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Subject Sin Management
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Original Message There are many people, not just Christians, that still think they can control their own sin nature. And, they practice what is known as "sin management". Sin management is about control. It's about believing that they can use their own will power to keep themselves from sinning in order to please God. It's about works, about self-will and the worship of the will as idolatry. It is about believing that one can define their own sin, control their own life and control their own sin, all in their own power.

Here is what happens when we operate from sin management:
We build defenses
Think unhealthy self-thoughts (shame driven lies)
We are tempted
We hide secrets
We act out
We withdraw from others
We justify our behavior and become judgmental toward others
We blame people and circumstances
We lose hope.

This cycle reveals the nature of sin:
Sin always delivers a promise of pleasure
We become addicted to the pleasure and the pursuit of it
The addiction becomes intensely destructive
The result - in one way or another is death

The Sin Management Cycle also reveals the nature of sin in me and its total reality:

Whenever I believe I am in control of my sin, it is in fact controlling me.

The power of sin is not in the acting out, it's in the giving oneself the permission to do so.

It is not simply a choice to act on temptation, it is a choice to dishonor God. It is saying that God is not in control, I am, and even tho I know this is wrong, I am doing it anyway.

The moment I choose to hide in it, or isolate and do it alone, I have made the decision that someone or something will satisfy my sin.

All unresolved sin issues are buried deep inside me, but are very much alive.

Addictive behaviors are not simply drugs, alcohol, porn, gambling... Apart from physiological aspects, the also express themselves as Mood Swings, Depression, Substance Abuse, Lying, Spending, Unhealthy attention-seeking, Anger, Unforgiveness, Gossip, Manipulation, and on and on and on.

If I choose not to disclose my sin issue, at any stage of this sin cycle, this next step is inevitable.

My unhealthy self-thoughts and the lies that I tell myself will intensely fuel the entire cycle.

If I never step out and trust you, you cannot love me because I will never let you, no matter how much love you have for me, ready and available.

~~This is the bad news about the nature of sin.


There is good news however. And, it is about grace. Grace is the only way to stop the sin cycle.


It's very simple. All you have to do is tell another person what is going on inside before it happens. The moment you do, at any point along the path, the cycle immediately comes to a screeching halt. It all stops. The power of sin is broken.

Yep, it is that simple. You won't believe it at first, but it is very very true. All you have to do is tell someone and the power of sin is broken.


Once I clearly understand how God sees me and I realize who I am in Him, then I can:


Learn to confess the sin I INTEND to commit rather than confessing the sin after I have already carried it out and face all the consequences that come along with it.

This is not only living in the light of God, It allows me to see the truth without having to hide in fear that failure will define me or tell me that I am not enough to please God. It is with my identity in Christ that this is possible.

Tell someone in the very first instant that I recognize my vulnerability. The beauty is that we can only be loved when we allow another person to meet our needs. God created us with specific limitations so that it is possible to be loved by others. Instead of pretending we are "doing ok" and we are "fine," we give other people the opportunity to love us. We experience their love by becoming vulnerable and sharing it with another person.



When we operate from sin management, we hide. When we hide, we stay in bondage. When we stay in bondage, this tells us we are who our shame dictates we are. We CANNOT operate from grace and humility in this manner. It is impossible.

On my very worst day, in my worst thought, during my worst temptation I am "Christ in me." So, in telling on myself, to both God and another person, I can experience the truth that living in holiness is also living with nothing hidden.

Then, I am clean, free, healed and whole. We are able to give ourselves away when we are no longer preoccupied with failure.



----This information (shared here in my own words) comes from a book titled "The Cure: What if God Isn't Who You Think He is and Neither are You." John Lynch/Bruce McNicol/Bill Thrall
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