A TESTIMONY OF TRANSFORMATION: HOW TO BE FREE FROM A LIFE OF SIN AND ADDICTION
He had spent some of his teenage years living in a Pastor’s house. He felt he was being choked. Once he got the freedom to step out to school, he slid into sex and drugs. He was getting into gambling. He had seen one of the popular foreign musicians as a role model. He wanted to look like him no matter the cost. He was a low-budget version! His life was a mess.
He had to be withdrawn from school. He found his way into the church. He would come to church and return to his drugs. One good thing was that he kept coming. He said once that his body would be shivering with a desire for drugs even while in church.
But one day, he left the church, as usual, to go smoke some of the stuff. That day everything changed. The desire to quit was suddenly overwhelming. He could not smoke his hemp. It felt strange. Something had died on his inside. Constant exposure to the Word of the Lord has changed his story. He also got baptized in the Holy Ghost and that was the beginning of a new life.
First, life has no meaning without the Lordship of Jesus. A sinful life is not a free life. Stop thinking sinning is the freedom to do what you want. No! A life of sin is a slave of the devil. How do you know you are a slave? You cannot stop of your own volition. Just try to stop using your will. You can try for some days but you return to your indulgence. Sin is slavery.
A sinner is a servant of sin- “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin… ” Romans 6:17 KJV
Second, sin wants to have dominion even over the believer but constant exposure to the Word of God is what makes it impossible for sin to rule over us. No matter what, make sure you are constantly exposed to the Word of God.
The Word of God is your defence against sin. When sin tries to penetrate your life, it can only be resisted by the Word. David said that we must hide the Word of God in our hearts if we will not sin against the Lord. In every temptation of Jesus by the devil, Jesus had to reply with “It is written”. Keep the Word in your heart.
The Word of God is a cleansing agent. It cleans us up.
“that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”
(Ephesians 5:26 KJV)
By the Word, spots, wrinkles and blemishes are dealt with:
“that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
(Ephesians 5:27 KJV)
If you stay long enough with and in the Word, your life cannot remain the same. Do not let the devil lie to you to stop staying around the Word and studying the Word because your case is bad. He is a liar. The Word works. That addiction will bow to the Word. Stay there! Do not leave the church. Stay there!
You are free in Jesus’ name!