Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV
A friend of mine forwarded me a article the other day written by some Pharisee school educated man who seemingly had come across the next best thing in our fight against the chains of pornography. Unfortunately, I'd seen this song and dance too many times before. Well, this approach or something similar to it. At the core of this "new" way of fighting pornography was the ages old practice of having a accountability partner to confess our indiscretions to. Forgive me, but I've been down that road of pornography addiction and I've tried almost every "cure" under the sun. I'm here to tell you that this personal accountability partner idea will go no further in curing this scourge than anything else you've ever tried. Now, if you're the type of person who will take the words of a pulpit pounder over the confession of one who's done battle in the porn arena then more power to ya. All I'm saying is that in my own experience that this approach never worked. Oh, but how I prayed that it would. For awhile I honestly felt that I was doing something wrong or that God was simply fed up with my weaknesses. Turns out it was me that was wrong in my own approach to this issue. Each time I thought of calling up one of my so called accountability partners I dreaded what I was certain would be a barage of guilt and shame. Don't you know that God despises sin? Are you praying hard? Do you think God is teaching you a lesson here? I've heard it all before. Of course, it didn't take long before I gave up calling on my accountability partners simply because I didn't want to be shamed by them. The kicker was when I ran into one of these guys at church one Sunday and he shook his head and told me, "you know Scott, you not only gave up on me but you gave up on God too." Really? I don't ever remember giving up on my heavenly Father at any time in my life. Did he know something I didn't? I certainly felt like this struggle of mine would be with me for some time. I didn't care, for if christian brotherhood meant shaming someone who was struggling I would gladly go it on my own. Had I only known the gift that my Lord had already given to me I would have realized that this battle was not my own, but ours together.
20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV
The first clue I had that I been chasing my own tail all those years came with the revelation that I indeed was not as alone as I thought I was. This revelation could never have come from my own efforts, but from God in His own time. See, when it came to those struggles in my life, I was always centered on the "me." However, as I soon learned, it wasn't me at all, but "He." The apostle Paul tells us in Galations 2 that the life we once had is now gone, replaced by Christ Jesus who now lives through us. So, whatever it is I am struggling with, it is Jesus Himself and not me who is walking through it. What of those struggles I used to dread? Well, the apostle Paul again tells us in Romans that we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin {Romans 6:11}. You mean that all of those times I was washed in guilt because I felt as if I had dissapointed God were in error? Apparently so. You mean I never really needed those accoutability partners? Thankfully not. That old phrase is true in this instance...if only I knew then what I know now. That's called growing in the faith I'm guessing. I've learned that we were never meant to strive or to struggle with these issues we face every day. How is it that we can be condemned for something we are now dead to? Indeed, there is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus {Romans 8:1}. The fact is, I could have saved myself a whole lot of stress and worry had I realized the gift that the Love of my heavenly Father had already bestowed on His child. The gift that assures me that there is nothing which will ever seperate me from His love {Romans 8: 38-39}.
I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is it's own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it.
~William Paul Young - The Shack~
~Scott~
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