This series is inspired by seeking the Lord in prayer and in the Word, and by walking alongside other men who are struggling or have struggled under the immense weight of shame and the consequences of struggling with lust, addiction, porn, masturbation, etc.
The Lord has revealed to me how necessary it is to bring these topics into the light, especially so amid our hyper-sexualized Western world, media, and culture.
Victory in Christ belongs to those who trust in Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain. Real freedom from slavery to sexual immorality, addiction, & shame is available and possible through Him.
In the first part of this Victory in Christ series on our God making Sons out of Slaves, we covered several key topics.
One, a testimony that needs to be shared.
Two, the plague of lust and stronghold of sexual immorality, including some weighty statistics on the gravity of the issue at hand.
Three, the pressing need to pray, so we prayed together.
We asked the big questions: Whatâs the solution? How can we truly be set free?
And, we highlighted a non-exhaustive list of Biblical ways we can truly walk in the victory that Christ desires for us, the victory that He secured for His sons and daughters through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection.
Ultimately, it requires love for God and for others.
So, now what? Does it just depend on self-correction? Do we just need to make it happen and will ourselves to freedom? How can we truly overcome strong temptations or addiction or shame from past sins?
There is good news.
Our God makes sons out of slaves. He makes new creations in Christ Jesus.
If youâd like to explore this conversation more, the link to the the Victory in Christ series Introduction is attached below. Itâs also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Our undefeated God is for us! Who can be against us?!
Now, letâs jump into Part 2!
How can we better embrace our true identity as Sons and Daughters of our Father in Heaven?
Remember the non-exhaustive list of Biblical ways we can truly walk in the victory that Christ desires for us from the Victory in Christ series Introduction? These are powerful ways we can practice walking with Jesus, His way, by the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in all of us who are in Christ. Weâre going to dive into the nitty gritty of these practices in coming posts.
Itâs worth noting that the practice of walking with Jesus, His way, guided by His Spirit, is of course in stark contrast to going our own way, the way of sinâthe worldâs way.
But before we dive further into what is needed to truly walk in freedom,
We must Embrace Christâs Victory over Sin!
This is absolutely central to our identity in Christ. It has everything to do with who we were, who we are in Christ, and who we will be.
Jesusâ victory over sin, death, and the deceiver is worth celebrating. This is why we remember and celebrate Easter. It has everything to do with our daily life.
More on this to come.
But first, why should we embrace Christâs victory over sin, in particular?
Whatâs the Big Deal About Sin?
There are a lot of things wrong in the world, whether political, social, economic, religious, or otherwise. Jesus Himself addressed all kinds of these issues and more.
In His day, among other things, many people expected Messiah Jesus to deal with the issue of Roman occupation and liberate Israel from political oppression. Some expected Him to restore Israel to its former glory. Many expected Him to reign as king, addressing corruption, exploitation and injustice, religious and economic alike.
So, whatâs at the root of these evils?
Is it the bad governance? Is it one view over another? Is it the Roman exploitation or the corrupt religious leaders? Is it primarily economic or is it religious or is it social? Is it a corrupt system or those corrupted by it?
What was it that Jesus the Messiah came to resolve?
That leads us to a big question.
Why Did Jesus Come?
Letâs be real. No oneâs born righteous.
All are born into sin, heavy laden with a built-in sin nature and all kinds of sinful desires. Itâs too bad, but itâs reality. Weâre born into slavery, that is, slavery to sin, and sin is a terrible master. Sin is serious. That is bad news.
But, there is very good news.
In His great love for us, Jesus came to save people from their sins (Matt. 1:21, 1 Tim. 1:15, John 1:29, Heb. 9:24-26) and bear our iniquities (Isa. 53:4-6). Jesus came to preach the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15), call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:31-32), and lay down His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to destroy the devilâs works (1 John 3:8), break down the dividing walls between us and God (Eph. 2:12-14, Matt. 27:51), and make a way for all nations to be reconciled to God (John 12:32, Revelation 7:9â10). Jesus came to make us righteous (2 Cor. 5:21) and sanctified (Heb. 10:4-7, 9-10, 1 Thes. 4:3-8).
As we embrace who Jesus is and what He has done, we can better embrace our identity in Him. What Christ accomplished has everything to do with Christ in you, working in you and through you through His Spirit.
Donât just take my word for it. See for yourself! Letâs reinforce our faith and support the reality of this Good News with truths from Godâs Word.
Jesus came to save people from their sins
Letâs look at the evidence for this.
