Living the Turned Life

The word “turnt” in some sub-cultures is slang for being high on drugs or alcohol, partying hard, and at times refers to high energy fun of all sorts. Lecrae, a well-known Christian hip-hop artist, wrote a song called “I’m Turnt” which relates to living high in the Spirit, according to the truth of the Gospel. Here are some of the lyrics:

Prolly think I'm rolling, I'm just high on the spirit bro
The only thing we popping is the truth, you don't hear me though

They prolly think I'm rolling, I ain't on nothing

But what I got you need to know about cause homie
I'm turnt

My blood stream clean, nothing running through my veins
It's 116, yeah I'm still Unashamed
I call it network if I'm out here fishing

My interpretation of his song is that Lecrae is singing about living the life of repentance in Jesus Christ. I believe he is using the word “turnt’ here with a dual meaning, one of having hyped up fun (God-honoring) and the other of turning his life over to Christ.

The Bible word “repent” means to turn, to change from one thing to another, and this is a very important element to living the life God intends for you and I to live.

Here we are as humans, born into a sin problem and we choose to sin. Praise God, He has a plan of redemption for sinners, a plan of salvation and true life, a better life for us, who by Gods’ grace through faith in Christ can be reconciled with God and live with joy, peace, and real meaning and purpose.

Repentance in the Christian life is part of the salvation conversion moment and also part of the daily journey of walking in, with, and for Christ.

When I was around 5 years of age, our family was not attending church or talking about Jesus and God’s Word that I recall. Our neighbor invited us to attend their nearby Baptist church. I began to attend. Over the next few years I was greatly influenced with the Gospel by Sunday School teachers and Children’s Church leaders. When I was 8 years old my mom got saved, she received Christ into her life as her personal Savior and she began to be a great influence in my life about such things. When I was 9, I realized that there was a true God who was holy and that I had a sin issue that leads to Hell unless I trust Christ as my Savior; that God loves me and wants to give me eternal life and an abundant life now if I receive Him into my life as my Savior. I wanted to go to heaven some day and I wanted God in my life fulltime to counter my feelings of loneliness and insecurities so I placed my trust in Christ as my Savior. I did not know all the Bible words and terminology related to salvation at the time but I now know that God’s plan of salvation includes repentance.

This is what Jesus called us sinners to do (Lk. 5:32 ESV I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Lk. 13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish) and what He called His followers to proclaim (Lk. 24:47) which we see in practice right away in Acts (2:38, 17:30, 20:21).

At its core, salvation repentance is basically turning from rejecting (or ignoring) Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord to turning to Jesus; trusting Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. This was the most important turn in my life, the most important change in my life. I accepted and received Christ into my life when I was nine years old but God’s plan of salvation is not just about some sort of one time conversion moment. It’s not just a ticket into God’s heaven. It’s not just some sort of fire insurance to avoid hell. Salvation is about an ongoing relationship with Christ and involves our ongoing commitment of aligning our lives in, with, and for Christ.

Christ-followers are to live the turned life, the life of repentance.

Acts 26:20b ESV repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance

Mt. 3:8 ESV Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Many Christ-followers need to be reminded of a daily repentance or believers’ repentance, that today, in this very moment, I need to make decisions that are God-honoring, I need to turn away from sinful ways and turn to God-pleasing ways. This is what the Bible means when we are exhorted to live with fruit of repentance and live out a life of repentance in Christ. And keep in mind that this repentant living is not on auto-pilot just because there was this one day that you received Christ into your life. We must make consistent decisions of repentance toward God-honoring living.  

One of the best biblical examples of believers needing to repent is the church in Ephesus whom Christ sent a letter to. Rev. 2:5 ESV Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

If you don’t know Christ as your Savior and Lord, then give your heart over to Him now. And we don’t have to fix our life and clean it all up before turning to and trusting Christ as Savior and Lord. Trust Christ now and He will begin changing your heart and helping you with your decision making to be in more alignment with Christlikeness but we have responsibility with our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.  

I believe repentance is something God helps us with (2 Tim. 2:25) and we are also personally responsible with our decision making toward repenting regularly. I believe that when God truly saves someone from their sins, that He seals them in Christ by the Holy Spirit and that person stays saved by God’s grace (Eph. 1:13, John 10:27-29). So, when you sin as a redeemed Christ-follower, I don’t believe you face losing your salvation but you do face the need to confess daily sins and repent from daily sins as part of your holy sanctification journey to be the person God calls you to be.

