F-26. WALK EVEN AS JESUS WALKED! What does the Bible mean when it says that we are to WALK even as Jesus walked? Let us not just speculated and simply give our own opinions as to what 1 John 2:6 to walk EVEN AS Jesus walked. 1 John 2:6. “He that says he abides in him (Or if a Christian says that he or she abides in Jesus then he) OUGHT himself ALSO so to walk, EVEN AS he walked” Now, the Greek word that is translated as “OUGHT” literally means an OBLIGATION. In other words, this is not simply a suggestion to walk even as Jesus walked. But rather it is more of a DEBT that we OWE to God and his Son Jesus for saving us. God did not save us so that we can CONTINUE to live in SIN. God set us FREE from the bondage of sin and sin has NO MORE DOMINION over us. THINK this through for yourselves my dear brothers and sister in our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you really think that God saved us so we could continue to live in sin? Do you think that even for one second that God would ever say that we are eternally saved now so go ahead and do whatever your flesh wants to do? Do you think that God is saying to us to ahead and continue to live in sin because we can never lose your salvation? No my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, God would not save us so we can continue to live in sin. God saved us for the very purpose of setting us FREE from the bondage of sin and sin has NO MORE DOMINION over us. God cleansed us of all our past sins so that HEW could come and DWELL IN us to EMPOWER us to OVERCOME sin in our lives. Please read Romans 6:16-23. “Know you not, (Or do you not KNOW) that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness? 17. But THANKS be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (In other words, BEFORE you believed the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to be made a new creature created in Jesus Christ to be given a NEW HEART you were in BONDAGE to sin. And no matter how hard you tried to not sin you could not overcome sin in your own strength. But THANKS be to God because now you are saved and you have his Holy Spirit dwelling in you to EMPOWER you to live your life free from sin) 18. Being then made FREE from sin, you became the SERVANTS of righteousness. (In other words, we are SLAVES to righteous and our inner man KNOWS that we can longer SIN. Not that we are not capable of sinning. But rather we know and understand how much it displeases God when we do not obey in moral commandment under the New Covenant written of the New Testament. 2 Peter 2:21 teaches us that would have been better for them NOT to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to TURN from the holy commandment delivered unto them. Let us go ahead and read the CONTEXT of 2 Peter 2:21 by reading 2 Peter 2:18-22. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog has turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. God forbid that any Christians should ever say that Christians can never lose their salvation no matter what they do or do not do! May God have mercy on your soul to WAKE you UP before its too late and YOU LOSE your salvation! ) 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21. What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (In other words, our new heart created in Jesus Christ is now ASHAMED when we ALLOW our flesh to rule over us. And we know that if we go back to searing our conscience to excuse our sin then we will be judge UNWORTHY to receive the gift of eternal life in the world to come) 22. But NOW being made FREE from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the END everlasting life. 23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Now, some Christians sincerely believe that at the very moment that they accept Jesus as their Savior they are eternal saved and they can never lose their salvation no matter what they do or do not do. But that is NOT what the WHOLE word of Almighty God teaches us. The TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that God saves us so that he can EMPOWER us with the indwelling of his Holy Spirit so that we can OVERCOME sin in our lives. So never be DECEIVED by the FASLE teaching of eternal security and once saved always saved. This study in God word is to give Christians who are struggling with overcoming sin in their lives the IT IS WRITTEN Scriptures that you can use to BUILD your faith to use the PROMISES of God to OVERCOME sin in their lives. I already have a study called “HOW TO CAN LIVE YOUR FREE FROM SIN!” But in this study is will give you a LIST of verses that are so powerful that IF you confess them to the enemy and to yourself the sins that you once thought impossible to overcome will begin to no longer be a temptation to you. This will not happen overnight but it will happen IF you are diligent to stand on these PROMISES in God’s would. And I WILL see you in heaven. Of this, I am assured by the Holy Spirit who taught me how to live without sin EVEN AS Jesus lived without sin. So please do not keep the TRUE Gospel to yourself. Be BOLD to proclaim the true Gospel to other Christians so that they too may begin living their lives without sin. There are no words to describe the joy of being FREE from the bondage of sin. Let us read one more verse of Scripture which teaches us that Jesus is our EXAMPLE that we are CALLED to FOLLOW. Please read 1 Peter 2:21-23. “For even hereunto were you CALLED: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an EXAMPLE, that you should FOLLOW his STEPS: (And what were that steps of Jesus that we are CALLED to FOLLOW?) 