Familiar Places

Bad Habits:

     For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
     Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives to God.
     In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
      Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. FOr sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace....
     You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Scriptures: Romans 6:6-14,18

Defining Moments:

Every time you've turned to an old familiar, forbidden place for relief or revenge, every time you've reacted without thinking or given in when you should have toughed it out, you've unwittingly widened the entrance ramp onto the easy street of compromise. You've made it that much easier to come back for a return trip next time the urge strikes and to keep your car in the straight and narrow.
     That's what habits are-really wide, open highways you can drive with your eyes closed. Roads you've traveled so many times that you anticipate every bend, every bump. But you know that you have no business being out there. And if you just had the strength, you'd whip that car around right now and head back where it's safe.
      So do it, because now your no has the power of God behind it. And every time you lean hard into His side for the strength to resist, you close another entrance ramp. You shut down another access road. You play dead to the call of the highway. You win over habitual sin.

Next Up:

Taking on tough customers like these with power of prayer and the truth of God's Word will get you ready to tackle any temptation-even when it slips in unnoticed.

Quote:

" Being free from sin not only means I can be strong in Him to stop doing wrong. It also means in Him I have the ability to do what's right." -Stuart Briscoe