Looks like I promised a blog post that I didn't deliver on over a week ago.  I left off saying we would look at the second part of the good news of the gospel - the fact that we are cleansed from sin's power. Do you ever wonder if you'll see progress especially in those subtle sins that so easily show up and keep us in a constant struggle against them? How can we have power over those subtle sins?

Romans 6:2 & 8 tell us we have died to sin's guilt and its power in our lives through our union with Christ.  Romans 6:12 encourages us to "let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies....." How can sin reign in us if we've died to sin?  The answer is found in Galatians 5:17, "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." And Galatians 5:16 tells to "walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

The bottom line is that while on this earth, we will experience a daily struggle between the desires of our sinful nature (the flesh) and the desires of the Spirit. We do not have the ability to "will" ourselves to walk by the Spirit but on the other hand, we can't just sit back and watch God do all the work. We have a "dependent responsibility."

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God will not abandon the work He has begun in us. Here's some ways God works:

• convicts and makes us aware of sin - He may bring to memory a particular act that causes us to see a pattern of sin.
• enables and empowers us to deal with sin - Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
• works in ways of which we are not aware - He may use a certain sin to humble us and to exercise us to cry out to Him with greater dependency.
• uses circumstances to exercise us in the activity of dealing with our sin - He may bring into our lives situations that are designed to cause us to grow spiritually. For example, if we're prone to be a worrier, He may give ample opportunities to exercise faith. If we're prone to be impatient, He may give plenty of occasions to use patience. Just like our physical muscles need exercise to grow strong, so our spiritual life needs circumstances to challenge and strengthen us.

As we move forward with our study of Respectable Sins, here's some directions to help us play an active role in dealing with sin

• Apply the gospel.
• Depend on the Holy Spirit.
• Recognize your responsibility.
• Identify specific respectable sins.
• Memorize and apply appropriate Scriptures.
• Cultivate the practice of prayer.
• Involve one or a few other believers with you.