Give Yourself Grace When You Give Into Temptation

"Grace Wins Over Sin" by Anna BabinI don’t know about you, but I unfortunately have sins in my life that I keep telling myself I'll never do again, just to find myself falling back into the trap. One of the main things I struggle with is fear of man. It's easy for me to place more emphasis on what people think about me than what God thinks about me, and it robs me of joy, poisons my thoughts, and keeps me from delighting in who God is and who He says I am. “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:15-20)Sometimes, I feel alone in my sin. Like I am the only one who struggles this much with x, y, or z. But “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

You are not the only one who struggles with a particular sin.

We ALL give in to selfishness and temptation at one point or another. It will continue to be a battle on this side of heaven. It is good when we see our sin and hate it. Take heart because this is God's Spirit working in us! I often pray that God would continue to help me hate my sin.  God opens our eyes to see our sin, and not only that, but give us a hatred for it, and “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)Our God is a God of GRACE!!! He is and was PERFECT….ON OUR BEHALF!!! It still shocks me and seems too good to be true, but it isn’t!!! Psalm 86:5 says, “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.”I encourage you to rest in this. I need to remind myself of the Gospel every single day because I so quickly forget. Jesus has paid for our sin in full, and not only that, He has clothed us with His righteousness.

The battle is won, the price has been paid, and we are now welcomed in Christ as God’s sons and daughters.

As we pray, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13), we can also praise God for being a God of grace. I don’t deserve His grace and I could never earn it by my own works, but yet God continually pours it out over and over. God loves you. There is nothing you can do that will make Him love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less. Through Jesus, you have been made right with God. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)In HIs Grace,Anna BabinYou can read more from Anna at http://lifeasalight.com/