When it comes to recovery and real spiritual growth, we must repent of daily sins in order to really live a victorious joyous life in Christ.

Recovery Step #3 and Principle #3 in Celebrate Recovery are “We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.” and “Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.” And the accompanying verses are: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Happy are the meek, Matthew 5:5a

I am to give my life over to Christ and my daily will over to Christ.

After my initial salvation conversion I experienced two key periods of wholesale repentance in my life and there have been many moments of daily repentance (in fact, I pray daily for God to help me repent of sinful ways and I need to do my part with my decision making). When I was an older adolesent I realized that I was drinking alcohol irresponsibly and hanging around partying fighting guys. I was spiritual convicted around this time to mature in Christ, mature as a man, and prepare for a career after college. So, I cleaned up my life, so to speak, by not hanging around certain people who were not a good influence in my life, by stopping the social drinking routine, by living a more God-honoring life, and becoming a leader at church in the youth ministry. I became more focused on eternally significant living and God helped me through this and I found myself more consistently in the will of God where there was more peace, joy, and fruitfulness and fulfillment as a Christ-follower.

Later in my twenties, I did backslide some morally and I reached a point when I was very spiritually convicted again and this time I clearly sensed God was calling me to leave my career to become a pastor and so I more fully surrender my life to Christ in my day to day decision making and behavior.

Growing up over the years, I have had many moments of crying out to God to help me repent on wrongful things like an addiction to smokeless tobacco and lust. I needed God’s help to turn away from junk music lyrics and media content that was contaminating my soul. I’ve need mature Christian accountability in my life to help me stay on the right path that pleases God.  

Turning my will over to Christ daily requires my ongoing commitment to Him and His ways. It’s not just the bad I need to say no to, it’s the good (in Christ) I need to say yes to. I need to cultivate a spiritual intimacy with Christ through prayer and Bible learning. I need to live according to God’s Word for his people today and that include doing some life with fellow Christ-followers.

Do you need to repent of rejecting or ignoring Christ as your Savior and Lord? If so, mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html

If you are a redeemed Christ-follower, is there something you need to repent of in your life? Something that is a sin foothold or sin habit that you need deliverance from, freedom from, and victory over?

There is hope in Jesus Christ, for help, for holistic healing, for living the true abundant life in Christ God wants you and I to live.

Let’s live the turned life for the glory of God.

What do you think about what I’ve written here about living the turned life in Christ?

Mike

..and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

There was a moment in history when the incarnate Son of God was praying to God the Father and a disciple of Christ asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus’ response was,

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread, ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Mt. 6:9-13 ESV

This is sometimes called “The Lord’s Prayer” but a better name would be “The Disciple’s Prayer” or “A Prayer Model for Christians” since some of the content (i.e. forgive us) would not be a prayer the sinless Savior needed to pray.

It’s the last two phrases of this prayer model I want to elaborate on here. In vss11-12, the focus was asking God for our daily provisions and asking God to forgive us and we acknowledge our need to forgive others. The next petition looks ahead to future temptations and encounters with evil, because we are vulnerable to sinning beyond this very moment and we need God’s help to be overcomers when we are tempted and when evil comes upon us.

We are born with a sin nature in our flesh and minds and that means we are contaminated with sin, so to speak, but we are also vulnerable to sinning and we in fact do sin by choice. Our very own thoughts and desires can lead to sin, engaging in something that is morally wrong, whether it’s committing wrong or omitting right in the eyes of God. There are also external influences that can lure us into sinning with our thoughts, desires, attitudes, and behavior.

All people experience temptation to sin. Temptation itself is not sin but temptation to sin can actually become a sin when we give into the wrongful desire and thought.

Here’s a classic example; I’m sun-bathing at the community pool and notice some female in a bikini walk by and I look and then I have the tempting thought to lust after her body, but I chose in that moment to just acknowledge mentally that she is attractive and then I move on to other thoughts and subjects in my mind keeping them God-honoring. I’ve had many successes in Christ in recent years with this sort of temptation but I’ve also failed in the flesh before when such temptations to sin come upon me.

Let’s clarify the meaning of this prayer petition to God, “and lead us not to temptation”.

