Death of Sin
After my morning bible time, I glimpsed a book on the shelf in my borrowed office, "My Utmost for His Highest", by Oswald Chambers. It is a yearly devotional containing a buffet of wisdom; The Golden Corral of Biblical knowledge.
Mr Chambers very pointedly asks, "Have you made the following decision about sin—that it must be completely killed in you?"
I share the following sentiment with guys walking out of homosexuality. You have to draw a line in the sand, step over it, move towards Jesus and mourn the loss of every aspect of your old, gay life. If you truly desire to establish a firm connection with Jesus, your former life and identity must be laid to rest.
From my former days of living as a gay "Christian" to my modern days of living a Christ centered life, Oswald eloquently details the quest for freedom. While society heralds and normalizes sexual sin and sexual immorality, the Bible still calls us to walk according to God's truth and wisdom. When someone uses the phrase "my truth", satan's deception is active in their life. The only truth that matters is God's word. In the end, scripture is what we will all be judged by.
From the website https://utmost.org. April 10. My Utmost for His Highest
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin
By Oswald Chambers
…our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. —Romans 6:6
Co-Crucifixion. Have you made the following decision about sin—that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life once you decide that sin must die in you– not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified— just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world. No one can bring anyone else to this decision. We may be mentally and spiritually convinced, but what we need to do is actually make the decision that Paul urged us to do in this passage.
Pull yourself up, take some time alone with God, and make this important decision, saying, “Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me.” Make the moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
This was not some divine future expectation on the part of Paul, but was a very radical and definite experience in his life. Are you prepared to let the Spirit of God search you until you know what the level and nature of sin is in your life— to see the very things that struggle against God’s Spirit in you? If so, will you then agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin— that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? You cannot “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin” (Romans 6:11) unless you have radically dealt with the issue of your will before God.
Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh and blood is His life? “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).
The end.
My prayer for each of you today, regardless of what struggle or sin holds you fast, is that you surrender your heart and life to God today. Come to the end of your hurt, pain, unforgivness and sin. Get to the beginning of a relationship with God. May the truth of God's word and the power of the Holy Spirit free you from the bondage of sin. May you finally see the truth of God's eons of wisdom and surrender to new life in Christ. May God grant you the wisdom, strength, power and awareness that will save your soul today.
Amen.