22. Who did NO SIN, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously:” And HOW did Jesus commit himself unto God. We will cover those verses as we get to them. But let us begin with the IT IS WRITTEN verses that Jesus used while he was being TEMPTED to sin? Jesus STOOD on the PROMISES of God written in the Scriptures. Please read Matthew 4:3,4,7,10,11. “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4. But he answered and said, IT IS WRITTEN, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God… ...7. Jesus said unto him, IT IS WRITTEN again, You shalt not tempt the Lord thy God… ...10. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for IT IS WRITTEN, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. 11. Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” So the example that Jesus left us to follow is not only his life but also his words that he taught his disciples. Jesus taught us to RESIST the devil and to KNOW that when we RESIST the Devil he WILL FLEE from us. Jesu showed us by example that he HID God’s word in his heart so that he would not sin against God. And then Jesus quoted those verse that he hid in his heart. Please read Psalm 119:10,11. “With my whole heart have I sought you: O let me not wander from your commandments. 11. Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” And that is what this study is all about. Here in this study are the Scriptures that I hid in my heart that EMPOWERED me to overcome sin in my life. First, I RENEWED my mind with the word of TRUTH. For you see, the churches I attend wrongly taught me that I was a SINNER and that I would always sin until Jesus returned. But the Holy Spirit within me brought me to that place where I HATED being that “rollercoaster” Christians. What I mean by this is that I would sin and then repent of my sin but then I would commit the same sin again. So I was always either up or down in my life. It was at that time in my life that I SOUGHT God with my whole heart to STOP sinning. Let us first read about renewing our mind with the word of God and then I will show you some more examples that Jesus left for us to follow that empowered Jesus to live his life without sin. Jesus read and obeyed the Scriptures. And we are to read and obey the teachings of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. Romans 12:1,2. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE SERVICE. (Or which is our rational LOGICAL DUTY to God as a way of showing our GRATITUDE to God for loving us WHILE we were yet sinners to SAVE us who BELIEVE in his Son, Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins) 2. And be not conformed to this world: BUT be you TRANSFORMED BY the RENEWING of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Now, man-made church doctrines wrongly teach Christians that they are sinners and that they will always sin until Jesus returns. Those who teach eternal security constantly tell you that ONLY Jesus can live without sin. But I am here to tell you that they need to have their minds or their way of thinking RENEWED to what the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches. And the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that we have been CALLED to live without sin EVEN AS Jesus lived without sin. When I young man asked Jesus what he MUST DO to inherit eternal life Jesus told him to OBEY the commandments. And then Jesus listed the MORAL commandments of God. But this young man was filled with PRIDE and he BOASTED how he had kept all those commandments from a small child. So Jesus said if you want to be PERFECT then sell everything that you have and give it to the poor. And the young man went away sad because he was very rich. Then the disciples of Jesus ask WHO THEN can be saved. And Jesus answered their question by saying that with men it is IMPOSSIBLE to be saved BUT WITH God all things are possible. So before you can live without sin you must renew your mind to the word of Almighty God to BELIEVE that you CAN and you WILL live without sin and walked EVEN AS Jesus walked. And you have to be DILIGENT in your quest to live free from sin. So if you have not yet read the study “HOW TO CAN LIVE YOUR FREE FROM SIN!” then I implore you to read that study to learn that it is POSSIBLE to walk even as Jesus walked who did NO SIN. You can either pause this study and read that study first. Or you can finish this study and then read how to renew your mind to BELIEVE that it IS possible to live without sin and to be PERFECT even as our Father in heaven is PERFECT. Now, after you have renewed your mind to the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ to KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that you can and you will live without sin there are some steps that you can take to help KEEP you one the WAY that leads to eternal life in the world to come. STEP #1. Keep your faith alive and stirred up but staying close to God. Always repent and confess your sins QUICKLY. Never try to reason away your sins. Be faithful and consistent in reading the Bible on a daily basis. Maintain a close fellowship with like-minded Christians even if it is just ONE Christian who will encourage you when your faith