Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com
Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com
Victory Over Sin 74The Intercession of BelieversThere are times when some besetting sin will not seem to budge until we enlistthe prayer support of others who know how to pray, particularly where there is somekind of powerful addiction. What is needed is the added support of others who willstand in for us in the presence of God. There are those who are morally weak –-- whomay not even know for sure whether they want to change their lifestyle or not. Theyneed persistent prayers and encouragement of God’s people to help them come toterms with their problem.Why is this necessary? Why is it that we need other believes to pray with us?Why doesn’t an all-powerful God just give us victory if we individually apply the rightprinciples? On the surface, it seems odd that our failure or success would bedetermined by other believers’ faithfulness or negligence. Why the need for others tobecome involved?Primarily, it is because God wants us to give up our independent spirit. Bynature, we all are creatures who prefer to live according to our own blueprint. How welive is our business --- what right does anyone have to ask or even be interested in howwe are progressing spiritually? If we want them to know, we’ll tell them!However, the New Testament teaches otherwise. We are all members of thebody of Christ, and each of us affects the function of others. If you have ever had atoothache, you know that the parts of your body are not isolated. When one toothaches, your whole body hurts.Have you ever seen a human hand severed from a body? It looks gruesome. Yet,attached to an arm and connected to the nervous system, the hand is not only highlyuseful, but beautiful too. The difference lies in its relationship to the body. Similarly, inChrist no individual is anything if cut off from the body!That’s why God wants us to enlist the resources of other believers. It’s humblingto realize that we need their support and help, but we do. Our struggles andtemptations remind us that successes or failures are always a team effort. There’s noroom in the body of Christ for an individual score card.That’s why we must be acquainted with God’s people. It is good to formfriendships in church, where committed believes gather for fellowship and instruction.Within the larger circle of believes, we find that there are those who become our specialfriends. As we develop confidence in them we can turn to them in the time of need. Atthat moment, we are tapping a reservoir of spiritual power. Jesus said, “For where twoor three have gathered together in My name, there am I in their midst” (Matthew 18:20). Thefirst responsibility of God’s people is persistent prayer for one another; not merelyindividual prayer, but corporate prayer. Prayer as a group is important!
Victory Over Sin 75Believers just saying, “We’re praying,” is not enough when there‘s a persistentproblem. For victorious intercession to be accomplished it may be necessary to gather afew believers together to meet regularly for prayer, until the answer comes. There issupportive value in sharing our heartbreaks with a group of God’s people. Christ, youwill remember, wanted His disciples to be at His side during His agony inGethsemane. It wasn’t only their prayers that He wanted. It seems that He wantedsomeone to be with Him during those agonizing moments, to be an encouragement.Many have found that another way others can help us is by being those towhom we can be responsible and accountable. We can agree to report to the group, orat least to one individual, on our spiritual progress. If we know someone is going to askus, “How’s that problem coming?” We are going to be more inclined to flee fromtemptation. One man suggested to his friend, “Whenever you are tempted to take anotherdrink, call me collect, any time of day, and we’ll pray together over the phone.”It’s a great idea to met together with another, trusted, believer, whom we haveconfidence in, for sharing and praying is a great idea. To have someone we can becompletely honest with --- giving a report on failures and successes – can be animmense help in our spiritual development! Knowing that we have an appointmentcertainly will be an incentive to overcome temptations. Of course, if we do fail, we needto be honest. Our pride will want us to say that all is well when it may not be. But todevelop responsibility toward others – helps us to do what we ought.God wants to teach us through our difficult situations that we cannot live asuccessful Christian life independent of other believers. If we are wayward, we can berestored; if we are weak, others can share their strength with us. We should never thinkthat we can live independent lives, apart of other believers, for we will never live fully,successful Christian lives alone --- we need other redeemed believers.Restoring a BelieverWhat should we do when we see a fellow believer trapped in a sinful habit?Certainly, we do not discuss the matter with others, nor do we just do nothing, hopingthat someday they will snap out of it.The Bible is very explicit about our responsibility. If a believer has erred --- (notmerely violated some personal preferences we may have) --- it is our duty to restorehim, to help him rectify his relationship with God. Jesus taught, “And if your brothersins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if hedoes not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or threewitnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church;and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you a Gentile [heathen] and a taxgatherer[the shunned and hated tax-collector]” (Matthew 18:15-17).Our first responsibility is to “go to him in private.” Don’t tell friends, relatives, orever the pastor! At this point, there is no reason to make the sin public. If the brother is