This doesn’t mean God causes us or forces us to sin. In fact, we read in Scripture that God doesn’t tempt people to sin.  

James 1:13-15 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

A better wording for this prayer petition could be “Do not lead us into the place of testing" or "do not lead us into circumstances where we will be tempted.”

For example, if you struggle with alcohol, then ask God to not lead you to a place where people are drinking alcohol. Or if you struggle with lust, then ask God to not lead you to a place where there is a Victoria’s Secret catalog or swimsuit magazines or websites with such content.

We do see in Scripture, God testing people and leading them to a moment of great testing. He arranges for His people to be tested. He allows His people to be tested.

Abraham is an example of someone being put to a great test by God who told Abraham to go sacrifice his promised son, Isaac. But at the last second, God the Provider, provided a lamb to take Isaac’s place. God tested Abraham’s faith in God and He also taught Abraham a lesson on who is most important, God Almighty.

God also at times gives permission to the Devil to tempt us to sin. We see this in the book of Job. We also read that Jesus said Satan had asked to sift Peter like wheat.

Pastor/Author John MacArthur wrote “God allows the trials in which temptation can occur, not to solicit believers to sin, but to move them to greater endurance.” God wants to grow His people in holiness and into great faith and obedience in Christ.

Jesus is teaching us in this prayer model that we are to ask God to not lead us into such testing. We are to pray that we don’t experience such testing and temptation to sin, for we are very vulnerable to sinning.

Is there a testing or temptation you are struggling with right now that you need to cry out to God about and tell a trusted friend about?

I’m tempted with pride, selfishness, and lust a lot. I’m tempted with self-sufficiency and to not spend quality time with God in my personal time. I’m tempted to envy what others have. I’m tempted to be spiritually lazy instead of focusing on the main thing in Christ. I need to ask God for help in these matters regularly, before and during temptations, and I need to depend on Christ moment to moment.

God, do not lead us into temptation! This petition follows with another petition and they go together. God, do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.

The original Greek word here translated “evil” in some Bibles is not the neuter form but masculine form which means the most accurate translation would be “Evil one” instead of just evil. Evil One definitely refers to Satan, the Devil, who is the lead spiritual enemy of God although nowhere near equal to and definitely not greater than God.

Pastor/Author Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Do not lead us into temptation simply means keep me alert. Keep me aware of the fact that the Wicked One, the Devil, is around and that he wants to trip me up.”

Are we alert, on guard, discerning between right and wrong, and knowing who the enemies of God are and how they work?

In Scripture, Satan is referred to as the tempter and accuser of God’s people and God, for the time being at times, allows Satan to tempt or test His people. Jesus, thru this prayer model, is teaching us to ask God to deliver us specifically from the Devil and his works of evil. And I believe there is a principle here that can be applied to any demon and anyone who is serving the devil.

A real time example of these prayer petitions was the night Jesus was in the garden just before His arrest when He exhorted His disciples like this, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Jesus knew there would be spiritual warfare that evening and the devil would attack Him and His disciples. So, pray in advance of such attacks and pray during those tests and temptations. Pray for yourself about this and pray for others (notice the community context in this prayer model) as the Lord leads you.

Satan is the great tempter and He’s also an accuser who accuses us of not being right with God, or not being a good person, and we struggle with shame and unhealthy bad guilt. We think we are losers, failures, and don’t matter, or we are not truly saved when you actually are by God’s grace through faith in Christ.

Jesus provides His redeemed with victory over the devils’ accusations:

Romans 8:33-34 ESV Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

And Jesus is our great deliverer:

Galatians 1:3-5 ESV Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

There are many other Bible verses to help us with spiritual warfare:

James 4:7 ESV Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 John 4:4 ESV Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

See also Ps. 3:3, 34:7...

Theologian RC Sproul’s comments related to this prayer petition:

 “Martin Luther is a powerful example in this. Luther had an acute awareness of the presence of Satan. On one occasion, he threw his inkwell across the room, saying he had seen Satan’s unbridled assault against him to try to make him compromise, fall into despair, or deny the faith. In this struggle, Luther resorted to prayer, and he went to his knees every day to pray the Lord’s Prayer, specifically this petition; do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

We should be asking God regularly to help us avoid the entrapments and dangers related to sin that we would trust Him to help us be overcomers in Christ when we are tempted to sin and that He would deliver us from any sin bondage and attacks of the enemies of God in our lives.

