Hard words: Part 1 (?)

The question mark after "Part 1" is due to the fact that I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to post the second part that I have in mind to post. I may offend some in doing so. Then again, we're not on this earth to gain the appreciation of man... maybe I'm more afraid of man than I am of God....

The catalyst for my post today is a portion of a sermon that I listened to last night from John Piper (if you haven't yet been blessed by hearing this man speak of God and the infinite pleasures to be found in His holy presence, please visit Desiring God as soon as you can).

The sermon is entitled "How to Deal with the Guilt of Sexual Failure for the Glory of Christ and His Global Cause", and if you find yourself dealing with the darkness of guilt of any sin, and after having rebelled once again against your God you hear a little voice that drips lies from its lips as it whispers in your ear, "Give up. It's not worth trying because you'll never be good enough for God. Just stop trying and live your life how you want to," I recommend that you listen to this sermon (all MP3s are free in the sermon section of the website).

Anyway, let's get to the point of the post. Here's the section of the sermon:

"And this [saving] faith will fight anything that gets between it and Christ. The distinguishing mark of saving faith is not perfection. The mark of faith is not that I never sin sexually. The mark of faith is that I fight. I fight anything that dims my sight of Jesus as my glorious Savior. I fight anything that diminishes the fullness of the lordship of Jesus in my life. I fight anything that threatens to replace Jesus as the supreme Treasure of my life. Anything that stands between me and receiving Jesus faith fights - not with fists or knives or guns or bombs, but with the truth of Christ."

Did you hear that?! The distinguishing mark of saving faith is that we fight! Is something coming between you and your beautiful Lord? Fight it by the power of God! Do not just allow Satan to do what he wants with you, because what he wants is to separate you from his Holy Enemy. But we know that this cannot happen!

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39

The only tool that Satan has ever been able to use to keep man from God is unforgiven sin... and he doesn't posses it anymore! If you are of Christ, then your sins were nailed to a bloodied, wooden cross 2000 years ago! Don't believe Satan: he can't separate you from Christ if you belong to Him!

But listen carefully, brethren, to the well-known, and often ignored, words of the apostle Paul:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. -2 Corinthians 5:17

This means that we are children of the Almighty God, we are heirs to His kingdom. We are no longer men and women of this fallen world... so let's stop acting like it! Let's fight sin!!

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. -1 Corinthians 5:7

Do you see it? Do you see it?! We are no longer leavened! We are no longer slaves to our sin! So let's stop acting like it!

Yes, you will fail. You will fail over and over and over. But if you are an adopted child of God, then you have the Holy Spirit working in you, and you need but ask of the LORD to grant you the strength to fight, and He will do so. So pray that God would give you the ability to fight sin... and then fight it! Fight sin so that God may be glorified on this earth. Fight sin so that you may enjoy communion with Jesus more fully. Finally, fight sin because it no longer has dominion over you!

(To be continued...?)