Don’t Play Dead, Stay Dead
“So, what do you do for sin?” I had never been asked this question until I gave my life to Christ. I must admit, I was stomped. I didn’t know how to respond and the person who asked me was waiting in anticipation for my answer. “Ummm, nothing, anymore”, was all I could muster up. I was on an out of state business trip and after that pretty much shunned for the rest of the night. “I don’t trust anyone who won’t have a drink with me”, another person said. I just smiled and said, “Well, which one of us do you trust to drive you back to the hotel?”
I sat quietly for the rest of the dinner, trying my best to endure the ridicule of being the only one not drinking alcohol. I thought about just having one drink to stop all of the jolts and stares, but I didn’t give in. I prayed within myself, “Lord, help me to be strong.” Knowing that God is everywhere, it seemed foolish to me to go back to drinking alcohol just because I was in a different state.
I began to recall similar instances that had happened to me since I walked up that aisle, gave the Pastor my hand and the Lord my heart. Every day from that moment was a struggle; a new temptation to fight. Family members made fun of me and friends brought up my past mistakes. Movies, bulletin boards, and music were constant reminders of who I used to be. Every day, in order to stay focused on God, I had to cut certain people out of my life, turn off radio stations, change television channels, not answer the phone, learn how to say no, and pray like never before. I was getting stronger. I was dying daily. I didn’t want to play dead to sin, I wanted to stay dead to sin. I wanted God to look at me and be proud to call me His child. I wanted to please God and not my sinful flesh. One thing I knew for sure was, if I didn’t kill sin, sin would kill me.
So now, if I’m asked what I do for sin, I can boldly answer “I kill it!”
How to stay dead to sin:
- Make a decision to be real with God and His Word; stand on it.
- Pray daily for strength. Repent and ask for forgiveness.
- When temptation comes, and it will come, acknowledge God and not the sin. Give God thanks that you are no longer bound to sin. God will direct your path to an escape route.
- Put a plan in place to hinder the sin. Take action and do something to replace the sin with a healthy and positive activity.
- Read the Word, this is what cleanses you.
- Repeat these steps daily
Remember, if you don’t kill sin, sin will kill you.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. Romans 8:12-13 NLT