Praise God that when we are tempted, God provides a way out:

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

  

And when we do sin; God’s process for getting right and being right with Him is confessing that sin and accepting His forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Praise God we can be cleansed of our sins and be reconciled and right with God. This divine process is available to us not as a license to sin but by God’s grace to help us grow in personal holiness. We need to also ask God to help us repent of our sinful ways and, instead of sinning, to help us cultivate holiness in our lives.

RC Sproul’s personal prayer petition: “I often ask myself how I would measure up if God allowed me to be severely tested. I honestly don’t know and I don’t want to have to find out. So I often pray this petition to the Lord’s Prayer, asking; O Lord, please, please, keep that hedge around me. Don’t put me in that place of testing. Deliver me from the Evil One, who goes about like a roaring lion, ready to devour whomever he will. I pray for divine protection from all the forces of evil that surround us, and I believe this petition should be on every believers’ lips each day.”

How about you and me? Are we regularly praying, with faith in God, this prayer model for ourselves and others? God, do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil One!

What are your thoughts on what I’ve included here about this prayer petition?

Mike

Fuel & Medicine for the Soul; Hope

There was a time when I hoped I would get my own driver’s license and drive on my own; when I hoped I would graduate from college with a BS degree and then later on with a Masters degree; when I hoped I would marry a wonderful woman; when I hoped I would travel to another continent on a missions trip; when I hoped I would be able to father a son and daughter. The list goes on of various hopes I’ve had in my life and the examples above have come true and there has been great joy in them.

Hope, in general, is an expectation of something good to happen in the future (Rom. 8:23-25). One child said this at bedtime, “Now I lay me down to rest; I hope to pass tomorrow’s test. If I should die before I wake, that’s one less test I have to take.”

I asked one of my sons out of the blue, “What do you hope for?” His answer, “My own smart phone and a new car.” I can relate since I’ve hoped for such things at various times in my life. And that’s how we are about hope at times, to some degree; that we want better things that we think will make us happier and/or our life better. People may hope in many things; certain achievements to happen, certain relationships to come to fruition or improve, a bigger house and better automobiles, the dream bucket list items to check off, and the like. It can be okay to have hope toward such things, for God-honoring reasons, but there are greater things to hope for.

“Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst in them. Hope opens doors where despair closes them. Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot be done. Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God and the basic goodness of mankind. Hope "lights a candle" instead of "cursing the darkness." Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities. Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.” Unknown author

Some people are desperate for hope and are clinging to hope by a thin margin. Perhaps, there has been the death of a loved one, or life is deteriorating quickly, or there are very difficult circumstances and sufferings being experienced. Fortunately, there is always hope in God for the living (people, that is).  

In contrast to hope, there are feelings and thoughts of despair, hopelessness, gloom and doom, and a sense of nothing good to look forward to. This is no way to truly live and this is not how God wants us to live.

The psalm writer of Psalms 42-43 was deeply discouraged (i.e. despondent: downcast, downhearted) about something but chose to hope in God.

Psalm 42:5 ESV Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

Abraham was promised by God to be the father of many generations but as Abraham became quite old, around 100 years old, without children, he must have wondered when and if he would ever have kids. But his hope was in the Lord and the promises of God because Abraham believed what God promised would come true. Abraham had hope in God and His promises regardless of his circumstances.
Rom. 4:18-23 NLT Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” ¹⁹ And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹ He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. ²² And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ²³ And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded
See also Rom. 4:17, 23-25

Hope is the physician of every misery. Irish Proverb

The Holy Bible teaches that God is the God of hope (Rom. 15:13). And as we believe Him and trust Him day by day you and I can grow in God-centered hope. God is amazing and does the amazing. He creates something out of nothing. He does the impossible. He saves that which is lost. He says things will come to pass and they do come to pass. There is no greater power, love, source of hope and reason to hope than God.

“When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you're slamming the door in the face of God.” Charles L. Allen

Here are some more key Bible truths about hope.

