Rescued: Helpless 11/2/14

Rom 6:1-7

Rom 5:6,8 God loves me in all of my brokenness and sin.  He died for me while I was still in my sin and shame. v.8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God takes sheer delight in me, he is crazy about me, even as I struggle with sin.  He wants to help, and stands ready and waiting.

Rom 6:1-1, 6-7 "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" v.6-7 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin."  2 Cor 5:17 We become a new creation.

I am helpless on my own to change myself.  Only Jesus can change me, through the Holy Spirit.  He is maturing me every day to make me who He wants me to be.  I am freed up from trying to fix myself.

- It starts with repentance. To rethink, to change one's mind. Mk 1:14, Acts 2:38, 3:19, Rev 3:19  Coming to grips with those sin areas we need to overcome.  To agree with the change He has already given to us through his death and resurrection. Growing into who Christ has already made me to be.  To see our sin as God sees our sin, and to turn from it.

There is no such thing as a true Christian who is not changing.  We should always be changing to become more like Christ. 2Cor 7:8-9

Rescued: The Exchange

How do I overcome the sin with which I struggle?
Rom 7:14-25, 8:1-14
1. I have no power in myself to live the Christian life. (Chainsaw example: you won't cut the wood unless you turn on the power of the saw.) v.18
2. We are given the Spirit when we are saved. Rom 8:1-4
3. We have an obligation to live by the Spirit. Rom 8:12-14, Acts 1:8, Gal 2:20 & 5:16
4. We need to be filled with the Spirit.
Eph 5:18, let the Holy Spirit of God have control of you, and do this over and over again. Eph 4:30 Do not quench the Spirit.

How do we become filled with the Holy Spirit? 1 John 1:9
1. Confess our sin.
2. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.
3. Believe.