We spend so much time on the outward appearance of our bodies. We bathe them, we clothe them, and we nurture our looks so that we can make everyone think that we are good to go. We put so much value on the outward, that a person’s worth is often determined by how “beautiful” they are on the outside. However, there is an old but true saying, “beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone!” In dependence on the Spirit of God, we must learn to strive for godly behavior. I Hollywood doesn’t teach us anything else about the lifestyles of the rich and famous it is that outward beauty does not manifest itself by inner security. Therefore we need learn to replace sinful behaviors with their biblical alternatives. 1 Timothy 4:7 reminds us to exercise ourselves toward godliness” Exercise prepares us for the challenges of life. As we understand our weakness, we need to draw upon the strength of God’s Word to gain victory. What the Spirit of god uses to most effectively transform us into the image of Christ is the Word of God as it is applied to the circumstances of life. It … READ MORE

The first step to overcoming accurate self-perceptions that are sinful is to be sure that you understand the doctrine of progressive sanctification. Progressive Sanctification is the process that involves our cooperation with the Holy Spirit that makes us more like Christ. We are told in Galatians 5:16 “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” The word “walk” is in the present tense and is a command indicating that this is a continued regular action that we are to follow. Our problem is that we do two things that hinders this process. 1. We do not “put off” and “put on.” In other words we are so busy trying to stop a behavior, that we forget that as creatures of habit we need to establish a new habit in order to overcome the old habit that we are struggling with. When we are pushed into a corner by temptation, if we are not replacing a sinful approach with one that is godly, we will revert to what we know to do, which is to sin. “putting on the new man” (Ephesians 4:24) gives a new and godly action that will lead to victory. 2. … READ MORE

If you want to have a biblical view of who you are, understanding and accepting the truth about our sin is the most important area of our value judgments. It is key because the guilt associated with our behavior can lead to misery, depression and apathy. As long as we know that we are not working and gaining victory in our lives we live a defeatist Christian life. Unless we bein to deal wit the sinful habits in our lives, and grow in in our victory, we will struggle with who we are before God and others. We do that by understanding the truth and allowing it to play out in our lives. The key here is to learn to replace habits that lead to sin with good patterns of thinking and action. Jesus said in John 8:32 “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” This week we want to begin to challenge ourselves to live in victory.… READ MORE