October 16th
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 NKJV
Condemnation is one of Satan’s favorite tactics against sex addicts. It’s important to recognize the tactic and not succumb to it. Condemnation causes us to feel separated from God, unable to approach him for help and healing. Satan uses condemnation to persuade us to believe that our sin is not covered by Christ’s atonement at the cross. This is a lie. Jesus Christ died for ALL our sins, past, present and future. We must not forget what the word “ALL” means!
Knowing that Christ paid the penalty for our sins, we are free to approach him without fear of punishment. This is not a blank check to continue sinning, but it should help us cast off the cloak of condemnation we may be wearing. God doesn’t condemn us because Jesus bore all of our punishment on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Guilt is a natural reaction to our sin, and God desires that we turn from our sin in repentance to him. Satan tries to turn the guilt into condemnation, separating us from our Healer. We may have to confess and repent 50 times a day in the beginning of our journey to freedom, and he will forgive us every time. God will strengthen us so that we can start walking free.
It’s important to remember that the only true Healer in life is Jesus Christ. Porn addiction is not something you can muscle out of without God’s help. You certainly can’t afford to cut yourself off from his healing hand. Grasp God’s hand through Christ’s sacrifice for you and start to walk toward freedom!
Questions for further thought:
What is the key condition that our freedom from condemnation rests on? (Romans 8:1)
What does it mean to walk according to the Spirit? (Romans 8:5-14)
How can we be sure that nothing can cut us off from God’s love? (Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 10:10-14)
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I accept the sacrifice you made for me on the cross. Thank you for laying down your life so that I might have life. I embrace you as my Healer and I confess that I need your help in living according to the Holy Spirit’s leadership. I trust you, Lord and believe that by your wounds I have been healed. Teach me how to follow you daily and learn from you. Thank you, Lord! In your name I pray, Amen.”