guilt

17
May
2024
Cutting it Off: Dealing with Sin in Your Life

Cutting it Off: Dealing with Sin in Your Life

Sin. It’s a word that gets tossed around quite a bit, but what does it really mean? We all mess up sometimes, but sin is more than just making a mistake.

Sin is rebellion against God, a rejection of His love, and a departure from His plan for us. It’s like a virus that infects our thoughts, words, actions, and relationships.

It weighs us down, separates us from God, and leads to pain and suffering.

The good news? Sin doesn’t have to be the end of the story. There’s a solution, and it’s found not in ourselves, but in God. His love, mercy, grace, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ offer forgiveness, cleansing, healing, and transformation.

Jesus: The Answer to Sin

The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:29 that Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

Now, He wasn’t literally telling us to mutilate ourselves! He was using a powerful metaphor to emphasize the seriousness of sin and the importance of dealing with it decisively.

Jesus is the one who came to save you from sin. He took your place, paid the price for your wrongdoings, and conquered death through His resurrection. He lives within you through the Holy Spirit, giving you the strength to overcome sin and follow Him.

What does it mean to “cut it off” as Jesus instructs?

We do make mistakes and sin; when that happens we MUST take action:

  • Repentance: Turning away from sin and turning back to God.
  • Confession: Admitting our sin to God and asking for forgiveness.
  • Renunciation: Rejecting sin and its power over us.
  • Removal: Avoiding situations or habits that lead us to temptation.
  • Replacement: Filling our lives with God’s truth, love, and righteousness.

We Can’t Do It Alone

Overcoming sin is a process, and you can’t do it on your own. You need God’s help through His grace, power, and presence.

The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, guides you, and empowers you to make right choices. The Bible teaches about God and equips you to fight temptation.

The Christian community offers support, encouragement, and prayer.

Most importantly, you have the example of Jesus. He cut it off for us by His perfect obedience and sacrifice. He showed you how to overcome sin through love, faith, humility, and perseverance.

He offers you His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and a new life free from sin’s bondage.

So, when you feel stuck in sin, remember: there is hope! God offers forgiveness and the power to overcome. Turn to Him today, ask for His help, and experience the joy of freedom from sin.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration, Discipline, Trust
16
Apr
2024
Jesus, the Physician of Souls

Jesus, the Physician of Souls

 Mark 2:17 – On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Many feel too far gone for God’s love, believing their sins are unforgivable. This can lead to avoiding Jesus and the Bible due to shame.

The Diagnosis

The Bible affirms we’re all sinners in need of God’s grace. God, in His immense love, sent Jesus to die for our sins and offer forgiveness. We are invited to come to Him “as we are,” for He heals, forgives, and transforms us (Mark 2:17).

Jesus didn’t call the righteous, but sinners. This doesn’t imply some are inherently righteous; rather, some recognize their need for God, while others remain self-righteous and closed to His grace.

Jesus came for those who acknowledge their spiritual illness and need a Savior.

The Prescription

How do we experience Jesus’ healing?

  1. Admit Your Need: You must confess your sins and acknowledge your shortcomings before God. You can’t save yourself; true healing comes from Him.
  2. Believe in Jesus’ Sacrifice: Trust that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, accepting His gift of salvation and eternal life.
  3. Receive His Healing: Allow Him to cleanse, heal, and restore you. Let the Holy Spirit fill you with love, renewing your mind and heart, transforming your desires and actions.

The Recovery

Responding to Jesus brings justification. God declares you righteous through Jesus’ work, accepting you as His child and offering peace and joy in His presence.

You also experience sanctification. God sets you apart for His purposes and makes you holy, enabling you to live a new life of obedience and service. He helps you grow in faith and love.

Finally, God promises glorification. He will one day complete His work in you, making you perfect. He will raise you from the dead, granting you a new body and welcoming you into His eternal kingdom.

The Invitation

Jesus calls you today, just as you are. He offers healing for your soul, forgiveness, and transformation. Will you answer?

