Do not be deceived

Is our God not an amazing God? This is one of those few, but oh so powerful, moments of clarity in my life. I am currently sitting in a local coffee shop, enjoying the beautiful NOLA fall, attempting to get caught up on my school work. Alas, I am forever distracted; this time I welcome the distraction as I contemplate how wonderfully intricate are the weavings of the author of the universe.

This last weekend, I lead a workshop for the New Orleans area Campus Crusade for Christ Fall Retreat. I did so reluctantly, as I felt overwhelmed with school, work, and life in general. (In fact, I would like to claim I was tricked into leading a workshop, but that argument is now a moot point.) I was asked to simply provide a time of testimony as my workshop; the Campus Crusade leader, Adam, felt that a lot of students would connect with me. Over the next week I prayed and asked God what on earth I would share with these students (in all honesty, I didn't think many students would select my workshop). I had decided that I would do what I had been asked, simply providing the testimony of my walk with Christ, how Christ had pursued me when I rejected Him, and how I now not only believe, but follow Christ. I shared with the students (a lot came!) my struggle with sexual immorality and the emotional toll it had taken on my life. I shared that as I struggled with sin and the overwhelming guilt of it all, I had believed I was too tattered, broken, and unpure to return to Christ or his body, the church. Luckily, I now know that guilt was a tool that Satan used to continue and prolong my seperation from Christ. We all stumble, but take heart, Christ has made us righteous, redeemed, and adopted us!

All of this is to say, after I came to terms with my sin and reconnected with Christ, I was at a conference where a very wise John Piper shared a piece of scripture I wish I would have heard earlier as I struggled with my sin. In it, we are reminded that after we sin, we will not allow the enemy to use it against us, but instead will bring it into the light so that Christ may use it to His glory. I shared this scripture with the students at the retreat:

Micah 7:8-10

Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

I will bear the indignation of the LORD Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, {And} I will see His righteousness.

Then my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will look on her; At that time she will be trampled down Like mire of the streets.



Christ has truly overcome our sins. We can have victory over our sins. We may dwell in darkness in that moment, but how much greater is our God for bringing us into the light. He will trample over our enemy, and He will see nothing but our righteousness!

After one of my workshops, a student that I know shared with me that her story was very similar to mine. She shared that as she moves beyond the sin, she has overwhelming feelings of inadequacy and feels as though she does not deserve the blessings of a Biblical, Christ following man because of her inpurity. I shared that I too struggled (and still struggle) with feeling inferior and inadequate. I shared a couple of things with her, one being a Beth Moore talk I saw a few years ago, where she talks about how as a woman she constantly compared herself to others she saw as more "pure, virtuous, and less sinful" than she. She asked us to ask ourselves "Who are you comparing yourself to?" and then to ask ourselves "Who is God comparing us to?". And with that, she shared that God looks at us and sees the righteousness that is Christ; nothing else. That is true forgiveness. We must learn to forgive ourselves! I also recommended that this young girl memorize a piece of scripture that reminds her of her place in Christ, something she can fall back on when she has those moments of doubt and feelings of inadequacy. I wanted to share that verse she chose, because it was soooooo powerful, and I thought it would be great for others to be reminded of:

I Cor.6:9-11
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
nor thieves, nor {the} covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

What I love about this verse is that it does not negate the fact that we have fallen and sinned against God, but rather, brings it into the light and shows the contrast of who we were and who we now are in Christ. We have been washed, and as much as Satan would like for us to doubt our place in Christ because of our sins, Christ continually reminds us of our place in Him.

I know that was lot, but it was on my heart. Have a great week!