Cynthia Chinazor: SAVED AND FREED

“It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned, but there is something deep within me, in my lower nature that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin. So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature?” (Romans 7:21-25 TLB)

Does the issue raised in the above verses seem familiar to you? Ok, check these scenarios:

I’m a Choleric. By “virtue of my temperament”, I’m prone to be quick-tempered, easily angered and irritated with a caustic tongue. But I’m also a Christian. I’ve been told to be “meek and gentle”. And I was ‘meek and gentle’ until….until a friend of mine got on my nerves! So badly!! Who the “heck” did she think she is to try that and get away with it? It’s high time I taught her that Christianity is not cowardice…She has to learn how to respect my views and opinions. And in the ‘fit’ of anger, I got ‘loose’ and my mouth spewed out all manner of “head-blowing, heart-piercing, flesh-cutting” remarks that can send one to an untimely grave. Ok, I think I am satisfied… I have proven my point and I think she fully understands now. I leave the scene in a bid to gloat over my new found “victory”…..Oh ho! A strange feeling of guilt has enveloped me. I have crossed the line again!! Wasn’t I meant to try as much as I can to be “at peace with all men” and here I am, going overboard again.

I just finished a huge class assignment. Hmmm…. What a stressful day! I’m tired but not feeling sleepy. Maybe, I will lie on my bed and rest my head. What else can I do to ‘pass time’? Listen to audio messages or music? A big ‘NO’. Listening to anything now will increase my intra-cranial pressure. I think I will ‘breeze into’ Facebook, read peoples’ updates, watch pictures and ‘calm my tired nerves’. From reading updates to commenting on some posts to visiting blogs to…..stumbling on some pornographic sites…after fixing my mind and thought on it for some ‘seconds or minutes’, I go offline. Dropped my phone and closed my eyes for some time. And suddenly all those thoughts and pictures my eyes feasted on in the last couple of minutes earlier flooded my mind and then the “urge” to do it came…..And I did “it”. Few seconds after I ended the “it” session, Mr. Conscience Came knocking; with his children – feelings of guilt. I had eaten the forbidden fruit again!!! But I thought I was done with masturbation. I’m a Youth Coordinator in my church for heaven’s sake!!

Is it very familiar now? Everybody has a fair share of that experience. Our beloved Apostle Paul lamented his ‘state’ in the beginning verses. One arrow the devil has fired to Christians and it has wounded and immobilized many is habitual sins. Habitual or besetting sins (whether secret or public) “slow us down, hold us back and trip us up because they wrap themselves so tightly around our feet (Hebrews 12:1). Just the same way habitual sicknesses in childhood cause stunted growth in children, habitual sins cause stunted spiritual growth. We remain at the same level for months and years…no progress…no impact…no transformation.

But it’s God’s desire for us to be SAVED and also FREED. He wants us to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and that can only happen when we are growing. Transformation comes when our minds are renewed DAILY (Romans 12:2) and the renewal is done in God’s presence as we spend time in prayer and Bible study. Transformation does not come by merely wishing to stop the habitual sin or carrying a huge load of guilt or making resolutions. No! It requires you and I switching off our phones, closing that book or novel, turning off that TV or laptop, terminating that sleep, shutting that door against friends and distractions and throwing ourselves at His feet, confessing our sins and struggles, confessing our failed attempts in getting them done away with, confessing our inability to help ourselves to win the battle over flesh and confessing our total dependence and trust in Him to take over and transform us.

Winning the battle over chronic sins and getting our flesh to become more insensitive to sin requires us to “die” daily in God’s presence. It isn’t a weekly thing neither is it an “only-in-church-or-conference” process. You must consciously and consistently go before His throne and while there He releases grace…the grace that gives you the ‘impetus’ to say NO to sin and ungodly habits. Right there in the secret place, your ‘cancerous’ sinful nature is exposed to the ‘Radiation therapy’ of the Word. Right there at the altar, He exchanges your weakness for strength (2 Corinthians 12:9).
YOUR FREEDOM IS GUARANTEED IN CHRIST…READY TO FLY TO HIS THRONE OF MERCY??
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Bio:

Cynthia Chinazor is a physiotherapist by formal training.
A pencil in the hand of the creator called forth to share His thoughts to His people.
Facebook: Chinazor Orgu
Instagram: cynthia_chinazor
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Hi dears,
Frances here.

Cynthia touched on something that I used to know all too well… Sexual addictions.

If you struggle with sexual addictions, I’ve been there before and I’m now living in freedom in Christ Jesus by His grace. And you can live in same too.
Don’t accept the lie that you can’t live sexually pure, you can… through grace in Christ Jesus.

I wrote “Chastity For Men” for both men and women who desire to live chaste in Christ Jesus even amidst the corruption in the world.
You can download your free ecopy below…

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