But your attitude toward sin should begin to change. What you once enjoyed without conviction may begin bothering you. Things you once justified, the Holy Spirit begins asking you to surrender. Places you once went comfortably may no longer feel comfortable. Words you once spoke without thinking begin convicting your heart. And when you do stumble, something inside you says, “Lord, I don't want to live like this.” That's evidence of spiritual growth.
A Christian may struggle with sin, but we shouldn't become comfortable living in it. There's a tremendous difference.
Romans 6:12 says: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
Sin doesn't belong on the throne anymore. Jesus does. There will still be battles with the flesh. That's why Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.
Some mornings the prayer may simply need to be: “Lord, crucify my flesh today. Guard my mind. Guard my mouth. Guard my eyes. Guard my decisions. Don't let me intentionally walk into something You've already told me to walk away from.”
We shouldn't be planning opportunities to satisfy our flesh. We should be planning opportunities to feed our spirit.
Read the Word. Pray. Fast. Worship. Stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Remove yourself from situations you already know are going to pull you away from God.
Grace doesn't make sin safe!
One of the most dangerous thoughts we can entertain is: “I'll do it now and ask God to forgive me later.”
That's not how we should treat grace. Grace is precious because it cost Jesus everything.
Yes, if we sin, Scripture tells us: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins...” — 1 John 1:9 KJV
Praise God for forgiveness! But forgiveness shouldn't make us comfortable planning rebellion.
It should make us grateful enough to say: “Jesus, You have forgiven me of so much. I don't want to deliberately keep choosing what nailed You to the cross.”
Before surrendering to Christ, the question may have been: “What do I want to do today?”
As we mature in Christ, it becomes: “Lord, what do You want me to do today?”
That's transformation. Not perfection. Transformation.
We're still going to face temptation. We're still going to need grace. We're still going to have moments when we stumble. But our direction should be changing. Our desires should be changing. Our choices should be changing.
And when the Holy Spirit puts His finger on something in our lives, our response should increasingly become: “Yes, Lord. I'll surrender that too.”
Temptation may catch you off guard. Sin may cause you to stumble. But you shouldn't be waking up planning your rebellion against God.
When Jesus saves you, He doesn't merely change where you're going when this life is over. He begins changing how you live while you're still here. So wake up tomorrow with a different question:
Not, “What can I get away with today?”
But:
“Jesus, how can my life please You today?”
And then follow wherever He leads.
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Suggested Prayer:
"Dear Lord, thank You for saving me and for the grace You give me when I fall short. Help me never use Your grace as an excuse to deliberately choose sin. When temptation catches me off guard, give me strength to resist it. Change my desires, my thoughts, my plans, and my choices. Let my first thought each morning be how I can honor You—not how I can satisfy my flesh. Help me crucify my flesh daily, walk in the Spirit, and become more like Jesus. When I stumble, help me quickly repent, get back up, and keep following You. In Jesus' name, Amen."
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