By Scott Slayton
Every man knows the experience of guilt and shame from sexual sin. Whether it’s the frustration of continued thoughts you think you can’t control, falling victim to the lure of pornography, committing acts of sexual immorality, or dealing with urges that feel unnatural—no man is exempt from the lusts of the flesh and the damage they do.
We sin, and then we are convicted of that sin in our hearts, as we should be. In 1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul reminds us, “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price” (vv.19-20). But when we forget who we are in Christ Jesus, we turn away from Him because we feel guilt and shame, rather than turning toward Him in repentance. Then, because we don’t know how to handle our guilt and shame, we feel powerless, plunging deeper and deeper into the pit.
The cycle is vicious, relentless. We don’t know where to turn. Telling friends doesn’t seem like an option because the shame is too much to bear. Talking to a pastor feels ridiculous because we imagine he surely doesn’t know what it’s like to deal with these sins, let alone the guilt and shame that seem to render prayer impossible.
But men, there is good news for you today. Jesus died for you. He didn’t just give Himself up for your “respectable” sins. He died, bearing the guilt and shame for the things you don’t want anyone else to know about. Cleansing, healing, forgiveness, and restoration are all possible for you because of your Savior who loves you.
In addition, this good news has the resources to help you experience real change and victory over your sin. Again, in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul walks through a laundry list of sins that make one unfit for the kingdom, and it includes many of our pet sins and temptations. We read this list and surely hear that we will not inherit the kingdom. But Paul’s next sentences should make our hearts sing: “And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (v.11).
Did you catch the past tense in those verses? Christian, you are no longer defined by your struggles, failures, and shame. You are defined by the new identity you have in Christ. You have been declared righteous before God, you have been cleansed by God, and you have been set apart from your sins by God the Father, in the name of His Son, by the power of the Spirit. You are new.
Stop that.
Work harder.
Be better.
These commands never changed one heart, and they won’t give you victory over your hidden sins—but the gospel will. In Christ, you are clean. In Christ, you are new. In Christ, you are empowered by the Spirit. In Christ, you have brothers who will help you in your faith journey. These are the words you need. They are true and they bring real life, real change, and real joy.
Written by Scott Slayton
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3 thoughts on "Glorifying God in Body and Spirit"
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Man, this was fresh air for my weary soul. Thank God for Jesus. We would never see the Kingdom if it were not for the loving sacrifice of Christ laying down His life to pay for the sins we struggle with. It is so good to know that those sins don’t define us and we are cleansed of them by our loving Father in Jesus!
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I am not defined by my sins. I am defined by Christ. Align my thoughts and actions with his, or at least seek too. The Lord knows my heart and loves me despite my short comings. I do not need to seek after his love by being better or perfect. I have his love now and always. What I do on this earth moving forward should be an effort to be closer to him and to see clearly his will for me on a moment by moment basis.
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Day 8: “We were bought at a price”. God wants us. Man there is so much goodness in this devo today. I love what it said about our bodies being for the Lord. People could come up with so many things about what to use our bodies for before saying God, but it’s main use is to glorify God. Crazy! and then I come along and mess that up by winning. There is shame in it, but every time the Lord has my back. He’s going to fight for me, and I need to fight for him in those moments. I’m praying for you all today ⚒
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