Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. I Cor 15:12
Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let's continue the New Creation study and there are just 2 or 3 more chapters in New Creation series and we will go to plenty of excited topics there after. God gave plenty of revelations over the past few years and I will start to share them going forward. This chapter is fully going to be a sound of warning and caution for every believer who is living as a new creation. In the last chapter, we saw that we have an enemy who always tempts us until we live in this physical body and all his tests and trials are to pull us back towards our older life and the sinful ways. This could be a continuation from the last chapter.
Paul cautions the believers saying whoever thinks that he is walking upright in the Spirit should be careful that he shouldn't fall again. So, let's see how we can see that we can protect ourselves. The Word of God says, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure."I John 3:3. So, if we have right spirit of faith in God, we will protect ourselves carefully from the temptations. The person one who is a matured new creation and one who walks in the Spirit knows how to do that. Again Paul says, if you live by your flesh, you will die and if you destroy the works of the flesh by your spirit, you will live. Romans 8:13. Let's see how we can put that into action.
I think I had written a lot about temptations, about body, soul and spirit in my earlier chapters. Please refer back to TTT and Overcoming temptations and lust chapters for the details. But, in a short summary, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, their physical eyes were opened and spiritual eyes were blinded. God created them as a spirit man who could control their soul and body. So, the spirit is like a master, the soul is like a servant and the body is like a slave. But, when they sinned, the fleshly body took over as master, the soul the servant and spirit became slave. So, we are all slave to sins and our spirits were dead. But, when Jesus was dead and rose from the dead, "He hath quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" Ephesians 2:1. Those who were believe in Him were saved and their spirits were born again and their spirit became master again and body became slave. But, this truth is not known to people yet. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. John 8:32.
Now, the spirit still lives in flesh and the body still has its cravings for worldly pleasures. So, we are often tempted. When James quotes this, he writes it step by step, saying every one is tempted by his own lust, then when temptation becomes fulfilled, it gives birth to sin and when sin is fulfilled, it leads to death. James 1:14-15 and then he says Do not err, my beloved brethren James 1:16 to warn us.
So, the very first step to avoid backsliding is to figure out temptation points and avoid them. For example, if a drunkard is delivered from his drinking habit and when he is a new creation in Christ, he will still be tempted to go and drink back. But, how he can avoid the temptation. To stop going in the ways of the liquor shops, to stop meeting the friends who were his drinking partners. If he strictly practices these two steps, he can avoid the temptation which is a very good way of keeping ourselves pure. If lust is our problem, then we should keep our eyes from seeing wrong things.
Even if we carefully avoid temptations, the devil will try to bring more temptations. Now, how do we deal with that. So, we need to know how that temptation enters into us. If we observe, all the temptations enter through our mind. So, we shouldn't keep our mind idle. If we keep our mind idle, surely the temptations would enter and eventually we will commit sin. So, we need to keep our minds occupied with the Word of God, fellowship, meditation, our work and our family thoughts. If the temptation thoughts come at night before sleeping, memorize the scriptures and recite them until you get sleep to overcome those thoughts. It works. This is also temptation avoidance.
But, somehow if we are caught in temptation and yielded to it, now we need to break the temptation cycle. That is we need to stop the birth of sin by running away from it. Remember Joseph how he ran when things crossed the limit. We should keep ourselves in that position. Next, even if you miss this step and sin enters, remember not to fulfill it. Say for example, if you had slipped seeing an attractively dressed woman in your computer screen, if you close the window, it is like not sinning. But, if you click that link and if that takes you to another page where more explicit content is shown at you, then it will surely attract. At this point, you started to sin. But, even at this point you still have your conscience telling you it is wrong. You have to immediately feel that God is watching over you and looking deep into your heart at this moment. If you get this thought, immediately you will close the window and walk away. This is not fulfilling the sin even if you had fallen into trap. But, once you dig deep you have fulfilled the sin and surely it will lead to spiritual death. Wait, there is always return through repentance and then you can avoid. God will keep forgiving and cleansing you. But, if you had that habit, then slowly your conscience will go wrong and if that happens then it would be very difficult to repent and return back to God. Then, you will start to enjoy sin and you will be in a position where you love to sin more and avoid God. You will feel like, "ok, just this time. I may repent and return later. God will forgive so that's ok." You know what could happen eventually, you will be totally disconnect from God just enjoying sinning and forgetting what you had been once. This is the worst situation that could happen to the new creation which is called backsliding.
That's why it is best to avoid temptations at first point. One who practices that actually rules his body and he is the one who is lead by Spirit of God and then called the son of God, co inheritors with Christ. Romans 8:14-17. This doesn't come just like that but after a hard battle. But, God helps you in this battle to overcome. All you have to do is spend quality time with God through His Word everyday. That gives you power to overcome. God will help you but we have our own responsibility as well to carefully protect the new creation. God will help the new creation believer to avoid temptation, but if he deliberately does that then he is called a dog or a pig.
I will give you the verses that give caution and warning against backsliding and close this chapter. All the apostles and prophets who explained the grace and truth of God warned the believers too against backsliding. The main verse is our title verse where Paul says whoever thinks He is standing should not fall. Even if we fall at times, we should try to come back again to new creation. "For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again" Proverbs 24:7. Scripture clearly says the judgement is for those who deliberately sin after delivered from that, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Hebrews 10:27,28. The book of Hebrews also says, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6. Next, Peter says these people are like dogs and pigs as follows, For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:20-22. Read this entire chapter to get more understanding. Finally, Jude in his single chapter says "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." Jude v 11-13.