grows weak. Pray and or communicate with God on a daily basis which brings us to step two. STEP #2. Jesus gave us an EXAMPLE of how we are to pray. You can read that prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. Please notice that Jesus said to pray after the MANNER which means after this PATTERN or after this EXAMPLE of how to pray. Also, notice that Jesus said to ask for our DAILY bread which leads me that we should follow the example of Jesus and talk to God every DAY on a DAILY basis and not just when we get into trouble or we need help. Matthew 6:9-15. “After this manner, therefore, pray you: Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. (In other words, we are to call Almighty God our heavenly Father and give glory to his name) 10. Your kingdom come. Your WILL be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (And we know that there is NO SIN in heaven. This verse teaches us that we are to yield our will to become God’s will and to communicate this desire to God) 11. Give us this day our DAILY bread. (The word bread in the Bible sometimes refers to TEACHING. So this verse teaches us that we are to be thankful for BOTH. Food for our physical bodies and food for our inner spirit man that makes our faith strong and healthy. And we are to do this on a DAILY basis. So each time you EAT food for your physical body take a moment to give God THANKS for providing you with food to eat. And also take a moment every day to thank God for his word of TRUTH that someone sowed into your life. Ask God to give you the spiritual food that you need that day) 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (And keeping in the line of reasoning that we should communicate to God EVERY DAY we should also self examine ourselves every day. Simply make a review your day by asking God to help you remember if you tried reasoning away anything that the Holy Spirit was nudging you to do or to not do. And then repent if any disobedience comes to mind. If nothing comes to mind then give God the thanks and glory for a wonderful day and then ask God to help you do better tomorrow. I am sure that we experience things almost every day where someone does NOT do unto us as we would have LIKED for them to do unto us. And we have the WRONG attitude of getting revenge instead of FORGIVING them like we ought to be doing) 13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: (Or more precisely we should ask God to help us to NOT be led into any temptation as much as possible. And IF we are tempted we want to be prepared in advance to know that God will deliver us OUT of each and every temptation that may come our way) For YOURS is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 14. For (Or because or for you see) if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15. But if you forgive NOT men their trespasses, NEITHER will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Verse 14 and 15 are in a sense the law of sowing and reaping. So in order to BREAK that vicious cycle of reaping bad and undesired things we need to RENEW our minds to the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ to WALK even as Jesus walked. So when injustice is done unto use we FORGIVE knowing that as we obey the true Gospel of Jesus Christ the law of sowing and reaping will eventually turn to our GOOD. In other words, if we BELIEVE that since we no longer steal from others then we will REAP that GOOD of others to stop stealing from us. And over time we will have peace that passes all understanding knowing that the angels of God are watching over us, our family and our home and possessions. Perfect love cast out all fear. STEP #3. Being a DOER of the word and not a hearer only whereby we deceive ourselves. After we come to believe in our heart that it is possible to live our lives without sin then comes the TEST to see if we TRULY believe. And this is when we must remind ourselves daily that we are CRUCIFIED WITH Jesus Christ and our old man of the flesh is DEAD to us. The things of the world are DEAD to us. And, therefore, since we are born-again to a new life of righteousness in Jesus Christ we must walk after the Spirit to MOETIFY or keep dead the lust of the flesh. Please read Romans 8:9-17. “And IF Christ is IN you, (or IF the same Holy Spirit of anointing dwells in you that dwelt in Jesus then) the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11. But if the Spirit of him (Speaking of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God the Father) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you. 12. Therefore, brethren, we ARE DEBTORS, NOT to the flesh, to LIVE AFTER the flesh. (In other words, we OWE a DEBT to God to OBEY the Holy Spirit who DWELLS in us to walk in holiness, godliness, and RIGHTEOUSNESS living WITHOUT sin in our lives. So IF we sin we must repent and confess our sin to MAINTAIN a PERFECT and SINLESS life. For you see, each time we confess our sins God forgives us of ALL our sins, EVEN the ones we do not remember, and he CLEANSE is from ALL our unrighteousness. So all God sees is his GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS that we received when we first BELIEVED.) 13. FOR (Or BECAUSE) if you live after the flesh, ye shall die: BUT if you THROUGH the Spirit do MORTIFY the deeds of the body, you shall LIVE. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (This means that we can come BOLDLY to the throne of grace and ask for God’s forgiveness and help anytime and in anyplace and God will HEAR and ANSWER our cry because he is our heavenly Father who loves us more than we can know in this present life) 16. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (And this is one way that we can truly know that we ARE SAVED right NOW in this present world. The Holy Spirit bears WITNESS to our spirit that we ARE his children because we have this new desire to STOP sinning) 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; IF SO BE that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” So how do we suffer like Jesus suffered so that we may also be glorified along with Jesus to receive a new glorified immortal body of flesh and bones like Jesus received when he was glorified by that Father after the cross? We ALSO suffer the temptations to NOT give in to the temptations to sin. The Bible teaches us that Jesus suffered TEMPTATIONS unto the end to NOT give in to those temptations. Please read Hebrews 2:18. “For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” And since Jesus suffered temptation he knows how to HELP us overcome temptation when we suffer temptation. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is cheering us on to overcome sin. Jesus has FAITH in us that we will overcome sin EVEN as HE overcame sin. We have the SAME Scriptures. We have the SAME eternal Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We have the SAME Almighty God the Father who is FOR us and never against us. We have everything we need to overcome sin. So we have NO EXCUSE on the Day of Judgment if we DISOBEY the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is standing by to HELP us overcome sin. STEP #4. And one of those bits of help is to BELIEVE the PROMISES in God’s word because WITHOUT FAITH it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” To be in God’s WILL we must be saved by his grace THROUGH FAITH and NOT of works lest there is BOASTING that we saved ourselves. God’s WILL is that we be HIS WORKMANSHIP and not our OWN workmanship. So when you finally come to realize that you can NOT live without sin in your OWN strength you will begin to REST in God’s strength. Please read Ephesians 6:10-18. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (And one piece of God’s amour is to FORGIVE them, Lord, for they know NOT what they do. People are NOT our enemy. It is Satan working through people, who is our enemy. So having the WRONG attitude of, “Well, I will show them” by holding a grudge against them is NOT being strong in the Lord. When you TAKE offense you are playing right into Satan’s snare) 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (We are to walk in peace with all mean as much as possible) 16. ABOVE all, taking the shield of FAITH, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Never be without those IT IS WRITTEN promises in God’s word that EMPOWER us to overcome sin in our lives. I will list them at the end of this study in God’s word) 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; “ As you pray and encourage other believers then God will honor your love for them. And in your time of weakness in faith, God will raise up intercessors on YOUR behalf. You reap what you sow. Therefore, always sow GOOD seed along with GOOD works. I will never forget when I was diligently seeking God to overcome sin and the Holy Spirit asked me if I have ever resisted just ONE temptation in my life and I did NOT give in to that one temptation? And I said sure Lord, I have resisted temptations to sin many times and I did not give into sinning. BUT my problem, Lord, is that sooner or later I KNOW that I am going to give in to temptation and sin. And the Holy Spirit said to me, that is your problem. My son you are focused on the past and the future. TODAY is sufficient. So focus on ONE temptation at a time and you will be able to overcome any temptation EVERY time by taking ONE temptation at a time. Do not worry about tomorrow. Do not be concerned with past failures because they are cast into the sea of forgetfulness. Focus on what you are facing at each moment and you will overcome sin each and every time. STEP #5. KNOW that God’s word PROMISE us that if was ADD these things to our walk of faith we shall never sin again.
Please read 2 Peter 1:10 which is one of my favorite verses of scripture dealing with living a life free from sin. 2 Peter 1:10.
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give DILENGENCE to make your calling and election SURE: for IF you DO THESE THINGS, you shall NEVER FALL:”
The word “never” here in the Greek means not at all, anymore, by no means, in no case, in any wise, at any time, never. And the word “fall” here in the Greek means to trip, that is to err, to sin, to fail of salvation, to offend, stumble, fall. So then, if words mean anything at all, then this verse of scripture is literally saying, and I paraphrase.
“For IF YOU DO THESE THINGS YOU SHALL NEVER, by NO MEANS, in NO CASE, in ANY WAY, at ANY TIME SIN, NO, NOT AT ALL, ANY MORE, NEVER AGAIN, ERR or FAIL of SALVATION, STUMBLE, FALL, or OFFEND in ANY MANNER!” So WHAT THINGS are we to diligent do in order to make our calling and election SURE so that we WILL, without faile, be found WORTHY to receive eternal life in the world to come? Back up to verse 3 of 2 Peter chapter 1. And begin reading.