A Prayer

“Lord Jesus, I confess I am a sinner and need Your grace. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I receive Your healing for my soul. I surrender my life to You and follow You as my Lord and Master. Thank You for saving and changing me. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, congratulations! You’ve made a life-changing decision. You’ve received the greatest gift – becoming a new creation in Christ.

Growing in Faith

  • Find a Bible-believing church for fellowship and growth.
  • Read the Bible and pray daily to deepen your relationship with God.
  • Share your testimony to inspire others to seek Jesus and His healing.

May God bless you on your journey with Him.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
09
Mar
2024
Clean Heart – Confident Faith

Clean Heart – Confident Faith

Invitation

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)

We receive a beautiful invitation to approach God with confidence, knowing that our hearts have been cleansed and purified by His grace.

Cleansing

The imagery used here is striking – our hearts are “sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience,” and our bodies are “washed with pure water.”

This speaks to the transformative power of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, which cleanses us from sin and guilt.

Assurance

But it’s not just about being cleansed – it’s also about having “the full assurance that faith brings.”

We can come before God with a sincere heart, confident in the knowledge that our faith has been made complete through Christ’s work on our behalf.

Nearness

And because of this cleansing and assurance, we are invited to “draw near to God.”

No longer do we have to stand at a distance, separated by our sin and guilt. Through Christ, we can approach the very throne of grace with boldness, knowing that we are accepted and welcomed by our Heavenly Father.

This is the beauty of the gospel – that we can have a clean heart, a confident faith, and a close relationship with the One who created us.

So draw near, with sincere heart and full assurance, to the God who loves you and has made a way for you to be reconciled to Him.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration, Faith, Forgiveness, Holiness, Humility
08
Mar
2024
The Moment It All Changed

The Moment It All Changed

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” – Genesis 3:7 (NIV)

As we look into this verse, we see a pivotal moment in human history – the moment when sin entered the world.

Adam and Eve, who had once enjoyed perfect intimacy with God, now felt the weight of shame and guilt for the first time.

Consequence

Their eyes were opened, not to a deeper understanding of God’s love, but to their own nakedness and vulnerability.

Suddenly, they were aware of their flaws and shortcomings, and they tried to cover themselves with makeshift garments made from fig leaves.

The Separation

This act was a symbol of the separation that had occurred between them and their Creator. No longer could they walk in perfect harmony with God, as they had in the Garden.

A rift had been created, and they found themselves hiding from the very One who had breathed life into them.

The Hope

But even in this darkest of moments, God’s love shone through. He sought them out, not to condemn, but to offer a way back.

He promised that one day, a Savior would come and crush the head of the serpent – the one who had tempted them into sin.

Although the consequences of their sin were severe, God’s grace was greater still. He provided a way for them to be forgiven and reconciled to Him. And this same grace is available to us today, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration, Forgiveness
07
Mar
2024
Embracing Freedom: Living Under Grace

Embracing Freedom: Living Under Grace

“Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.” – Galatians 3:23 (NIV)

Imprisoned by the Law

Before the coming of Christ, we were held captive by the law – a system of rules and regulations that, while intended to guide us, ultimately became a prison of sorts.

The law exposed our inability to live up to its demands and left us feeling condemned, trapped in a cycle of sin and guilt.

Revelation of Faith

But then, something remarkable happened: the faith that was to come was revealed. Jesus, the Son of God, broke into our captivity and opened the way to freedom.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, He fulfilled the law and offered us a new way to live – a way of grace and faith.

Stepping into Freedom

Embracing this freedom is not a license to sin or to disregard God’s standards. Rather, it’s an invitation to step out of the prison of the law and into the wide-open spaces of God’s grace.

In Christ, we are no longer bound by the constant demand to measure up, but are empowered to live according to a new principle – the principle of love.

Living Under Grace

Living under grace means allowing the love of God to transform us from the inside out. It means resting in the security of our salvation, not by our own efforts but by the finished work of Christ.

As we lean into this grace, we find that our hearts are changed, and obedience becomes a natural expression of our love for God, not a burdensome duty.

Through Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of the law and invited into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Embrace this freedom and live as those who are truly free, empowered by grace to love God and others with all your heart.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration, Humility, Trust