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9 Biblical Principles To Overcome Besetting Sins
Principles To Overcome Habitual Sin In Your Life…
Hebrews 12:1 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
For the SIH Bible Study On This Subject:
The Besetting Sins In Our Lives Part 2
Overcoming Habitual Sins
Hebrews 12:1 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
What is a “besetting sin”? In our previous study we saw that a “besetting sin” was a sin that will sneak up on us, work quickly to return and saturate our lives. Easily besetting sins totally encase the Christian giving no room for human escape to be had. It is as if they have become a permanent part of our life, and no matter what method we try to rid it from our lives, it returns and grows worse with time.
As Christians with besetting sin in our lives… what are we to do? In part 2 of our series we are going to look at some basic principles that will help us to oppose these habitual controlling sins in our lives…
We will look at these 9 principles in part #2 of our study.
THE SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 12:1 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
THE STUDY:
Remember in our text we are told to “let us lay aside… and the sin which doth so easily beset us”. What a blessing it would be if we could easily lay aside these besetting sins! But keep in mind, the Lord did not say “easily lay aside…”, not at all instead He said that sin “easily beset(s)” us!
This is our lot in life as a part of fallen mankind. Sins will quite easily enter our lives. But laying aside those sins will only be accomplished through God’s divine intervention in this spiritual warfare that is taking place. What instructions does it give for the Christian to be successful in this war? The Bible gives us at least 9 truths we are to recognize and apply to our lives to give us the victory in this war…
1. Recognize The Seriousness Of The Sin It is A Sin Against Our Lord, The One Who Has Died For Us
Psa 51:4 –“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:…”
2. Recognize Our Inability To Lay This Sin Aside Due To Our Fallen Nature
Rom 7:25 – “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
3. Recognize Christ’s Ability To Intervene And Give Us The Victory Over This Sin
1Co 15:55-57 – “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
4. Recognize The Need To Commit Ourselves To God
Jas 4:7-8 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
5. Recognize The Need Of Swift Repentance When The Sin Appears In Our Lives
Psa 32:5 – “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
6. Recognize The Need To Ask Lord For Help
Mat 7:8 – “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
7. Recognize Our Transformation… We Are No Longer Under Sins Bondage
Rom 6:11 – “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
8. Recognize Need To God To Lengths To Avoid Temptation. Temptation Gives Entrance To These Sins
Mat 5:29-30 – “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
Jas 1:13-15 – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
9. Recognize The Necessity Of Consistently Dwelling In God’s Word and Prayer
1Th 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.”
Joh 17:17 – “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Psa 37:31 – “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”
May the Lord grant to us all the grace and strength needed to lay aside the besetting sins of our lives!
Rom 6:12 – “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
Questions, Comments, or Suggestions? Email me at: rob.barkman@settledinheaven.org
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http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
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The Besetting Sins In Our Life Part #1
What are “Besetting Sins”?
Hebrews 12:1 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
What is a “besetting sin”? A quick study of the words translated “sin”, “easily beset” helps to give us the Biblical meaning of the phrase:
1. “sin” – comes from a Greek word meaning “to miss the mark” in other words it is to fail to reach a goal that has been set for us. It describes an archer who aims at the bullseye but misses it. As Christians, we are called to represent Christ in every area of our lives, we can do this by living lives that imitate Christ, motivated by a desire to bring honor and glory to Christ. This is the life goal of every Christian.
For example: Christ’s lived a perfectly genuine life on earth. His words could be counted on 100 % of the time, He never acted out of deceitful motives, nor did He mislead others in anyway. Therefore, to present Christ to the world we are to live honest, transparent, non-hypocritical lives.
If we live deceitful lives we are not following the example of Christ; we have missed the goal for which we are aiming; and, therefore, we have sinned. Anytime our life does not perfectly represent the absolutely holy life of Christ we are missing the “target” (our life goal) and, therefore, committing sin.
2. “easily beset” – comes from a Greek word that means “to be well-surrounded”, “to be totally encased”, or “to be entangled”. Also implied by this word is the idea of the ease and quickness that the encasing takes place.
Perhaps an invading army surprises an enemy city. Because of the surprise nature of the invasion, they face little or no opposition. As a result, they quickly, efficiently, and entirely surround and lay siege to the city. Inside the city the panicked citizens of the city look to their right; to their left; straight ahead; and straight behind; they look to the north, south, east and west; but all they can see is the enemy army… they quickly realize, they have been overcome and have no human way of escape.
This is just like an easily besetting sin. We think it is out of our lives but they will sneak up on us, work quickly to return and saturate our lives. Easily besetting sins totally encase the Christian giving no room for human escape to be had. It is as if they have become a permanent part of our life, and no matter what method we try to rid it from our lives, it returns and grows worse with time.
Some of the greatest Christians who ever lived have suffered from the besetting sins of life. Paul, himself, perhaps the greatest Christian who ever lived, admitted to facing besetting sins in his life. In Romans 7:15, he made the statement…
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”
When Paul recognized a sin in his life, opposed it, and yet failed to overcome it… that was his besetting sin. If you read through the entire chapter of Romans 7, Paul paints a very vivid portrait of besetting sin and how it can affect us.
As Christians with besetting sin in our lives… what are we to do? The Bible helps us to understand some basic principles that will help us to oppose these habitual controlling sins in our lives…
We will look at these 9 principles in part #2 of our study.
Questions, Comments, or Suggestions? Email me at: rob.barkman@settledinheaven.org
http://www.settledinheaven.org
http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
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