S89P7 – The good death: a defeatist attitude
Jam. 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
The lead-up to the big fight was an unusual one. He completed his weight cut and did his job on the scale, but his training seemed a little lackluster. He just was not hitting as hard as he should and staying in there as long as he needed. He had talked a good game up to the big night, but there was something no one knew. His confidence was waning, and he did not believe he could last all twelve rounds with that kid. His mindset was not on winning but simply on lasting for a respectable period of time. The first time he hit the floor he could have gotten up, but he decided not to. In his mind, it was a foregone conclusion that he would lose the fight so there was no point in going beyond that round.
We tend to rest on our imperfection and decide that there is no way to live without sinning. Yes, we all are imperfect and have sinned, and that is why Jesus has to cleanse us. However, scripture encourages us and instructs us many times to be victorious when tempted. Whenever Jesus told someone to go and sin no more, He was alluding to the simple fact that it is possible to defeat temptation every time and live purely from here on out. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this, but it is possible. We cannot continue to allow ourselves to fall into sin simply because we expect that one day we will stumble anyway. That is the defeatist attitude which causes us to lose the battle before it even begins.
God does not instruct us to do anything unless it is possible for us to fulfill that command. Even when He tells us to walk out that which seems impossible, it is only because He will give us the power to be faithful. We must put to death the idea that sin is simply a part of our lives and something which will remain as long as we live in this order of things. We have been given power over sin, and we are free from walking under its influence. Every temptation is accompanied by God making a way out for us, but we must seek that. Father, teach us what it is to walk in genuine freedom from sin, and give us the confidence to believe that we can go and sin no more.