From Addiction to Complete Freedom through the Cross

Freedom from Addiction - Con't

The Cross and the Spirit

You see the blood of Christ paid for your cleansing from sin, but what you may have not known up until now is that His cross paid for your moment by moment freedom from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the whole point of Romans chapter six. You have been killed off with Christ on the cross; you have been given NEW LIFE.

Law of the Spirit of Life - How the Holy Spirit Operates

Your freedom from sin (sanctification) is the Spirit's job number one. In fact, His goal is to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ. As you know from experience, all your efforts to overcome temptation have been futile. The famous line from the from the old Star Trek: The Next Generation series, when the solar system munching Borg showed up, was to tell the Starship Enterprise crew that, "resistance is futile."

This is what the Holy Spirit wants you to know, and what the devil did not want you to know. The devil wanted you to take him on in your own strength - your flesh.

Resistance in your own strength WILL ALWAYS BE FUTILE. Only the Holy Spirit has the phasars (the dunamis - power) to blast away your sin! And He will only do this as you BELIEVE; BELIEVE ONLY IN WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS ON YOU BEHALF. This is the law of the Spirit.

This is His Law

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Paul, the apostle, went from the description of his failure in Romans 7 to freedom from the law of sin and death. The Lord had to deliver him from Old Testament law by allowing him to completely fail in his own strength - the flesh. H. H. Esser in the Dictionary of New Testament Theology says ""the flesh" means would-be autonomous human nature, incapable of obedience. What the law demands can be wrought only by the Spirit ON THE BASIS OF THE WORK OF CHRIST." Christ's work is His finished work on the Cross. Therefore, putting your faith only in what Christ did on the cross allows the Spirit of Life to set you free.

Believe me when I tell you that the Spirit of Life does beautiful, perfect and complete work. He will indeed take those unholy and godless desires away from as you trust in what Jesus did on the cross for you (everything!).

Power, Joy, Glory

If that were all, then that would be enough wouldn't it? But as we are set free the Holy Spirit begins to communicate to us the whole realm of the Kingdom of God.

This is why Peter wrote, "believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." The Spirit now has a vessel that He is cleaning up, and can then fill with joy and glory. HIS fruit will burst forth in you!

Temptation

When temptation comes now, don't waste a second trying to fight it off in your own strength. Fight the good fight of faith - faith in what Jesus did on the cross for you. The devil knows he was defeated there, and he will flee.

Now set truly free (and let the Spirit deal with whatever other sin is keeping you in bondage), you will be able to "serve one another in love" (Gal 5:13).

Please write to us if you need further clarification, or would like to share your testimony with us.