2 Peter 1:3.
“According as his divine power has GIVEN unto us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us unto glory and virtue.”
Notice here that we have ALREADY been GIVEN ALL things, that is to say, God has already GIVEN us everything we need, in order to live a godly life FREE from all sin. Now continue with verse 4.
“Whereby are GIVEN unto us exceeding great and precious PROMISES: THAT BY THESE (Speaking of being given the exceeding great and precious PROMISES throughout God's word so that BY these PROMISES of God) you might be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
In other words, having escaped SIN, by the promises in God’s word then in the world to come we shall obtain the DIVINE NATURE of ETERNAL LIFE even as Jesus has been given life in himself of Almighty God the Father. I want to ASSURE you my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, if you can BELIEVE, then all things are possible to you through God. But you MUST BELIEVE! The Bible teaches us that without FAITH it is impossible to please God. You must FIRST believe you can live your life free from sin before it will ever become possible for you to do so. Jesus said, be you perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. And Almighty God the Father said, be you holy for I am holy. See Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:16. Always have your own Bible handy when you read Christians books or Bible teachings so you can look up the verses and read the context. I am usually pretty faithful to give my readers plenty of context but sometimes I will give just the Scripture references and it is your job to look them up in your Bible and read them. Did you know that we can be partakers of the divine nature? And did you know that we can be holy even as our Father in heaven is holy? Did you know that we can be PERFECT even as our Father in heaven is PERFECT? But first, we must believe that it is possible.
Move on to verses 5-9.
“And beside this, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity (which means LOVE).”
The Webster dictionary defines diligence as preserving, painstaking effort, to be assiduous, which means to be constant and unceasingly persistent. In other words, we need to have some tenacity when doing these things that we might attain a life free of sin. It is going to take a GOOD FIGHT of FAITH. If we are diligently focusing on doing these things, then there would be no room left for temptation. But if by chance, temptation does creep in, then we also need to be diligent in resisting the temptation of the devil unto the END of the temptation and NOT give into sin.
1 Peter 5: 8-10 says it this way.
“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, SEEKING whom he may devour. Whom RESIST steadfast in the FAITH, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have SUFFERED awhile make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.”
The word “steadfast” in the Greek means solid, stable, strong, sure. It also means fixed, unchanging, unwavering, and firmly loyal. In other words, you have to make a QUALITY DECISION not to sin and be steadfast in that decision. And then after suffering different temptations by remaining STEADFAST unto the end by NOT giving in to them, then God will establish you, strengthen you and settle you. In other words, you will come to the place that the temptation of the enemy will no longer be tempting to you any longer. Just think back when you first began your walk with God and how some of the things that used to tempt you back THEN are no longer a temptation to you NOW. If God can do this with one area of your life, then God is certainly able to help you overcome ALL sin in every area of your life. But we MUST first BELIEVE! James 1:8 tells us that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Settle it in your heart once and for all time that you are no longer going to let your LOWER nature rule over you. SETTLE this in your heart and mind BEFORE the temptation to sin comes your way. This is the second KEY to overcoming ALL sin in your life. You have to be sold out to God. You have to be completely surrendered to God. There is no room for being DOUBLE MINDED. You cannot have the mind that wants to hold on to certain sins. If you want to live free from sin, then you must BELIEVE that you have been REDEEMED from ALL sin. God's word tells us to “Let the redeemed say so!” YOU are the REDEEMED of the Lord, therefore, SAY in FAITH, BELIEVING, “I am NOT going to sin! And there are no if, and, or buts about it! God has set me free from sin. And his word promises me that sin shall not have dominion over me!” Let your enemy KNOW your stand against sin and SAY to the Devil, “Satan, sin is no longer an option so you can forget about trying to tempt me. Satan, you are wasting your time trying to tempt me!” Then when temptation comes, SAY, “I am NOT giving in to this temptation, or any other temptation, for it is written, sin shall NOT have dominion over me. Satan I RESIST you in the NAME of Jesus. Satan, you are a liar and there is no