We are all in the Lord’s army. We are all called to make a stand for Him. This is the world, that not only rejected the Lord Jesus, but murdered Him in the most despicable way known to man. The Lord has called us to stand with Him and to stand against the world. We are His soldiers, fighting for Him down here.

 

Now, you might have this brilliant image of you in a very heroic pose, sweat pouring from your forehead, with a shining sword held aloft in the glittering sun. Your face turned towards heaven with a celestial light beaming proudly down upon you. Your feet standing solidly upon the many foes you have conquered through the name of Jesus and your chest puffed out in humble delight, as the Lord places another medal on your tunic, another soul won for Christ today!

 

I have written this piece though to encourage you, as the reality is often very different to that describe above!

 

Many articles written on our practical life down here, bring nothing but guilt and anxiety to the reader, as we realise that our lives to not come anywhere close to what is being described. “Surrender your life to Christ” the writer says. “We have been commissioned to be Christ’s ambassadors, give up the world and live for glory” 

 

Of course, this is all good stuff. Of course we should be doing that, it is what God wants us to do, but reading about something and putting it into practice are two very different things.

 

Now before we go any further, I want to make it clear that this article in not excusing a life of sin, it is not excusing the habitual carrying on of sin or the character of a sinful life. What I am trying to do however, is bring some encouragement to those reading this, that as Christians we do constantly fall into sin and we do constantly fail and fall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are not perfect, as some pastors and teachers would like to have us believe. 

 

There is common myth in Christianity that once you are saved you will cease to sin. In once sense this is true, when we are saved we can stand before God as perfect, but in perfect in the Lord Jesus, not in ourselves. The Lord Jesus is the only man that will ever do for God, and we can only approach God as through that blessed Person. However, were the truth turns to error, is when people say that, practically, down here, we should cease to sin. People who put forward this line, only bring despair upon themselves and others as they realise that even as Christians, we cannot go one day without sinning! 

 

I want to say that if you are struggling with sin, you are not alone. If you are addicted to something, drink, drugs or pornography you are not alone. If you are sweating with lust, lying or hatred you are not alone. I want to assure you that there are millions of Christians who are going through the exact same experience. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even the apostle Paul said that what he wanted to do, he didn’t do, and what he didn’t want to do, that is what he went ahead and did. Everyone struggles with this problem. And it doesn’t get any easier as you get older, it doesn’t even get any easier once you are saved. In fact, you might find yourself sinning even more, once you are saved! This may be because you are more aware of what sin is! 

 

But the wonderful thing is, that even though you might find yourself weighed down with great burden of day to day sins, there is rescue at hand. A rope thrown from the shore, and ladder out of the pit. God provided initially for the removal of your sin (when you were saved) and he has also provided for the forgiveness of your sins now. It was all settled at the cross! 

 

You see, even though we might feel like the worst soldier in the world, and anything but the heroic character described above, in Christ, we stand before God as perfect. 

 

Imagine the scene: 

 

The Devil comes before God, 

“Look down there!” he points “Look at what one of your ‘so-called Christians’ is doing! You wouldn’t even catch one of my own doing that!”

What does God say? Does He agree and cast your from His sight forever? 

No!

He turns to Satan and says, 

“I can see nothing but the blood of my Son”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see, the blood of Christ finished with our old self, nature and sin and sins forever! It is a matter settled before God. It is us who brings these things up again. God has promised never to remember our sins anymore, it is us who have trouble forgetting!

 

The truth is, we need to stop feeling disappointed when we sin. Disappointment infers that we could have done better. We need to feel disgusted, utterly disgusted. Disgust shows we are casting ourselves fully on the grace of God. 

 

So the next time you sin terribly and wonder why God is still ‘on your side’ remember, the blood of Christ removed every stain against you. God knew you would do all these terrible sins, and yet He still sent His Son to die for you!

 

Grace covers all our sins, but it does not give us an excuse to sin. 

 

“Should we sin that grace may abound?” asks Paul

 

No! “Far be the thought is the answer”

 

The wondrous grace of God should make us want to serve God even more!

 

Sins are an unhappy consequence of being human, but with God’s help and allowing the Spirit to live through you, you can live more to God and less to your self. All the while, having the full assurance that no matter how far we go down sins pathway, God is always waiting for our return. 

 

So, we do still sin. Sins, Satan and the flesh, are things that every Christian has to contend with, in their journey down here. There is no quick fix, we cannot quickly get out of the mess we find ourselves in, but with constant and prayer, faith and a reliance on the Holy Spirit, God can bring you out of the mud and onto the solid ground. Stop looking at your imperfections and look at the perfection of Christ.

 

So you might think you are the worst solider ever, not even worthy to carry the banner of Christ. But, don’t forget, you are a work in progress while you are walking down here, but by wondrous grace, you are already perfect in God’s eyes through the perfect sacrifice of His Son; Jesus Christ.

Hold that glittering sword, look up to  Heaven, put on the full armour of God and fight the good fight. The goal is within reach. Christianity is not about perfection, but direction.

 

"...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin"