Part One – Stopping SIn

Do You Want to Stop Church Leaders from taking advantage of members? Do you want members to stop taking advantage of church leaders? Then become an emotionally and spiritually whole Christian.   Emotionally and spiritually whole Christians know that they were created by God for a purpose, have biblically based self-esteem and understand that they have worth. Emotionally and spiritually whole Christians understand that they have problems, issues, sin etc. but they do not let those factors keep them from confessing their faults, desiring to be what God called them to be or make excuses. Emotionally and spiritually whole Christians understand that they cannot allow people to use their unresolved feelings of fear, rejection, anger, past hurts and pain against them as believers. Emotionally and spiritually whole Christians’ understand that they are responsible for reading their word, for praying, for studying and for being stewards over their own relationship with Jesus Christ. They do not solely rely on another human being to tell them what God is saying and what He requires. Emotionally whole Christians bring their issues to the Lord, live a life of repentance and understand just how much the Lord loves them. You see when we understand just how much the Lord loves us we will not be afraid to cast our fears, our sins, our mistakes, our hurts, the pain we caused and our weaknesses onto Him. The stronger or emotionally healthy we are the less chance we will fall prey to the flesh (ideas, emotions, behaviors that are contrary to the Word of God), and emotionally unhealthy and manipulative practices of other people. In contrast, when we are emotionally unhealthy it is hard for us to discern the Word of God both as a hearer and as a speaker. For example, when we are emotionally unhealthy we focus more on some scriptures while ignoring others because we are trying to protect ourselves from being hurt. We confuse the truth of the scripture with words of rejection or we allow other people to prosper off of us because we are afraid to step out on the Word of God and be what He called us to be. When we are emotionally unhealthy we use the scripture as a defense that allows us to live with our weakness as opposed to being the overcomer that God called us to be. When we are emotionally unhealthy we use the scriptures to protect us from being hurt, to manipulate and to make people feel guilty. We separate ourselves from people who are stronger or emotionally healthier in the areas in which we are not and we form groups with other emotionally unhealthy people and call it a fellowship. When we are emotionally unhealthy we misread the motives of others and overlook good spiritual leaders or people who are only trying to help us. Over the last year, many of us have witnessed the public humiliation of some of those in leadership. Those people, who after repeated warnings from God, chose not to repent and as such were publically exposed. Their public exposure caused many people to feel betrayed, hurt and to question God. But to you people, I would say not so fast.   First, please do not get caught off guard or become discouraged by the weakness of others or by your own struggles. It is in the nature of man to be weak, and as long as we live in this body we are going to have fleshly issues to deal with. The issue is not the sin but what we do with our sin or struggles.   Galatians 5:16-21 (Amplified)But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].  For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.  But if you are guided and led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.  Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these   Unfortunately, some people yield more to their flesh than others. Some people not only yield to their flesh, but they also embrace and they live in the flesh, they make excuses, they even try to mix the flesh with the things of the spirit which is why the body of Christ looks the way it looks now. Unfortunately, the Lord would want us to know that His holiness will not and cannot be mixed with anything else, He is pure and He is Holy. Any time you try to mix Him with something that is impure it will not work because He is sovereign and He stands alone.


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