What's the next step?

After a wonderful night of conversation with one another, I was thinking, "okay, so what's the next step." We have confessed to sin and struggles in our life, what do we do now to get rid of it??

Take a look at Colossians 3:1-17, maybe it will give us some direction.

¹If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, giving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

According to this passage, here is how we completely turn our backs to sin in repentance...

• Focus my heart on YHWH, the LORD. Not earthly things.
• Examine my sin, and put it to death.
  
• Share what sin I am struggling with to someone I trust, ask that they would walk with me through it (honestly laying out my transgressions, not lying about my junk).
• Be there for someone else wrestling through sanctification, being clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
  
• Bear and forgive my friends' sins and transgressions, just as I have been forgiven of my own in Christ.
  
• Constantly wearing love in all that I do, say, and think.
  
• Only let Christ take rule over my heart and life. Strive for His name to be glorified in all that I do. Acknowledge and enjoy the peace of Jesus ruling my life.
  
• Live a life full of thanksgiving for all that God has done.
• Dive into the Word of God and let it dwell in my life. Memorize, recall, and surround my life with His truth.
• Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of praise to the Savior who has saved me NOW, not some better future-version of myself.
• Everything I do, I do in the name of the LORD.
• Pray and petition to God on each others' behalf, and our own, that God would be merciful, forgiving, and mighty in our lives. Asking for Him to open our eyes to recognize His love for us, and desire to glorify His name.

I have been brainstorming of ways to seriously fight our sin and eliminate its temptation in our lives. Here are a few ideas, if anyone has other "techniques" to giving sin a HOLY PUNCH & knockout, please share with us!!

• Find a specific verse concerning your sin, write it on a note card, and place it in the environment where that sin/temptation often occurs. Let the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" fight for you! (Ephesians 6: 17)
• Choose someone who you can call, text, or whatever to pray for and hold you accountable to your sin.
• Come up with a game plan to wrestle with your sin with a friend. Help each other analyze your sin, search for why it continues to reoccur, and create preventions to its temptation.
  
• Write out a specific prayer you can pray when temptation confronts you. Cry out to the Lord who is the only one who can bear our sins. "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles."-Psalm 34:17 (read the whole psalm, it's simply amazing!!)

Romans 11:26
"And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
'The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will banish ungodliness from Jacob';
'and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.'"
**Isaiah 59:20, 21

Love,
Linds : )