Posted:
Based on “Under His Influence – The Battle” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 8/8-9/09,
Message #MB384;
Daily Devotional #2 - “Sin – The Giant ‘I’”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7) Every person has been born with a sin nature – a giant ‘I’ that sticks up right in the middle of the word sin, demanding to be self-centered and independent from God or anyone else.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): I was caught in a situation at work this week in which I found myself between my boss and my boss’s boss regarding a decision that has to be made next week, with each pulling me in a different direction. So naturally, (notice the word ‘I’) I began trying to determine what should be done in this situation. All day long I was anxious, overwhelmed, running to various people for advice, and at times on the verge of tears not knowing what to do. Of course, this all happened Friday, so I had all weekend to fret, worry, and stew over the problem. Not once did it occur to me to seek God’s wisdom and counsel until about 4:30 Saturday morning, when I shot up out of bed and thought to myself, “What am I doing? God knows the ins and outs of this situation. He knows what is best, and He knows the final outcome! Why have I not turned this over to God?”
It’s in moments like this that we realize how much of our old self we still really hold onto. Instead of living under His influence, His guidance, His wisdom, and His power, we choose self. We are born with a natural instinct to depend on self, and when we finally choose to crucify the old self the battle within us begins (Galatians 5:16-18). Self and Satan don’t want to lose the battle, and they will try every means possible to win. Sometimes we don’t even know we’re in a battle, but we must be aware that it is ever present.
We must constantly remind ourselves that we have been freed from sin – self and Satan--not by anything we have done, but only through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6:9-10) In the same way, we have been crucified with Christ, no longer allowing sin – the giant ‘I’ – to enslave us, but living to God. All day Friday I was enslaved to sin from that one situation. It wasn’t until I remembered whose influence I need to be under that I became free.
The Holy Spirit gave me a peace from my anxiety, worry, and fret over the situation. God hasn’t yet given me the answer to this situation, but I know the outcome because I am listening to His influence and not the giant ‘I’.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Have you ever been in a situation when the giant ‘I’ had overtaken or enslaved you and you didn’t even realize it? If you are going through a situation right now and haven’t been depending on God’s guidance and influence, I want to encourage you to take a moment right now and pray. Ask God to take over and crucify that old self once again.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Romans 6:6-14; Ephesians 4:22-24