Jesus is referred to as the Blessed Hope and our hope (Tit. 2:13, 1 Tim. 1:1) because He is the Creator, Savior, and Lord and source of eternal life and the source of abundant life (Titus. 3:7, Col. 1:5, John 10:10m John 10:28, Heb. 12:2). He gives His redeemed a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3-5). By God’s grace through faith in Christ one can have eternal life, true life. This is our greatest hope, a hope for eternal life in Christ and for God’s intended life for us now.

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our hope today. It is our assurance that we have a living Savior to help us live as we should now, and that when, in the end, we set forth on that last great journey, we shall not travel an uncharted course, but rather we shall go on a planned voyage—life to death to eternal living.” Raymond MacKendree

The Bible teaches there are some who have no hope (because they are separate from Christ, from God).

Eph. 2:12 ESV remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

See also 1 Thess. 4:13

We can experience hope through God’s Word.

Rom. 15:4 ESV For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. See also Ps. 119:114

Christ-centered hope is important; in fact, it is one of the three top virtues of the Christian life (i.e. faith, hope, and love; 1 Cor. 13:13).

Hope and faith in God go together.

Heb. 11:1 NLT Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Also 1 Pet. 1:20

There is a patience of hope that honors God.

1 Thes. 1:2 NKJV We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

“Hope has a thick skin and will endure many a blow; it will put on patience as a vestment, it will wade through a sea of blood, it will endure all things if it be of the right kind, for the joy that is set before it. Hence patience is called "patience of hope," because it is hope that makes the soul exercise patience and long-suffering under the cross, until the time comes to enjoy the crown.” John Bunyan (1628-1688)

God’s people are to rejoice in hope (Rom. 12:12) and give others the reason for the Christ-centered hope you have in your life (1 Pet. 3:15).

There is joy and gladness for God-honoring people with hope (Prov. 10:28).

Rom. 5:5 NKJV Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We please God (Ps. 147:11) and are blessed people (Ps. 146:5) when we have hope in God.

Does eternally significant hope come from God and/or do you and I have responsibility in choosing hope? I believe the answer is both.

Jer. 29:11 (ESV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. See also Ps. 62:5, Rom. 15:13

Ps. 71:14 (ESV) But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

Ps. 78:7 (ESV) so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

Hope is essential according to God’s plan for you and me. Are you experiencing a living hope in Christ right now? How do you let others know about your hope in God and His promises?

“Hope, the balm and lifeblood of the soul.” John Armstrong

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. ¹⁹ This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. ²⁰ Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Heb. 6:18-20 (NLT)

Christ-centered hope is like an anchor of fuel and medicine for the soul. Hope in the Lord God Almighty!

What do you think about what I’ve compiled here about hope in God?

Mike

Roadblock to Recovery, Help, Growth, & a Better Life: Denial

One of my children has become an expert at not taking personal responsibility and not admitting when a personal wrong has been done. Often, when confronted with such inquiries and accusations, this child immediately has a response that points blame elsewhere or declares nothing wrong happened, though the truth is this child was personally responsible for something wrong that took place. This is denial.

When I was a kid, I remember sometimes being the “not me” kid or the ‘I didn’t do that” kid when in fact it was me and I did do that at times. I lied in such situations probably to avoid getting into trouble. This was a form of denial.

The problem of denial is that it’s not just a kid thing or a river flowing in Egypt. Denial is something all of us need to be keenly aware of in our own personal lives because it’s a roadblock to better things like being a better person. 

What if you or I are using denial as some sort of self-protecting defensive mechanism when confronted, or spiritually convicted, about the truth, the reality, regarding something in our personal lives? Is denial a mask I am wearing to suppress or ignore a real issue in my life, to possibly avoid being open, honest, and found out by others?

Denial is not being truthful with yourself, God, and others that there is something wrong in your life. There is something broken. There is something messed up and so you don’t admit there is an issue, a hurt, a habit, and/or a hang-up that is keeping you from being all that God wants you to be. Denial is a false system of personal beliefs that don’t jive with the truth. Denial extends your issues and multiples them.

Can you think of some people in the Holy Bible who were in denial?

How about Adam and Eve (Gen. 3)? God told them not to eat of a certain tree and they disobeyed God after being deceived and tempted to do so by the Satan-influenced serpent. Eve ate it first and then Adam. God confronted them and Adam blamed God and Eve and then Eve blamed the serpent. This is an example of denial.

