We boast about amazing grace when it comes to our salvation. But when it comes to addressing the sins and struggles that arise as we live our faith, people often turn to various means of performance.
That usually comes down to more Bible memorization, more prayer, more fasting or more adherence to a set of rules.
The problem is, as the apostle Paul revealed, disciplines and rule keeping “provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (Col. 2:21–22). In fact, he warned that those kinds of things tend to only empower sin more (1 Cor. 15:56).
So, what’s the answer to holy living? It’s grace. The same grace that saved you is what maintains and empowers you. Of course, that includes forgiveness of sin. But grace isn’t only forgiveness. It is also the truth of who you are and what you have because of Christ. That’s the part of grace that is especially helpful when it comes to dealing with sin, struggles and addictions.
To beat vices like lust, lies and anger, Paul instructed, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Eph. 4:24).
Many mistake “put on” as some kind of ritual of behavior modification. But it isn’t. “Put on” means to accept that you have a certain quality or character. In other words, when you forget the lie that you are a horrible sinner and accept that you are forgiven, clean and new in Christ, you will behave better naturally.
Is what you’re doing not working? Why not give grace a try? Tune in above to discover how.
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Kyle Winkler (www.kylewinkler.org) is the creator of the popular Shut Up, Devil! mobile app. His newest book, “Shut Up, Devil: Silencing the 10 Lies behind Every Battle You Face,” is available wherever books are sold. Kyle holds a Master of Divinity in biblical studies from Regent University. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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