truth in you. I hold up the shield of FAITH against you quenching all your lies. GREATER is he that is IN me than he that is in the world. I can do ALL things THROUGH Christ. Satan you are wasting your time, I am NOT going to give in to your lies in the name of Jesus.” Then bring every thought into obedience through Jesus Christ. Think and meditate on the promises of God. KNOW that God will NOT ALLOW you to be tempted ABOVE that which you are ABLE to bear. BELIEVE the PROMISES in God's word. The just shall LIVE BY FAITH in the promises of God's word. Read these promises right to the face of Satan saying, IT IS WRITTEN, then read or quote whatever verse of scripture or promise in God's word that the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance. KNOW that God is FOR you and NOT against you! KNOW that God is FAITHFUL to perform his WORD! Are you getting the picture? When you begin to develop this type of mindset against sin, then God will strengthen you, establish you, settle you, and make you perfect. Yes, you will suffer temptation from time to time, but you do NOT have to give in to any of those temptations EVER again. Remember to be downright stubborn when resisting sin and you will never fall or you will NEVER SIN. The word “resist” means to keep from giving in or enjoying. Ask yourself the question “Do I love the pleasures of sin more than I love God?” If you give in to what tempts you, then you are really saying YES, “I do love sin more than God.” Or you are saying that you do NOT BELIEVE the promises of God's word. Or it may be that you have not yet learned how to appropriate the promises of God's word by FAITH. STEP #6. Stand on the PROMISES of God. The first promise that you need to get down into your spirit is 1 John 5:14,15 to KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that when you pray ACCORDING to God’s WILL then God HEARS your prayer EVERY TIME and he ANSWERS your prayer EVERY TIME exactly as you prayed. Please read and memorize 1 John 5:14,15,18. “And this is the CONFIDENCE that we have in him, that, if we ask ANYTHING ACCORDING to his WILL, he HEARS us: 15. And if we KNOW that he HEARS us, whatsoever we ask, we KNOW that we HAVE the PETITIONS that we desired of him... ...18. We know that whosoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him NOT.” And we KNOW that God’s word is his WILL. So simply pray God’s PROMISES written in his word and all your prayers that are prayed according to God’s WILL he has PROMISED to answer BY this passage of Scripture right here in 1 John 5:14,15 if you BELIEVE that God is not a liar. I included verse 18 because I want my readers to know that when you become DILIGENT about overcoming sin in your life and Satan sees that he is wasting his time on you then he will LEAVE you alone for months and even years at a time. After Jesus overcame Satan during his time of temptation and Jesus did NOT give in to those temptations then Satan LEFT off tempting him. And even before God taught me how to overcome sin in my life I notice that SOME things that USED to tempt me RARELY ever tempted me again. BUT there were son sins that I thought that I would never overcome. And NOW, I am rarely ever tempted with those things that USED to tempt me daily and even multiple times a day. And, again, words cannot describe the JOY unspeakable and full of the glory of being FREE from those temptations. The Devil will indeed leave off tempting you when he sees that he is wasting his time. STEP #7. Read, study, memorize, and meditate upon day and night the PROMISES in God’s word. HIDE these verses in your heart and they will EMPOWER you to overcome each and every sin in your life when you follow all seven steps to walking EVEN AS Jesus walked. Below is just a general list that I used as an outline to this study. I woke up this morning as God was rattling off this list so fast that I had to get out of bed and write them down. That is usually how many of the studies that I write come to me. God brings verse of Scripture to my mind early in the morning. I then take that list and look up the Scriptures. And then I fill in a few comments of what the Holy Spirit revealed to me that those verses mean and how to appropriate them to my life. We already covered many of the verses in this study already so I will only quote the verses that have helped me overcome sin in my life. I basically made the PERSONAL to me and made confessions of FAITH that I would meditate on while I am being tempted. Other verses I used as rebukes to Satan directly in the name of Jesus. Over time your mind will be RENEWED and you will KNOW that you no longer have to do what your flesh is BEGGING you to do. You immediately know that Satan is LYING to you. So hold up your shield of FAITH and quench all his fiery darts of lies coming at you. RESIST Satan and he WILL flee from you or God is a liar and his word is not true. You have to BELIEVE that God's word IS TRUE and that Satan is the LIAR. So BELIEVE God's word OVER the FEELING that you cannot resist those temptations. For you see God said that