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Failure is disheartening.
There’s no doubt about that. In
any struggle with sin, it seems that whenever we fail, the enemy uses it to
whisper doubts and fears in our ear, to gain ground in convincing us that it
simply isn’t worth trying to fight against any longer. And oftentimes the enemy succeeds. I know from personal experience that when you
fail in one area of temptation, it makes it so much more difficult to “resist
the devil,” as we’re told to do in James 4:7.
But God knows that, and anticipated it when the Israelites realized they’d sinned against God in demanding an earthly king.
"Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:… And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;" - 1 Sam 12:13-14, 20 (underline added)
There are times we’re going to fail, and I don’t say that to be pessimistic or to discount the saving and sanctifying Grace of God. Christ gives us freedom from our sin, but the habits don’t often (sometimes they do, by God’s Grace, but not often) disappear overnight. We are instructed in numerous places to pursue Christ-likeness, to strive after becoming like Him, and this means putting away our sins.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” – 1 Peter 2:21
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” – 1 John 1:5-6
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” – John 13:14-15
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” – Romans 13:14
It is purely by His own Grace and Mercy that we are able and compelled to even pursue Him, when we observe the situation through the Lord’s eyes. But naturally when it comes to living our lives, we have a responsibility to act. And as we act, there may be times when we, while remaining this side of eternity, will sin against God. Does this jeopardize our salvation? No, certainly not, for a true believer in Christ. But we as believers are to get up, confess our sins, our shortfalls, commit them to the Lord to cleanse our way from them, and continue our pursuit of Christ-likeness. We cannot allow a stumble to keep us pinned to the ground, in utter defeat. We must, in spite of our failure, look to His forgiveness, remember well how you fell into the failure so that you will not make the same mistake, and continue the pursuit of Christ, unrelentingly!
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
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But God knows that, and anticipated it when the Israelites realized they’d sinned against God in demanding an earthly king.
"Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:… And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;" - 1 Sam 12:13-14, 20 (underline added)
There are times we’re going to fail, and I don’t say that to be pessimistic or to discount the saving and sanctifying Grace of God. Christ gives us freedom from our sin, but the habits don’t often (sometimes they do, by God’s Grace, but not often) disappear overnight. We are instructed in numerous places to pursue Christ-likeness, to strive after becoming like Him, and this means putting away our sins.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” – 1 Peter 2:21
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” – 1 John 1:5-6
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” – John 13:14-15
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” – Romans 13:14
It is purely by His own Grace and Mercy that we are able and compelled to even pursue Him, when we observe the situation through the Lord’s eyes. But naturally when it comes to living our lives, we have a responsibility to act. And as we act, there may be times when we, while remaining this side of eternity, will sin against God. Does this jeopardize our salvation? No, certainly not, for a true believer in Christ. But we as believers are to get up, confess our sins, our shortfalls, commit them to the Lord to cleanse our way from them, and continue our pursuit of Christ-likeness. We cannot allow a stumble to keep us pinned to the ground, in utter defeat. We must, in spite of our failure, look to His forgiveness, remember well how you fell into the failure so that you will not make the same mistake, and continue the pursuit of Christ, unrelentingly!
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
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