A wonderful message called Gain of the Christian Conqueror offers readers a lesson that we would be prudent to pay heed to.

The phrase “We are more than conquerors” suggests that a person gains more in his attempt to reach a goal than he does in actually reaching the goal. The goal itself is not the ultimate victory. The trials faced in reaching a goal strengthen us and help us grow spiritually and break free from sexual sin.

We must be careful to avoid falling into a trap of thinking that every trial we are faced with is a trial that will make us stronger. When we go through trials, we have to consciously decide that we are going to meet the adversity head on and come out on the other side a better person.

Otherwise, we may find ourselves doubting God and giving in to some very destructive paths of thinking. We must resist sin and remain grounded in our faith in order to virtuously weather the storm.

Let’s think about this for a moment, because the idea that our transgressions make us stronger is a widely accepted by men, but is a fallacy. You may have heard someone say that we have to dwell in the darkness to be able to recognize the beauty of the light.

In other words, we have to know sin in order to know righteousness. Scores of popular theologians teach this most dangerous of doctrines! They spout empty proverbs such as “Boys will be boys” and “We’re only human” in an attempt to condone sexual sin.

They tell us it’s okay to go out and sow our wild oats now because when we’re older, we’ll be all the wiser for it. The idea that it’s okay to sin now because it will teach us how to live better in the future is completely false and contrary to Paul’s teachings.

Paul tells us that by resisting temptation and handling ourselves in a Godly way through our times of trial, we will come out wise and stronger. He doesn’t tell us that falling into sin will make us stronger.

Each sin we commit, even the smallest one in the eyes of man, can completely distort our view of what is right and what is wrong. Think of lying. It might be hard for us to tell that first lie, but the next is easier, and the one after that even more so, until we lies flow from our mouths just like the truth.

Every sin we commit not only hurts our relationship with God, but it damages our influence with people who do not know God. We have to strive to do good, and good is worlds away from evil.

Do you think that someone who has lived in a hole and has never seen the beautiful light of dawn rising over the mountains knows more of its beauty than the one who created the beauty and knows every glorious detail, every hue of the sunrise, well enough to paint it by heart?

No! That person who has lived in sin is so in debt to the mercy and goodness of our Savior that he won’t be able to enjoy the good gifts from God the way that one who has refrained from sin will.

It is a falsehood to say that one must know sin in order to know righteousness, and it is just as false to say that our failures make us stronger. Where we have our victory is in resisting temptation.

There are opportunities to sin on every hand, but it takes a truly sound and steadfast faith to do what we know is right. I will admit that a person who has been forgiven after having lived a very sinful life may be more grateful to God than a person who has lived according to God’s word from a child.

But, I don’t think that the person who has lived a very sinful life and has been forgiven is any stronger. True strength comes from walking daily in faith and dealing with our sexual sin. Paul speaks to us about turning away from temptation, and we must do that every day in our walk with God in order to grow as Christians.

God Bless

Deacon Pepper

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