Colossians 3:5-11 – 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
That says change. Repent means change. Change takes dedication and love for the Lord. It says He first not me first.
That’s really it. Life is full of decisions and all the excuses the world provides for us in social sciences, isn’t going to hold water. Change is hard. Breaking sinful habits isn’t easy. However, a decision is made either by choosing God or choosing whatever it is you want to. The strength of the Holy Spirit is there waiting.
What’s the old saying? It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission?
This is not good in our relationship with the Lord. It’s good to ask for forgiveness, but it’s not good to abuse it.
If you have someone that comes up and slaps you in the face and asks for forgiveness, eventually if they keep coming up and slapping and never stop it’s going to get old. If they keep apologizing after they do it, it’s going to come off insincere quick. We are told to repent and sin no more. Obviously we know that is impossible for man, but it is the goal.
John 8:10-11- 10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. KJV
For one we need to stop our known sin and it takes effort. God is worth that effort. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Demons and bad spirits don’t like a clean spiritual house, it’s boring and uncomfortable for them.
You used to walk that way, but as a new creation in God and Jesus, you don’t no more.