Pastor Aaron Cordeiro
May 25, 2014 - W1421

Today we're going to talk about tensions created when we wrestle against God or wrestle against our flesh or human desires. In Romans, the Bible actually says that every single one of us can live through these tensions and win.

Everyone experiences tension or struggle. The Bible says, “For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members." (Romans 7:22-23)

4 Godly Irreducibles When Facing Tension

1. Don’t be afraid to be honest.

    

   I'm finding more and more that legitimate tensions that are tolerated, ignored, or let alone are very psychologically disturbing. After a while, they're very emotionally deceptive, and the worst part of it, they can become spiritually damaging.

    

   That’s why in John 8:32 it says,

    

   “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

1. Don’t be afraid to expose.

    

   This made me think of Adam and Eve when they sinned. The Bible says that they ran and they hid, and the result of their sin was fear. They isolated themselves. They separated themselves. There was a lack of fellowship because they didn't like the tension. But it wasn't until they came out that God was able to deal with that.

   As a result, there will be tension when we're going through these moments, and the Bible says if we walk in the light as He's in the light, we will have fellowship with not just one another, but there's also going to be a power of the blood of Jesus, His son, that will give us the power to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    

   The Bible says it this way:

    

“But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. “ (1 John 1:7)

1. Don’t be afraid to admit.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we confess about things such as bad behavior, we start to talk about it. And what we'll find is every current behavior, whether good or bad, is going to be tied to some sort of event in your past; and when we start to speak about it-?? especially in the presence of God, and those who love us and are committed to us---then we start to realize that our behavior can be traced to what happened in our past. Maybe you rejected God's way or law because it was too strict, or maybe someone did something in your life that you had no control over and their sin had an effect on your life.

And you don't even realize it because maybe 10, 20, 50 years down the road, you're living behaviors that you’ve never admitted maybe because you forgot. And you start to wrestle with these things where you admit that your behavior is inappropriate, and you start to confess and speak about it. As a result there needs to be some forgiveness in your past and God will lead us there as you admit and confess to Him. And then He can heal and cleanse us.

As a side note I’d like to encourage you to seek help through our New Hope Christian Counseling. The counselors will walk you through the process and share with you the truth and what the Bible says. 

1. Don’t be afraid to resolve.

    

   Sin will never be defeated by only pointing out what's wrong in life. It has to be actually and purposely resolved.

   Accordingly in James 1:25 says, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

By and large, we're going to wrestle against God or against our flesh. Some of us, we might be right here in this very room wrestling. Nevertheless, don't be afraid to be honest. It's the first step to freedom. Sometimes you’re thinking, “I can't let anybody know what I'm going through. They'll think less of me.” Turn to your neighbor and say, “I won't.” Turn to your other neighbor and say, “I love you.” Don't be afraid to expose. Don't be afraid to admit. It's actually a healthy thing. It's actually a Godly thing.

See, many of us may be experiencing that tension right now, and there needs to be a resolve in your life. Many of us are wrestling and the question is what side are you wrestling on? Are you wrestling against God to give into the flesh or what you want, or are you wrestling on the inside because only you can make that switch to wrestle against the flesh to give in to God. When we do that, we start to be honest – “Lord, it doesn't feel good.” We start to expose – “Lord, this is who I really am, and I admit that I don't have life together. Lord, I need some resolution in my life. I need fellowship with you. And, Lord, I need you to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Lord, that's what I really need. It's a wrestle, but, Lord, it's worth it because, Lord, it's not just for this lifetime, it's also for the next one.” Amen?

We're all going to wrestle, but don't be afraid to resolve it today. Maybe even God might be speaking to you. It's time to train. It's time to train in Godliness which promises blessings that are so much better and promising benefits that will last a lifetime.

Questions:

1. What are some tensions that we go though in life?

2. What are the 4 Godly irreducibles when facing tensions?

3. Why should we admit our sins?

4. When does healing take place?

5. Why is it better to wrestle against your flesh than wrestle against God?