April 23, 2019 - - Proverbs 23:29-35 - - Sin's Defeat
/29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.[a]
35 “They struck me,” you will say,[b] “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”
Proverbs 23:29-35 ESV
Do not think it is just those who struggle with alcohol who need to be warned by these words. All of our sins, whatever they are, make us “sin-a-holics.”
Consider how the man who struggles with porn despises himself realizing the guilt bites him like a serpent and stings like an adder.
What about the angry woman? She knows her raging is causes sorrow and strife. She intends to change it but there are so many stupid people and her children are so cruising for a bruising. Such anger stings her and the venom of it poisons others
Sports fans are willing to rearrange their schedules, be rude to family and friends, cheer and sacrifice for their teams. Win or lose. There is wreckage in the wake of this as careless words bite those vying for your attention. Our zeal for God does not hit near the same high points as the unbridled enthusiasm for The Team.
People of God, our sins are the problem. Our strange visions are planted in our brains as temptations by Satan to blur reality so that we think we will be satisfied in something, anything other than knowing and being faithful to Jesus Christ.
If you are waking up with regret, realizing your sins have once again won the night and guilt is threatening to ruin this day know it pleases God to save wretched and ruined sinners. It brings glory to Jesus Christ to cry out to Him confessing your sins. The Spirit, Who raised Jesus from the dead through the glory of the Father on Easter Sunday, is that same Spirit Who empowers believers to live a new life. Confess your sins to a fellow believer and ask for prayer support and tell that person you might need to call and ask for help to fight the old temptations. As you see sins lose their appeal and power, praise God. Honour and bless His Name remembering how powerless you were beforehand to rescue yourself. In all things, let your boast be in the strong Name of Jesus. Believers, reach out to new Christians and stumbling believers. The enemy loves it when Christians condemn each other rather than pointing one another to the cross of victory and the empty tomb of triumph. Warfare requires soldiers of Jesus’ army to guard one another in the strength of Jesus and for His glory of His Name.
Consider this also: what you have stopping doing leaves a gap in your schedule and time. Invest in your extra time in your marriage by doing housework. Instead of sinning, find sermons or Christian teachings on line. Focus on the areas where you had been struggling. You will find wonderful resources. Ask your pastor, a Christian friend, an elder in your church for resources. Read your bible. Volunteer. Consciously fill the time you used to spend on your sins in service to God, sacrificing yourself for the honour of Jesus so that the habits and patterns of your old sins will not suck you back into their vortex. Know this and be assured: God created the heavens and the earth by His Word. It is as simple as speaking for Him to bring about galaxies and stars, to form whales and order the sequence of DNA—your sins are no match for His power. Trust Him and obey. He will speak His forgiveness and healing—according to Micah 7:18 He delights to show mercy to sinners!
Oh Jesus, I give myself to You, weak as I am. I know my sins rise up again and again and surround me as a stench. I have lost count of how often I’ve asked for Your forgiveness. All I can do is hold onto the promise that You delight to show mercy. Show Your mercy to me once again. Thank You for the Power of Your Word, God of Angel Armies and Galaxies. Spirit of God give me faith enough to hold on and believe that sins are conquered and victory is sure in Jesus. Spirit of True Community, give me the necessary empathy and love to reach out to others who might be struggling and failing and in need of a word of encouragement and love in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
