– Lord, Teach Me To Flee From Sin
BRD REFLECTIONS:
1 Corinthians 6 and Psalm 132 (NIV)
(Saw Seang Mei, SGM Zone 10 Leader)
READ:
As I read 1 Corinthians 6, verses 9-10 where God gave examples of our sins stood out. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” But these sins cannot remain as revealed in 1 Corinthians 6:11. We are to confess and repent before God. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
OBSERVE:
In 1 Corinthians 6, God highlighted two sins I should avoid. First, if there are disputes, it is better for us to be wronged or cheated than to start a suit in court. In V7, we are already defeated once a suit is started.
Second, sexual immorality violates our bodies. Our bodies are united with the Lord, temples of the Holy Spirit and I am called to honor God with my body.
APPLY:
As I reflect on our modern society and the increase in lawsuits, I realize that this is a current day problem and of great concern. It is true that the Gospel is relevant not just yesterday, but for today. These days lawsuits are filed on a wide variety of matters, consumer dissatisfaction, complaints regarding medical services, and so forth. Some lawsuits are fairly trivial, some are even unnecessary. As I intend to walk in God’s Ways, I am warned to avoid any potential conflicts and possibly litigious situations.
Sexual immorality is a serious sin as my body is a Holy temple and I must honor the Lord. This is a reminder to fill myself with the Holy Spirit, to pray continuously, and to worship the Lord with my soul, heart and mind. 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
DO:
These are important matters requiring strength from the Holy Spirit to keep myself Holy for the Lord. Sin is destructive and deceptive. I will ask the Holy Spirit to prompt me to act otherwise when I do not show kindness, love or when I am tempted. I ask God to provide me with the strength to discern and intentionally walk in God’s Grace and Love every day. I will spend time at the start and end of each day reflecting on my thoughts and actions through the day. I will confess any sins I have committed during the day and truly repent before the Lord. Psalm 132:3-5 “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” This is a reminder for me to worship and treasure the Lord’s presence always.
PRAY:
Dear Lord,
You are my Savior, Shelter and Refuge. You have revealed Your desires for me to lead a Holy life. Please allow Your Holy Spirit to convict my heart if I am tempted to sin in any way. Steer me away from conflicts and temptations, and give me a contrite heart as I surrender my thoughts to You. Forgive me for my sins as I repent before you. Indeed, I am washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus Christ,
In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
