1 Corinthians 10: 12-13 NKJV
I always hated playing the game of Monopoly. Growing up my friends and I would usually reserve playing indoors unless the weather outside denied us. Of course, for those who know the weather of northern Minnesota, you would understand that the winters are not too hospitable to outdoor activities. And so, in the pre video game age, we would amuse ourselves with games of Monopoly or Risk. Now, the only thing I actually liked about the game of Monopoly was the coveted "Get out of jail free" card. I mean, who doesn't like second chances? I still remember that day when one of my profiteering, capitalistic friends sold me one of these cards for the outrageous sum of $20,000! What could I do, I was in jail! Yes, I ended up losing anyway, but I got out of jail. In many ways, we christians have our own Get out of jail free card which we carry daily. For we were born into the bondage of sin, fully deserving of incarceration. However, through the love and grace of our heavenly Father, who loved us while we were yet sinners {Romans 5: 6-8}, we who have trusted in Christ Jesus have been freed from this bondage of sin which once afflicted us. Instead of a get out of jail free card, Jesus has provided for us a "Never go to jail" card. It is no secret that along with sin comes the feelings of shame, guilt and condemnation we feel once we give in to our temptation once again. "How many more times will I give in to this crap?" we may ask ourselves. Friends, like a wiley old football coach, satan has that same old playbook which he uses to trick us time and again. Since he is indeed our former occupying spirit, he knows full well what buttons to push to ensure that we fall victim to his suggestions. But we have hope.
Knowing this, that 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. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11 NKJV
If there is one thing we can say with certainty, is that there WILL be behhaviors which we engage in which will run contrary to the best which God has planned for us. Far from being angry with His children when they fall into temptation, our Lord God is grieved that we would follow this path. There is no punishment, for Christ bore that for us on the cross. However, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians10, these temptations which so often overtake us are not special to us, but are "Such is common to man." Yes, those same temptations which you have fallen victim to are the very same suggestions which satan has been using for generations! He knows us for he was once was a intimate part of our lives. But Christ Jesus has changed all of that! For we no longer live as our "Old man" guilty of the sin we were born into. For when Jesus gave Himself on that cross, He took the guilt and penalty of sin of our old man upon Him and put it to death for good! What is left behind is a new creation in Christ Jesus, free of the bondage of sin. Not only that, but our Lord has provided a "Get out of temptation free" card for all of us. For God will never allow His children to be tempted beyond what they are able to handle. Not only are we free of the guilt oof sin, but God intercedes for us in our temptations. As a good friend of mine once told me, "When satan reminds you of your past, remind him of hhis future!"
~Scott~
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