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- Page 27 and 28: Victory Over Sin 27pray, except for
- Page 29 and 30: Victory Over Sin 29When we are face
- Page 31 and 32: Victory Over Sin 31When we come to
- Page 33 and 34: Victory Over Sin 332. Relate your p
- Page 35 and 36: Victory Over Sin 35The fact that we
- Page 37 and 38: Victory Over Sin 37Titus 3:9; “de
- Page 39 and 40: Victory Over Sin 39The Bible puts a
- Page 41 and 42: Victory Over Sin 41we became tired
- Page 43 and 44: Victory Over Sin 43(a) Give thanks
- Page 45 and 46: Victory Over Sin 45How Do We Receiv
- Page 47 and 48: Victory Over Sin 47God delights whe
- Page 49 and 50: Victory Over Sin 49What does it all
- Page 51 and 52: Victory Over Sin 51knowledge of God
- Page 53 and 54: Victory Over Sin 53Remember, if you
- Page 55 and 56: Victory Over Sin 55Jesus, “Then c
- Page 57 and 58: Victory Over Sin 57Someone has simp
- Page 59 and 60: Victory Over Sin 59The counselor ex
- Page 61 and 62: Victory Over Sin 61away. The result
- Page 63 and 64: Victory Over Sin 63comes to us when
- Page 65 and 66: Victory Over Sin 65~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Page 67 and 68: Victory Over Sin 67accomplish -- we
- Page 69 and 70: Victory Over Sin 69Our goal to lose
- Page 71 and 72: Victory Over Sin 71We may be hoveri
- Page 73: Victory Over Sin 73temptations, He
- Page 77 and 78: Victory Over Sin 773. In what ways
- Page 79 and 80: Victory Over Sin 79the earth, seeki
- Page 81 and 82: Victory Over Sin 81Sometimes Christ
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- Page 85 and 86: Victory Over Sin 853. Overconfident
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- Page 89 and 90: Victory Over Sin 89our guilt by mai
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<strong>Victory</strong> <strong>Over</strong> <strong>Sin</strong> 74The Intercession of BelieversThere are times when some besetting sin will not seem to budge until we enlistthe prayer support of others who know how to pray, particularly where there is somekind of powerful addiction. What is needed is the added support of others who willstand in for us in the presence of God. There are those who are morally weak –-- whomay not even know for sure whether they want to change their lifestyle or not. Theyneed persistent prayers and encouragement of God’s people to help them <strong>com</strong>e toterms with their problem.Why is this necessary? Why is it that we need other believes to pray with us?Why doesn’t an all-powerful God just give us victory if we individually apply the rightprinciples? On the surface, it seems odd that our failure or success would bedetermined by other believers’ faithfulness or negligence. Why the need for others tobe<strong>com</strong>e involved?Primarily, it is because God wants us to give up our independent spirit. Bynature, we all are creatures who prefer to live according to our own blueprint. How welive is our business --- what right does anyone have to ask or even be interested in howwe are progressing spiritually? If we want them to know, we’ll tell them!However, the New Testament teaches otherwise. We are all members of thebody of Christ, and each of us affects the function of others. If you have ever had atoothache, you know that the parts of your body are not isolated. When one toothaches, your whole body hurts.Have you ever seen a human hand severed from a body? It looks gruesome. Yet,attached to an arm and connected to the nervous system, the hand is not only highlyuseful, but beautiful too. The difference lies in its relationship to the body. Similarly, inChrist no individual is anything if cut off from the body!That’s why God wants us to enlist the resources of other believers. It’s humblingto realize that we need their support and help, but we do. Our struggles andtemptations remind us that successes or failures are always a team effort. There’s noroom in the body of Christ for an individual score card.That’s why we must be acquainted with God’s people. It is good to formfriendships in church, where <strong>com</strong>mitted believes gather for fellowship and instruction.Within the larger circle of believes, we find that there are those who be<strong>com</strong>e our specialfriends. As we develop confidence in them we can turn to them in the time of need. Atthat moment, we are tapping a reservoir of spiritual power. Jesus said, “For where twoor three have gathered together in My name, there am I in their midst” (Matthew 18:20). Thefirst responsibility of God’s people is persistent prayer for one another; not merelyindividual prayer, but corporate prayer. Prayer as a group is important!
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