourselves in God
- 83. Finally Fed Up with Failure
- 84. The Secret to Moving Forward
- 85. The Challenge of Besetting Sin
- 86. Sold into Bondage to Sin
- 87. The Futility of Trying to Earn It
- 88. What God Values Most
- 89. How Could God Use Me?
- 90. Forgotten by God?
- 91. Forgetting What Lies Behind
- 92. He’s the God of the Now!
- 93. Building Solid Character
- 94. Slaves of Righteousness
- 95. Benefitting from Your Failures
- 96. Sensed God Speaking?
- 97. Behaving Like Dead Men
- 98. God Sees Relationship Like We Do
- 99. An Appetite for Intimacy
- 100. Fresh Life Through Suffering
- 101. What Will Make It Easier?
- 102. From the Perspective of Eternity
- 103. Going It Alone Doesn’t Cut It
- 104. Given Up Because of Your Sin?
- 105. Aiming at Two Targets
- 106. Misreading Our Destiny
- 107. Not Serving in Our Own Strength
- 108. Don’t Despise the Small Things
- 109. You’ve been Invited
- 110. Boasting? “Well, if I must,” says Paul
- 111. It’s all about God
- 112. Wisdom Shouts in the Street!
- 113. If only I could be recognized
- 114. Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness
- 115. An Invitation into Covenant
- 116. A Clear Commitment
- 117. God’s Infinite Love
- 118. Opening Up to God’s Touch
- 119. It Costs Your Life!
- 120. In Christ!
- 121. Prize It Above All Else
- 122. Stake Your Life on It!
- 123. This World as a Stage
- 124. Only One Way to God
- 125. Have We Actually Advanced?
- 126. “What must I Do to be Saved?”
- 127. The Ultimate Price
- 128. The Nature of Biblical Belief
- 129. Faith Results in Action!
- 130. Born Again?
- 131. Spiritual Illiteracy
- 132. The Power of Ideas
- 133. Our Heart-shaped Cavity
- 134. The Root of Sin
- 135. Why Be Alienated?
- 136. Faith is the Key
- 137. The Obedience of Surrender
- 138. One Giant Step
- 139. Faith Comes From Hearing
- 140. Freedom of Choice
- 141. It’s Time to Act!
- 142. The Mystery of Suffering—Part 1
- 143. The Mystery of Suffering—Part 2
- 144. The Mystery of Suffering—Part 3
- 145. Joy Rooted in Peace
- 146. Found in the Book of Life!
- 147. Awaiting Judgment
- 148. I’d Bet My Life on It!
- 149. Surrender your Life!
- 150. The Power of Belief
- 151. Wisdom Shouts!
- 152. On Discernment
- 153. As God Reveals Himself…
- 154. The “Jesus App”
- 155. Yourself or Your-“cell-f”?
- 156. Fulfillment through Suffering
- 157. Choosing God’s Best
- 158. The Holy Spirit Within
- 159. Images. Don’t Fall for it.
- 160. Intimacy Is What It’s About