So, God will help you to overcome temptations and keep you from backsliding. But, you too need to keep yourselves connected to God so that you will not go astray. We will further connect in the next chapter which is Overcoming the opposition. All glory, honor and praise to you Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let's continue the New Creation study and there are just 2 or 3 more chapters in New Creation series and we will go to plenty of excited topics there after. God gave plenty of revelations over the past few years and I will start to share them going forward. This chapter is fully going to be a sound of warning and caution for every believer who is living as a new creation. In the last chapter, we saw that we have an enemy who always tempts us until we live in this physical body and all his tests and trials are to pull us back towards our older life and the sinful ways. This could be a continuation from the last chapter.
Paul cautions the believers saying whoever thinks that he is walking upright in the Spirit should be careful that he shouldn't fall again. So, let's see how we can see that we can protect ourselves. The Word of God says, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure."I John 3:3. So, if we have right spirit of faith in God, we will protect ourselves carefully from the temptations. The person one who is a matured new creation and one who walks in the Spirit knows how to do that. Again Paul says, if you live by your flesh, you will die and if you destroy the works of the flesh by your spirit, you will live. Romans 8:13. Let's see how we can put that into action.
I think I had written a lot about temptations, about body, soul and spirit in my earlier chapters. Please refer back to TTT and Overcoming temptations and lust chapters for the details. But, in a short summary, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, their physical eyes were opened and spiritual eyes were blinded. God created them as a spirit man who could control their soul and body. So, the spirit is like a master, the soul is like a servant and the body is like a slave. But, when they sinned, the fleshly body took over as master, the soul the servant and spirit became slave. So, we are all slave to sins and our spirits were dead. But, when Jesus was dead and rose from the dead, "He hath quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" Ephesians 2:1. Those who were believe in Him were saved and their spirits were born again and their spirit became master again and body became slave. But, this truth is not known to people yet. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. John 8:32.
Now, the spirit still lives in flesh and the body still has its cravings for worldly pleasures. So, we are often tempted. When James quotes this, he writes it step by step, saying every one is tempted by his own lust, then when temptation becomes fulfilled, it gives birth to sin and when sin is fulfilled, it leads to death. James 1:14-15 and then he says Do not err, my beloved brethren James 1:16 to warn us.
So, the very first step to avoid backsliding is to figure out temptation points and avoid them. For example, if a drunkard is delivered from his drinking habit and when he is a new creation in Christ, he will still be tempted to go and drink back. But, how he can avoid the temptation. To stop going in the ways of the liquor shops, to stop meeting the friends who were his drinking partners. If he strictly practices these two steps, he can avoid the temptation which is a very good way of keeping ourselves pure. If lust is our problem, then we should keep our eyes from seeing wrong things.
Even if we carefully avoid temptations, the devil will try to bring more temptations. Now, how do we deal with that. So, we need to know how that temptation enters into us. If we observe, all the temptations enter through our mind. So, we shouldn't keep our mind idle. If we keep our mind idle, surely the temptations would enter and eventually we will commit sin. So, we need to keep our minds occupied with the Word of God, fellowship, meditation, our work and our family thoughts. If the temptation thoughts come at night before sleeping, memorize the scriptures and recite them until you get sleep to overcome those thoughts. It works. This is also temptation avoidance.
But, somehow if we are caught in temptation and yielded to it, now we need to break the temptation cycle. That is we need to stop the birth of sin by running away from it. Remember Joseph how he ran when things crossed the limit. We should keep ourselves in that position. Next, even if you miss this step and sin enters, remember not to fulfill it. Say for example, if you had slipped seeing an attractively dressed woman in your computer screen, if you close the window, it is like not sinning. But, if you click that link and if that takes you to another page where more explicit content is shown at you, then it will surely attract. At this point, you started to sin. But, even at this point you still have your conscience telling you it is wrong. You have to immediately feel that God is watching over you and looking deep into your heart at this moment. If you get this thought, immediately you will close the window and walk away. This is not fulfilling the sin even if you had fallen into trap. But, once you dig deep you have fulfilled the sin and surely it will lead to spiritual death. Wait, there is always return through repentance and then you can avoid. God will keep forgiving and cleansing you. But, if you had that habit, then slowly your conscience will go wrong and if that happens then it would be very difficult to repent and return back to God. Then, you will start to enjoy sin and you will be in a position where you love to sin more and avoid God. You will feel like, "ok, just this time. I may repent and return later. God will forgive so that's ok." You know what could happen eventually, you will be totally disconnect from God just enjoying sinning and forgetting what you had been once. This is the worst situation that could happen to the new creation which is called backsliding.
That's why it is best to avoid temptations at first point. One who practices that actually rules his body and he is the one who is lead by Spirit of God and then called the son of God, co inheritors with Christ. Romans 8:14-17. This doesn't come just like that but after a hard battle. But, God helps you in this battle to overcome. All you have to do is spend quality time with God through His Word everyday. That gives you power to overcome. God will help you but we have our own responsibility as well to carefully protect the new creation. God will help the new creation believer to avoid temptation, but if he deliberately does that then he is called a dog or a pig.
I will give you the verses that give caution and warning against backsliding and close this chapter. All the apostles and prophets who explained the grace and truth of God warned the believers too against backsliding. The main verse is our title verse where Paul says whoever thinks He is standing should not fall. Even if we fall at times, we should try to come back again to new creation. "For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again" Proverbs 24:7. Scripture clearly says the judgement is for those who deliberately sin after delivered from that, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Hebrews 10:27,28. The book of Hebrews also says, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6. Next, Peter says these people are like dogs and pigs as follows, For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:20-22. Read this entire chapter to get more understanding. Finally, Jude in his single chapter says "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." Jude v 11-13.
So, God will help you to overcome temptations and keep you from backsliding. But, you too need to keep yourselves connected to God so that you will not go astray. We will further connect in the next chapter which is Overcoming the opposition. All glory, honor and praise to you Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
