Claim Your Sin…

It has been a while since I have gotten a chance to write on here… A little over a week ago I posted my final blog from Florida. Since then I have been to Denver and gotten back to TN, with a lot more perspective on life and a new energy that I haven’t ever had before. The following is a righteous rant, that maybe a few of you can agree with.

          Ever had anyone blame you for their sin? I have, too many times to count. The most prominent example is an ex that believed me to be the cause of all of her problems… Why she thought this, I have no clue, all I know is that I am desperately saddened by how that particular relationship ended. But God uses everything for good to those that love Him, and this entry is the product of that love.

          Sin is like a sickness. It infects, destroys, and defiles anyone that allows it within, and the only answer is to acknowledge its presence humbly and to allow the Holy Spirit to purge that sin at the root. But oftentimes people are so embarrassed or diluted by their sin that they either don’t acknowledge the truth of it, or they try to downplay it. No one, after all, likes to feel as if people know their flaws… Me included. The problem with this is that the essence of this attitude is pride.

Proverbs 13:10

“Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

          Pride also leads to a spirit of bitterness, and is detrimental to the advancement of the sanctification process we are in as we grow in the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14-15

“…Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled…”

          Allowing sin to dwell within us defiles us. I know this because for so long I have been bitter- bitter at God, at certain family members, at friends, at my ex- but none of that was anything other than a stronghold for the enemy within me. What I had to realize is that their sin was not a justification for me to sin. The Bible calls us to maintain our integrity even when others are losing theirs’.

John 8:31-32

“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

          My point is this. We can never justifiably say that another is at fault for our sins. It is we who choose how to respond to the external stimuli around us with a reaction of our own, and no one is within us choosing for us. If someone is “bringing out” the sin in you, before you blame them for bringing it out, blame yourself for allowing it to be within you in the first place, and be honest and humble before the Lord. The truth will set you free, even if it is a painful truth.

Here are a few key thoughts that the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my heart lately…

          – People are responsible for their individual sin.

          – No one is better than another, but judging someone righteously based off of the fruit of their actions is acceptable in the sight of God, as long as it is done with a spirit of humility.

          – We are to maintain our integrity even if everyone about us are losing theirs’.

          – Living in the self delusion of sin is very dangerous. Claim your salvation and claim your sin. There is no sense in lying to ourselves about our weaknesses. Only by claiming them can we be set free from them.

          – The truth shall set us free!

          Please be in prayer this week, asking the Holy Spirit to cleanse out any footholds or strongholds within you, as you go about your daily life. I have been praying for this over the past week and the Lord has been faithful in answering my prayers, and I know He will be with you too.

~ by Tim Kurek on October 19, 2007.