Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com

Victory Over Sin 63comes to us when we understand that our walk with God is not dependenton how we feel when we get out of bed in the morning.4. Finally, Christ knew that blessing would follow obedienceEmotional peace and calm would come after doing God’s will and not before.The assurance of joy in the future enabled Him to endure the tortures of thepresent. As we pursue victory over the “sin that so easily entangles,” we can fixour “eyes on Jesus who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising theshame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).We must remember that feelings flow from action and not vice versa. We canprove this tomorrow morning. If we fellow our feelings, we probably, will not get out ofbed when the alarm clock rings. To wait for the proper feeling will mean that our daywill begin behind schedule. But if we choose to get up and take a shower, whether wefeel like it or not, we will soon discover that we are feeling pretty good. And by the timewe have finished our breakfast, we will be thinking that life isn’t so bad after all. Properfeelings come because of actions; they do not precede the action itself.Whenever we obey God, our feelings begin to fall in line; we have a sense ofsatisfaction, a sense of self-esteem. To seek the proper feelings first will inevitably leadto despair. Yet, some Christians wait for that magic moment when they will feel likeobeying, feel like committing themselves to God, or feel like praying and reading theBible.We all have tasks we dislike doing. What makes us think that we should waitunto we feel like doing them? Christ did not feel like taking our sin unto Himself anddying on the cross in our place. He suffered more physical pain than most of us cancomprehend, along with an excruciating moral anguish, as the sinless One becameidentified with the sin of the world. Every emotional conflict known to man --- (exceptpersonal guilt) --- convulsed within the body of the Holy Son of God. But He wentahead with it because He “was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians2:8). Why did He do it? Jesus knew that after obedience there is joy! How often we havereversed the order. We think we’ve got to be in the right mood to obey God. But there isno joy until there is obedience.One final world: we must learn to give thanks to God for all things, whetherwe feel like it or not. The focus of our attention must be the truth that is settled inheaven.When we feel anything like depression coming our way, it is good to prepare alist of all the blessings that God has given us in Christ Jesus. Resist all negativeemotional impulses. Begin thanking God for each one – even though we may not feelthankful! We can be grateful mentally, by choosing to be, and tell God so.