What to Do When You Trip

We talked for a moment about sanctification last week., about reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. This keeps us free from enslavement to sin. But it does not help us to deal with sins we’ve already committed.

Proverbs 24:16 KJV 1900

16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.

A few notes for when you find yourself acting in the flesh.

Get up

Don’t stay where you are. If you are in danger, you don’t lay down to take a nap. When you find yourself giving in to temptation, STOP!

It’s not as simple as just looking up and stopping sinning. No, God has given instruction for the just man to rise up.

Confession

1 John 1:9 KJV 1900

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13 KJV 1900

13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Restoration

Psalm 51:9–12 KJV 1900

9 Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.

Renewal

We can’t just ask God to forgive, then ask God to change us, and then go about life doing what we’ve always done. We need to immediately get on the path to righteousness.

Romans 12:2 KJV 1900

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Go Forward

Don’t forget the path that you are on. You heard about the singular purpose of the believer’s life. Don’t forget that you are God’s and that you are here to glorify God. God forward by preparing yourself to glorify your Maker.

Remove stumblingblocks, place handrails

What is a stumblingblock? Something you trip over. What is a handrail? something to lean on.

In the Old Testament you read accounts of many kings. All the accounts end this way, and the king died and his son reigned in his stead.

Why? because there must always be someone in charge. So there must always be something in charge of our minds. No matter the sin, we must replace it with Godliness and righteousness to have success against it.

Angry? replace with patience. Depressed? replace with prayer. Bad thought? replace it with Scripture. Worldly music? Replace it with Godly music. Rebellion? replace with submissiveness and humility.

These are only possible by seeking God’s help.

Place guard rails to keep you from frequent temptations.

Replace rules, build your relationship

Galatians 2:20–21 KJV 1900

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I have opportunity to live through faith in Christ because He loved me and gave Himself for me.

Paul mentions frustrating the grace of God, that means rejecting it. Remember, Jesus Christ did not save you because you could keep all the rules and do everything right. He saved you because you could not.

My motivation for doing right comes not from the fear of condemnation but the fear of disappointing the one who loves me.

Think of Peter with Jesus. Oh how Peter had failed Christ.

John 21:15–17 KJV 1900

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Jesus Christ was not interested in giving Peter a list of rules and ways to keep this from happening again. He questioned one area. Peter, do you love me? this caused Peter to realize two things:

My failure calls my love for Christ into question.

I never want to disappoint my Lord like that again.