How about many of the Pharisees in the days of Jesus? It is written (i.e. Matt. 23:2-3, 27-28) that they were hypocrites who knew about scriptural truth and would teach/preach it to others, but would not live it out personally. They appeared righteous on the outside but they were in fact like tombs of dead bones on the inside.

How about King David (2 Sam. 12). He committed adultery with a married woman, Bathsheba, and ordered her husband to go to the front lines in battle which led to the man’s death. God’s prophet, Nathan, came to David and rebuked him for these sins and spoke of divine consequences. David was living in denial, but praise God, after this intervention he confessed and repented.

Denial is like being in a small cramped room with a full grown wild elephant and believing/stating that the elephant is not present or not an issue. Denial is like drinking alcohol regularly to the degree that such behavior is destroying your relationships and eating away at your employability but yet you tell yourself and others that you don’t have a drinking problem. Denial is like thinking it’s okay if I lust about others just in my mind or from looking at porn because this won’t hurt anyone else. Denial is like wearing a t-shirt to church that says, everything is fine, but you, those who live with you, and God know otherwise.

Denial often overlaps with self-deception and deceiving others. The Devil is known as the great deceiver (Rev. 12:9) but we know a thing or two about it as well, don’t we?

Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, “The easiest person to deceive is one's own self.”

Erwin W. Lutzer, “We are experts at deceiving others and ourselves too!”

Note: Quotes above from Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 ESV

For years as an adolescent I compared my anger to another specific person’s anger and I would think to myself that he had a big temper problem. I felt like I never acted out like he did in anger so I don’t have any anger issues. But the truth is, I’ve had several sinful anger episodes in my life. I was in fist fights when I was a kid and adolescent. I’ve been mad and aggressive at times when I was very frustrated or felt threatened. As a parent, I’ve yelled at and tried to intimidate my sons in my anger before. In years past, I was in personal denial about anger in my life. I thought, “I’ve seen others really lose their temper and escalate in rage. That’s not me. They have a problem. I don’t.” That was denial in my life! And if I kept wearing a mask of denial and self-deception that there was no anger issue to address in my life how would I ever get some help and truly change for the better?

Have you ever worn some sort of mask of denial, thinking to yourself you have no issues in your life, telling others you are fine, wanting others to think you are fine but you are not really because there truly are issues in your life? Have you ever been in denial that someone close to you doesn’t really have a problem when in fact they do have a problem?

There is a living hope for those who trust Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord and live according to God’s Word for His people today.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV

Denial a key roadblock to personal recovery, receiving help, and growing as the person God desires you to be. This is why Lesson #1 in Celebrate Recovery is about Denial. In order to really have the better life that God wants you and I to have we must acknowledge and move past this denial roadblock in our life before real progress occurs.

If you are struggling with denial, or any hurts, habits, or hang-ups, then give your life fully to Jesus Christ and expect Him to intervene and minister to you through His Word, His people, and circumstances to guide you on the right path. You and I need to take personal responsibility in this spiritual growth/recovery journey and God will help us and bless us and others through us greatly when we do.

                               

John Baker wrote (from Celebrate Recovery Leader’s Guide), “Walking out of denial is not easy. Taking off that mask is hard. Everything about you shouts, “Don’t do it! It’s not safe!” But it is safe.”

It is safe with God and the right and good thing to do. It can also be safe by opening up with a trusted friend or group about the true issues in your life. It can be safe in a ministry like Celebrate Recovery which seeks to promote a safe and confidential environment for open sharing.

What’s holding you back in denial? Do you fear others finding out about your issues? Are you afraid of your past or your future? Are you afraid to change in the present? Are you avoiding personal responsibility? Are you trying to avoid potential consequences?

God is good and He has a plan for His people that is part of His overall plan to work things out according to His good purposes. He wants you to experience joy and peace and comfort from Him. He wants His redeemed to experience the abundant life as well as eternal life in Christ.

Personal denial is a roadblock to God’s good plans for you. Denial keeps you stuck in issues instead of growing in freedom according to God’s gracious will.

John Baker wrote (from Celebrate Recovery Leader’s Guide), “Step out of your denial so you can step into Jesus’ unconditional love and grace and begin your healing journey of recovery.”

..and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 ESV

For more information about stepping out of your denial, check out a ministry like Celebrate Recovery.

What do you think about what I’ve written here about denial being a key roadblock to recovery, help, growth, and a better life?

Mike