from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church https://ift.tt/2LwS8GF
via IFTTT Cleanse ourselves? How do we "cleans ourselves"? We can't. Yet we can. We can not do the cleansing, only Jesus through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit can cleanse us and change our heart. But.. and this is important, we must submit those areas of our heart and life to His will. We must take the step of submitting to Him. If we do not turn a part of our life over to the authority of Jesus, He will not cleanse us in that area. When we stubbornly hold on to a sin that we like, a habit, a thought, a pleasure that we just aren't ready to give up, we remain in that sin. What to do? Pray to "want" to give up that sin. You see, even when we truly want to çontinue enjoying the pleasures of a sin, we can decide that we want to stop wanting it! Just like a person who tries to stop smoking. For a time at least, they often want to quit, but the can't, they don't want to do what they want to do. During this time they want to not want it, but they still do. How is this possible? Because we are a three part being. Body, soul, and spirit. All three parts if us can have "wants" and those wants can conflict. This creates the common war within a person, when the body wants this and the soul wants that. When the spirit drives us this way yet the soul demands that way. The path to peace, to overcoming, is first realizing that we do have three parts, and those parts can be at war. Only Jesus can bring all three into harmony and fix us completely. Not willpower, not struggling, but truly change us to be single minded and desire Him only. The second step is to make the decision that we want to be clean. We want to be rid of this sin or that. This habit or that. Pray for the desire to end it. Pray for God to change your heart. Give Him permission, in your words, to do whatever He needs to cleanse you. Anything. Turn it over to Him. Whatever it takes. Scary? Yep. If your body or soul is bent on living in a sin, it may take a lot to change that. God can and will do it, but only if you make the decision that it's worth it. He will bring us to the point where the sin disgusts us, the pleasure of it holds no attraction anymore, and we can walk away in peace. Are you ready? Are you prepared to say to God that you will submit to His will, ask Him to do whatever is necessary to change you? To remove that sin? The habit? Tell Him now. Give verbal permission, from your true heart, to bring you to a place where you no longer desire sin. Trust that Jesus through the refining fire of the Holy Spirit will change your heart, and it will be worth it. Turn from sin. Set aside sin. It is a decision we make, and the power to accomplish it comes from above. All we need do is decide and trust. Follow whatever path God opens for you, and trust. Be clean. Be whole. Be like God. Be at peace.
