Community & Discipleship
Bondage vs. Freedom (Galatians 5:16-26)
Freedom from addiction and hidden sin comes through four steps: honestly surrendering our sins to God and others, completely separating ourselves from what causes us to stumble, saturating ourselves with God's Word and Spirit, and surrounding ourselves with wise accountability. God wants to set you free today.
Bring sin into the light through honest confession
Healing begins with confession, as 1 John 1:9 promises that God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us. When Adam hid from God in the garden, he was running from the light, and staying in darkness is also staying in bondage. Secret sin grows heavier over time and eventually crushes us, and the enemy uses our silence to keep us bound. God already knows what we have hidden and still loves us, so we should bring it honestly before him. Healing also comes through confessing to a trusted brother or sister, as James 5:16 says.
Separate completely and run from what causes you to stumble
After confession comes repentance, which means cutting off what caused the sin. Romans 6 tells us not to let sin reign in our bodies, and we must turn and run away from temptation rather than take only a few steps back. Joseph fled Potiphar's wife, and God honored him for it. Believers should also not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, since bad company corrupts good character. Applying 1 Corinthians 7:39, marriage is reserved for believers, so singles should trust God rather than settle for someone who does not share their faith.
Saturate yourself with God's Word and Spirit
Many believers take this step for granted, yet Ephesians 5:18 calls us to be filled with the Spirit rather than drunk with wine. Just as wine shapes a drunk person's actions, the Spirit should shape our thoughts, choices, and direction. Our private times often become times of temptation, but they can become times of prayer and praise instead. When we are alone, we are not alone, because God dwells in the praises of his people. Those who pursue God in secret find that he pursues them in return.
Walk by the Spirit and replace temptation with God's promises (vv. 16)
Galatians 5:16 tells us to walk by the Spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh. Temptation comes in two waves, first luring us with a false promise and then condemning us after we fall. Both are overcome by faith in God's promises and by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Resistance alone keeps our focus on the temptation, so we must replace it by setting our minds on whatever is excellent, noble, pure, and lovely. True Christianity is not the bare minimum but an overflow from pursuing God.
Surround yourself with wise, truth-speaking community
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 teaches that two are better than one, because a friend can lift us up when we fall. Proverbs 27:17 says iron sharpens iron, so we need godly brothers and sisters to whom we can share everything and who will speak truth in love. The preacher tells of three men on a fishing trip who became accountability partners, and urges us to choose our partners wisely. For deep and long-standing addictions, he encourages seeking professional Christian counseling, available in English or Korean, by contacting the church admins.
Apply to Life
- Let us bring our hidden sins honestly before God and a trusted brother or sister in Christ.
- Let us cut off the people, places, and things that lead us to stumble, and run away from them.
- Let us fill our private times with prayer and praise, and walk by the Spirit in our daily choices.
- Let us stand against temptation by replacing it with the promises of God and the Word of God.
- Let us seek wise, godly accountability and, if needed, professional Christian counseling.
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