By: Alex Anderson
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:20-22 NIV If we cleanse ourselves from our "ignoble" or sinful ways, we will become an instrument for God. The steps to cleansing ourselves are to confess our sins to God, turn away from sinning more and offer our bodies for righteous uses. When we confess our sins to God, he forgives us of our sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ actually cleanses even our conscience from sin (Hebrews 9:14 ).
We back up our confession by turning away from further sin and choosing to serve righteousness instead of sin. Paul said that we must "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Too often people experiment with different sins, thinking they can control themselves, only to fall under its control. We simply have to flee from sin and give it no opportunity to gain a foothold in us. God will strengthen us through the Holy Spirit to put the sinful deeds of our bodies (and minds) to death and empower us to live for righteousness (Romans 8:11 , 13).
Fellowship with other believers in Jesus will help us in living for righteousness. Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." The daily attacks against our faith and purity can be severe in our society. That is why we need god's help to give us strength daily to help us through our temptations.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins and resurrecting him from the dead so that I might have life. I confess that I have sinned over and over again. Please forgive me for these sins and cleanse me by the blood of Jesus. I receive your healing and forgiveness. Lord, please fill me with the Holy Spirit and empower me to live for righteousness, faith, love and peace. Please help me to connect more deeply with other people in the body of Christ who are genuinely following you. Thank you, Father that you have not left me alone. Thank you that your Spirit is with me and in me for this walk to freedom! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen." |
