The Power Of Sin Is Unrestrained Selfishness….

The older I get the more I realize what life is about. It’s the same for all people. Regardless if you believe in God and follow Him, or not, life is all about managing our selfishness. Coping with unmet expectations, handling conflict, dealing with infirmities, accepting loss, managing our possessions, raising children, working for a living, and seeking pleasure and escape from reality are all part of the process. We all experience these things, it doesn’t matter who we are. What matters is our attitude towards them. Without God we have no clear cut path. We see life as an accumulation of things, a race to out do our families and friends, and a limited amount of time to seek out pleasure. If that means stepping on others’ toes, so be it. There’s no purpose, no real responsibility, and in the end, nothing. This type of view is controlled by the power of sin. It says, “live your life the way you want to, you’re not accountable to anyone, and he who has the most toys wins”. In essence, the power of sin is unrestrained selfishness, with absolutely no regard for God or others. There’s no mechanism that is available to help us manage these desires, and thus, no way out from under sin’s control. The only way human beings can live outside of sin’s powerful control is to let go of our selfish nature. That’s what God’s Spirit does inside of a believer (helps humble us). His Spirit gives us the ability to say “NO” to our selfishness. It gives us Someone to be accountable to. It gives us a desire that has greater power than sin’s power. The second we surrender, and die to self, our attitude informs us there’s more to life than chasing after our own desires. Pursuing God has more benefits and greater rewards than serving self. And it proves it by curbing the desires of sin by exposing its deception. When we get that new position at work, or new car or home we’ve always wanted, we realize these are just things that consume our thoughts and time, but fail to deliver the satisfaction we thought it promised it would. It’s not until we are willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake, that we are freed from the enticement sin has to offer. It’s when we die to self that selfishness loses its luster. How can something dead, play a live role in our lives? It’s when we determine that God matters most that we set our selfishness aside and pursue His ways, His goals, and His purpose. Yes, we will always have the allure of sin, but only with Jesus will we ever be freed from its power, to walk away from selfish desires, and live the life we were meant to live. What kind of attitude do you have when it comes to your own selfishness? Is it under control? Or out of control? There is an answer. His name is Jesus, and He’s wanting your selfish desires to surrender to Him. It’s the only proven method in managing selfishness. When we are willing to be selfless, the power of sin loses it grip on us.

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy–their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead–so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. 1 Peter 4:1-6