Craig Clouston

Abstinence Is Work

Abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11

“I feel like I’m in this constant battle,” Carlene said incredulously. “It’s like I’m constantly faced with decisions of right and wrong,” she confided.
Rochelle understood her friend’s quandary. “I know. You see, before you came to Christ, you lived your life apart from God; you were ignorant of His ways.” Rochelle let that sink in.
“When we give our lives to Christ, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The Spirit convicts us of actions we failed to recognize as sinful before.” Rochelle watched as the realization of what that meant dawned on Carlene.
“This isn’t easy,” Carlene remarked woefully. “It’s like this constant battle rages inside me. I feel”—she paused, searching for just the right word—”dirty when I do some of the things I used to do. Does that make any sense?”
“It makes perfect sense,” Rochelle answered. “Living a godly life comes with its battles. It’s all part of learning to live for God instead of ourselves. The things that we want are filtered through God’s Spirit. When it’s something God considers sin, it registers on our heart, letting us know we should resist and not give in to the desire.”
“I’m gonna need a lot of help,” Carlene said, a mixture of wit and worry in her voice.
“God always provides assistance when we ask for it,” Rochelle assured her. “But it’s our responsibility to ask. God isn’t some genie Who makes life easy for us. He’s a loving Father Who instructs His children in what’s best and then allows them to make informed choices.”

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Sin is sensual and seductive. And Peter instructs us to engage in the battle instead of passively giving in.
The Christian life is not one of ease; it demands a life of physical and spiritual discipline, one of abstinence in which we actively war against Satan and his tempting offers.
Although our salvation may be complete when we give our life to Jesus, we’ve only begun to take on His likeness. The more we abstain from sinful temptation, the closer the resemblance gets.
Peter encourages us to be built up into a spiritual house, one that looks like Christ.

Prayer

“Lord, give me wisdom and strength to wage war against the enemy. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”