he would NOT ALLOW us to be tempted ABOVE that which WE ARE ABLE to bear. So ever time you give in to a temptation to sin you are in UNBELIEF in the PROMISES in God's word. WALK EVEN AS JESUS WALKED Who did no sin IT IS WRITTEN Hide God’s word in your heart Renew your mind Crucify your flesh daily Pray the DAILY our Father, lead us not into temptation BELIEVE the promises of God ADD to your faith..and you shall never fall. Prayer according to God’s will and the evil one cannot touch you. Again, we already cover those verses above. So now, on to those exceedingly GREAT and PRECIOUS PROMISES in God’s word to empower you to never sin again. I will give the Scripture reference by each phrase that I jotted down as the Lord was speaking to me yesterday morning. I started this study yesterday morning and it is almost bedtime today. I implore you to type out each verse and read over them every day until they are deposited as that good treasure in your heart. God will place in your heart what part of each passage of scripture to memorize and then form as a confession of faith in your time of need. You will be surprised at how much the Holy Spirit will bring to your REMEMBRANCE in time of need. But you cannot remember what you have never read or heard. So read and study the Bible for yourself because you can not possibly get enough good healthy spiritual food to eat on a Sunday morning church service. Even if you go to church three or four times a week, chances are you are not getting enough MEAT to eat. And what I mean by meat is that good sound Biblical teaching that will strengthen you to walk EVEN as Jesus walked WITHOUT SIN. Abide under the shadow of the Almighty--- Psalm 91:1-16. Sin has no more dominion--- Romans 6:12-14. Free from sin---Roams 6:15-23. Confess your sins to be cleansed again--- 1 John 2:1-6. With God, all things are possible---Matthew 10:27. God will never leave nor forsake me---John 14:18 and Matthew 20:28. If God is for me who can be against me---Romans 8:31. God is love---1 John 4:7-21. Perfect love cast out all fear--- 1 John 4:7-21. I am more than a conquerer--- Romans 8:31-39. I can do all things--- Philippians 4:13. Greater is he that is in me--- 1 John 4:4. Fight the good fight of faith--- 1 Timothy 6:11,12. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you--- James 4:7. Hold up the shield of faith--- Ephesians 6:10-18. God will not allow me to be tempted above what I am able to bear--- Another one of my favorite verses--- 1 Corinthians 10:13. Encourage one another---2 Timothy 4:2 and Hebrew 3:13. Help one another--- 1 John 5:16 and 2 Timothy 2:24-26. Overcome even as I have overcome---Revelation 2:1-29 and Revelation 3:1-22. Walk after the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh--- Romans 8:1-18. The Holy Spirit empowers us---Hebrews 9:14, Acts 1:4-8. and Luke 23:49. And IF you do happen to sin then repent and confess your sin quickly! These GOOD and exceedingly precious promises that you will read daily will empower you to overcome sin, but there are also the promises of JUDGMENT that teach us the fear of the Lord. Memorized and confess over and over to yourself and to the enemy Satan it is written all the overcoming promises. Make a list of the verse that speaks to you. Then convert those verses of Scripture to PERSONALIZE confessions of FAITH. For example. “Satan you are a liar and there is no truth in you. I hold up the shield of faith quenching all your fiery darts of lies. Greater is he that I in me and in the power of the Holy Spirit I resist you in the name of Jesus.” You do not have to say it is written all the time. Satan knows that you are confessing God’s word and he knows that he must flee. But he will hang on as long as he can hoping you will give up your good fight of faith in resisting his temptations. So do NOT give up. Endure unto the end of each temptation until you gain the VICTORY. But ALSO, get all the JUDGEMENT promises down in your heart as well so that you will not sin against God. Here is a small list of verses to get you started. Hebrews12:29. For our God is a consuming fire. 2 Thessalonians 1:8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 4:17. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Hebrews 12:14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Revelation 3:5. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. And the opposite of Revelation 3:5 is equally true. So those Christians who do NOT OVERCOME sin in their lives Jesus WILL BLOT OUT their name out of the Lamb’s book of life and they will NOT be clothed in white raiment which is RIGHTEOUSNESS. And they will NOT receive eternal life in the world to come. So I implore you to read the studies under the heading >>>CAN CHRISTIANS LOSE ETERNAL LIFE?<<< And if you have not done so already then I implore you to read the study “HOW TO LIVE YOUR FREE FROM SIN!” Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to DILIGENTLY seek his will in your life. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT |
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