In Matthew 1:21, it was prophesied to Joseph about his pregnant wife Mary and the son in her womb:
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.â
Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15,
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
As recorded in the book of John 1:29, John the Baptist proclaimed aloud,
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, âBehold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
In Hebrews 9:24-26, it speaks of Jesus putting away sin by sacrificing Himself,
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Jesus came to bear our iniquities
Letâs look at Isaiah 53:4-6,
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turnedâevery oneâto his own way;and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Jesus came to preach the Kingdom of God
Now, letâs look at how Jesus began His ministry based on Mark 1:14-15,
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, âThe time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.â
Jesus came to call sinners to repentance
Jesus was criticized by the pharisees and scribes for eating with unclean people, tax collectors and sinners, and in Luke 5:31-32, He responded to their criticism,
31 Jesus answered them, âThose who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.â
Jesus came to lay down His life as a ransom for many
A couple of His disciples sought to rule with Jesus in His Kingdom, but Jesus set the record straight and told them why He had come, recorded in the book of Mark 10:45,
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.â
Jesus came to destroy the devilâs works
Where can we find evidence for this? In 1 John 3:8, it says,
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus came to break down the dividing walls between us and God
It says in Ephesians 2:12-14,
12 âRemember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.â
What other dividing wall did Jesus break down? Well, after Jesus laid down His life on the cross, it testifies in Matthew 27:51,
âthe curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.â
This was the curtain that separated the people of Israel from Godâs presence in the Holy of holies within the center of the temple. This was the set apart place only the High Priest could enter, and only once every year after making himself ritually pure, or else, he would die in the presence of God Most Holy. This curtain that created a distinct division between God and the people, was torn in two because of Christâs sacrifice for our sins. And, not many days later, God would send His Spirit to abide in His people and make His dwelling place within those who believed in His Son Jesus. That is amazing news.
Jesus came to make a way for all nations to be reconciled to God
Speaking of the kind of death He was to die to make a way for us to God, Jesus Himself said,
32 âAnd I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.â
We also learn from Johnâs vision, recorded in the book of Revelation 7:9â10, who will be present at the end of time as we know it, gathered in the presence of God in heaven, having been saved and reconciled to God through Christ.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, âSalvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!â
What about now, before the nations are gathered in unity praising God?
We can find strong encouragement in book of 2 Corinthians 5:17-20,
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Jesus came to make us righteous
In the very next verse, in 2 Corinthians 5:21, it says,
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus came to make us sanctified
We find a clear case for Christâs perfect sacrifice to deal with the problem of sin in Hebrews 10:4-7,
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
âSacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.7 Then I said, âBehold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.ââ
We read in verses 9-10 that Jesus added,
âBehold, I have come to do your will.â He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
From many Scriptures, we can better discern Godâs will, but few are simpler than 1 Thessalonians 4:3,
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
Godâs will for our sanctification continues in verses 4-8.
4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Weâve been made righteous and sanctified through Christ, and by the power of His Spirit living in us, we get to actively pursue a life pleasing to God, seeking to walk in righteousness and embracing our God shaping us into the likeness of Jesus.
Weâll dive into this more in coming posts!
I hope your faith is strengthened by these truths.
It is clear: Jesus Christ came to definitively deal with the problem of sin so that we could be saved, forgiven, cleansed, transformed, and welcomed into a renewed relationship with our God and Father as His beloved children.
Jesus is victorious!
So now what?
You Choose Your Master: Either Sin or Jesus.
If Jesus is your Savior and Lord, then you are in Christ and He is in you through the Holy Spirit.
You are no longer a slave to sin.
Sin is no longer your master.
You donât owe sin a thing. You donât have to listen to sin anymore. You donât have to do what your flesh craves.
Jesus is your Lord, He is your master.
If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, you get Jesus as your Savior and your Lord. Both. Not one or the other. Jesus is your Savior and Master.
The more I embrace this reality, the more I experience true, lasting freedom in Christ.
I truly believe, the more you embrace this reality, the more you will experience true, lasting freedom in Christ.
With Jesus, comes His resurrection power and life, living in us, working through us. With Jesus, comes the power to say âNoâ to temptations to sin. Power to wait on the Lord and endure through trials. Power to be more than conquerors through Him who loves us.
As sons and daughters adopted into the family of God by grace through faith, we now get to share in the victory of Christ, the victorious life He secured for us through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection.
Because Jesus is Victorious, You are Victorious in Him.
So, what does all this mean for us?
What does Jesusâ Victory over Sin mean for Me?
Through Christ, we have been set free from the penalty of our sins, namely, death and eternal separation from our loving God and Creator.
Through Christ, we are being set free from the power of sin, temptations included.
Through Christ, we will be set free from the presence of sin, once and for all.
Weâll dive deeper into these in our next post to reinforce our beliefs with truth!
The Faith-Filled Final Exhortation
While the deceiver wants to keep us buried under the weight of our sin and shame, hidden in the dark, Jesus our victorious Savior invites us:
28 âCome to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.â - Matthew 11:28-29
Through this Victory in Christ series, âSlaves to Sons,â we will ask, seek, and knock together as Jesus instructs us in Matthew 7:7-8, trusting that our great God will give, reveal, and open doors. We will continue to discover how to get freedom from sexual immorality, addiction, and shame as we embrace our identity as a beloved sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven.
Our God is for us, who can be against us!
Stayed tuned for more to come and please share this with a friend if the Lord made an impact on you through this. May God bless you!
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