Shouts of GraceSample

Grace to Overcome Sin

We need God’s grace to overcome sin in our lives! Jesus died to set us free from the power of sin, but we must appropriate His strength (His grace) to actually experience that freedom. When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see an area of our life that is less than His will according to the Word of God, our response must be, “Yes, Lord!” And we must determine to let it go. It can be sins of the flesh from appetites and behavior that we yielded to before we were saved, or it can be attitudes of the heart that cause us to be lifted in pride or be unloving to the people Jesus died to save. Without God’s help (the help of the Holy Spirit), it is impossible to experience lasting change in these areas.

To separate ourselves from sinful behavior is to be “sanctified.” We are born again and on our way to Heaven, but we are still here on planet Earth to display the beautiful work that God can do in our lives as a testimony of His power and goodness. When the devil brings thoughts to our minds telling us that we cannot change and be conformed to the image of God, I’ve learned that that is the only time we can agree with him. I’ve said out loud before, “You’re right, Devil; I can’t change! But I’m glad that I’m not limited to my ability, for ‘greater is He who is in me, than he (you, Devil) who is in the world’ and by His grace and the power of the Word of God, I can change and be a beautiful reflection of Jesus to the world!” (1 John 4:4)

The first part of our passage in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 says that we are the temple of the living God; He resides on the inside of us! It says “I [God] will dwell in them and walk among them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” He indwells us. And because of this God says, “…come out from among them [those influenced by the world] and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” Because He (the Greater One) lives inside us, we can separate ourselves from the influences of sin and sinners, and we will be found pleasing to the Lord. We have the full power of the Holy Spirit and every resource available from Heaven to strengthen us and cause us to be able to overcome sin.

Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

The Ten Commandments and all of the traditions and laws that extended from them could not give us strength to overcome sin, but the grace of God by the power of the Holy Spirit is more than enough!

- Pastor Sue Bryan

Faith Declaration

Say out loud and on purpose: “Sin shall not have dominion over me, for greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” (Romans 6:14; Philippians 4:13).

Journal Directions

1. Please name any outward sin that keeps ensnaring you or an attitude of the heart that does not exemplify the love of God that the Holy Spirit has been bringing to your attention and that needs to change. Write three verses that reveal what the Word of God says about these areas.
2. Think on those verses and allow the Holy Spirit to give you insights as to how you can apply them in the areas you are struggling with. Write down those insights.
3. Think back to the last time that you yielded to this sin or sinful attitude. Now imagine yourself responding differently to this temptation, doing things according to what God says your behavior or attitudes should be.