July 18th
“…by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” 2 Peter 2:19
This is a simple but powerful verse. It captures the essence of any addiction in that we are enslaved to whatever sin is our weakness. For sex addicts, lust and idolatry are the common weaknesses. Recognizing that we are in slavery is one of the important events along the way to freedom. Sometimes this takes years for people to realize and then admit. When we realize we are slaves to sin, we can choose to embrace the hope of freedom through Jesus. By surrendering our lives to Jesus, making him our new master, we gain the supernatural strength to break the bonds that hold us to sin.
From that point on, we have to tune ourselves to God’s will for our lives and avoid the triggers that could lead us down the old pathways of lust, idolatry, or whatever sins we’ve practiced. The key is to identify the trigger ahead of time and devise a godly plan of action that will keep us from taking the path of sin.
God will help us recognize the triggers that typically affect us and show us how to prevent ourselves from taking the bait that the trigger offers. If we stay on God’s straight path, keeping our eyes and thoughts focused on Jesus as our master, we’ll stay clear of the snags of sin and enjoy the blessings of God.
Questions for further thought:
How is the fear of breaking secrecy a type of slavery in itself?
Why is it so hard to avert sinning once we’ve responded to a trigger and are going down the path to sin? (Matthew 26:41; Romans 7:5; Romans 7:21-25)
What does it mean to be a slave for righteousness? (Romans 6:12-23)
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for the hope of freedom I have in you. I reckon myself with you – dead to sin and alive to God to live in righteousness. I surrender any areas of sinful bondage to you in my life right now. Lord Jesus, please come in to my life and take control of those areas. Please help me to know the truth about the lies that have held me captive. I offer my spirit, soul and body as instruments of righteousness and not for sin. With my whole heart I praise you, Jesus. Thank you for giving me new life and freedom! In your holy name I pray, Amen.”