Hope for the Christian Struggling with Sin
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Hope for the Christian Struggling with Sin

Have you ever been weighed down by the things in your past?

I know I have. I tend to forget that “the old has gone” and I begin to live as if it is in control.

I can be burdened by a struggle or a sin that Christ already died for.

I fear that it has the power to pull me away from His love.

But God tells us a different story.

 

Hope for the Christian Struggling with Sin

He tells us that in Christ, the old is gone and the new has come.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! -2 Corinthians 5:17

In Christ, we are transformed. Renewed. Redeemed.

Our names are written in the Book of Life.

In salvation, we are His, never to be snatched from His hands.

Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” -John 10:27-29

I want to encourage you today, that if you are still living in bondage to the old, if you are stuck looking backwards, you don’t have to.

[bctt tweet="In salvation, we are His, never to be snatched from His hands." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

There is freedom in looking forward. There is freedom in setting our eyes on Christ.

God has made you new and He is calling you to step forward.

He is calling you to unimaginable freedom.

You don’t have to live in the pain and pull of your past.

It is okay if you feel stuck. It is okay if you feel burdened by bondage or sin.

Living in freedom doesn’t always happen the moment we are saved.

It is a process.

Freedom comes when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and as we continue to turn our hearts to Him.

If you are drowning in bondage or fear that your sin has stolen your salvation, DON’T. No one can snatch you from His hand.

BUT, sin can snatch you from peace, freedom and fellowship with God.

If there is a sin or struggle that is smothering out your faith, I encourage you to turn from it. Place your eyes on Christ and step forward.

Follow Him.

James speaks of the utmost importance of turning our hearts toward Christ. He reminds us that our faith and fellowship with God will die if we continue to wander from the truth and the freedom that comes from our salvation in Christ.

When we let our sins and struggles drag us away from the freedom and love of Christ, we are to remember the significance of our salvation.

Throughout the book of James, he speaks to Christians, those of us who are saved, who have wandered from the truth. He reminds us of the importance of walking in truth and fellowship with God.

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. -James 2:22

James speaks of an authentic and active faith that results from our salvation. 

I want to encourage you that if your actions aren’t aligned with some of the teachings of James, Jesus, and the Word of God, to ask God to open your eyes to the bondage that is holding onto your heart.

Ask Him to show you the steps to freedom.

He is waiting for you to let Him in. When you ask Him to help you overcome the parts of your life that are still holding you from the freedom that comes from your salvation, He will answer.

God is calling you forward.

Our salvation does not fluctuate with our shortcomings.

[bctt tweet="Our salvation does not fluctuate with our shortcomings." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

When we believe and allow Christ into our hearts, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and saved from hell, an eternity separated from God. When we believe, our hearts are made His and we begin the process of sanctification.

But as we walk in our salvation, we are called to continually repent of our sins, to turn from them and to place our eyes and our hearts on Christ. We are called to a faith that is active and authentic.

When you find yourself drifting from living as God has called you to, I urge you to take captive your thoughts and your actions and to make them obedient to Christ.

For many of us with difficult pasts, sanctification can be a long and arduous process.

But again, let’s look back to the book of James,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:2-4

These trials, these bondages and sinful desires that tempt you, they are testing your faith. They are creating in you a perseverance that leads you to sanctification.

Keep your eyes on Him and above all keep moving forward

You are on a journey to healing and redemption.

As you struggle, remember the love and power that Christ displayed when He died for you.

He is making you new. Keep your eyes on Him and above all, keep moving forward.

 

 

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33 Comments

  1. It is a journey, isn’t it, Nicole. It can be a beautiful rendering of the way He loves us completely…sometimes so patiently and gently because we are not ready to know how deeply yet, but always always fully. There is freedom in looking forward into the very heart of the ONE who bled red to set us free. Such an encouraging word of grace.
    Thanks for sharing it at #GraceMoments Link up!

    Blessings,
    Dawn

  2. My favorite quote from this post:
    He is calling you to unimaginable freedom.
    You don’t have to live in the pain and pull of your past.
    It is okay if you feel stuck. It is okay if you feel burdened by bondage or sin.
    Sharing this on my Facebook page next week!

    1. Thanks for sharing, Sarah! These words are a reminder I need daily as I walk toward complete freedom from bondage πŸ™‚

  3. I think confessions are a wonderful thing as they cleanse your soul and you are not weighed down by your sins in future. And as long as you haven’t done anything really sinister, you do deserve to feel free and happy!

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Nadine. There is so much freedom when we give our hearts to Christ and as He transforms us into His image. πŸ™‚

  4. I love this-thank you for the reminder! I struggle so much with impatience as a mother. It is something I am always falling back into almost daily. I need to dig even deeper into my heart to ask God to free me of this! “Our salvation does not fluctuate without shortcomings.” <– THIS is WONDERFUL! Visiting from Chasing Community and scheduling to be shared on my FB page.

    1. Thanks, Elaine! It can be so hard to remember the freedom that comes with our salvation and often I know I can get caught up in self condemnation for my mistakes. But in turning toward God, we can remember who we belong to πŸ™‚ Thanks for sharing this!

  5. β€œIn salvation, we are His, never to be snatched from His hands.” Amen. I love that there is freedom in looking forward. May I stay better focused today on things above! Thanks, Nicole.

    1. There is so much freedom in that. That focus on things above is so powerful! So glad you stopped by, Lisa!

  6. It is a process, isn’t it? We have to stay in connection with Him b/c it’s so easy to get snatched back into that mental captivity otherwise, it seems. Wise words here, Nicole. Thank you for sharing with #ChasingCommunity today. ((hug))

    1. Yes, definitely, Brenda! It is something we must do everyday to remain in freedom! Thank you for your kind words!

    1. Definitely a process as God purifies our hearts and transforms us. I agree, I’m so grateful for his unending grace as we step forward πŸ™‚

  7. Excellent reminder on how God really does save us and forgives us. All we need to do is be willing to go to Him first. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thanks, Tom! That willingness is so crucial, but God is waiting with open arms! How awesome is that? πŸ™‚

  8. So much hope here, Nicole. I like how you point out that, while nothing can snatch us from God’s hands, sin can snatch away our peace and the fellowship we enjoy with Him. I’m so thankful that He makes all things new, and this work is ongoing, no matter how long we’ve been walking with Him!

    1. Yes, Lois! Although it can be so difficult at times, the process is bringing us toward the beautiful ones that God created us to be πŸ™‚

  9. Thank you for this article – it has been very helpful and a reminder again of God’s amazing love for us that he will forgive us time and time again – he is waiting for us to come to him and ready to help us when we draw near to him! Wow! ❀️

    1. Yes!! In reflecting on this topic as I was writing, I came to the same Scripture. I began memorizing Romans 8 this past week, it is a beautiful, truth-filled passage πŸ™‚ Thanks, Laura!

  10. Confession your sins to Heavenly Father. If you have hurt someone ask their forgiveness and make restitution if need be. Truly repent means not doing the sin again. If your truly forgiven the sin is in the past and should not be brought up again. It is gone.

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Candy. God wants to bring us to that place of total freedom and surrender to His love! How wonderful it is to have a God who loves us that much πŸ™‚

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