Don't Go Back to the Pit!!!

We used to go to the country side a lot in Florida.  Okay, I know what you’re thinking…what country in Florida?  But trust me, where I grew up, the country was never too far away.  The home we went to sat behind a corn field.  We always knew when we were close because of the ripe stench of poo in the air. Somehow we were related to the people whose house we went to…but at 10 years old, all of the details didn’t matter.  Just the fact that we were going to have some fun on a farm.  However, every time we’d go, somehow I’d always get put in charge of feeding the pigs.  Yuck!  Pigs, really?!  So I trudged out to the pig sty only to watch them wallow relentlessly in the mud.  It was like a competition to see who could get the dirtiest.  Then after wrestling around in the pit, the pigs would lay in satisfaction basking in swarming flies.  Ahh, good times.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

What brought that memory back to me was a thought I had a couple of days ago.  About how we as Christians, get cleaned up and brand new on the inside…but because of the familiarity of our sinful natures, sometimes we go wallowing back in the sty of sin.  I think sometimes being in the midst of our filth is more comfortable to us than the new, uncomfortable feeling of “living right.”  I mean, think of the pig…or let me use an example that many of us probably have seen…a dog.  When a dog gets washed, nice and clean, smelling fresh and good…what’s the first thing it runs for when released?  If outside, the dirt or grass.  Why?  Because that’s its nature.  That’s what it is used to.  Dirt.  Filth.

Jeremiah 33:8 (NLT) I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion.

There were issues God revealed to me about my own ways.  My attitude.  My thoughts. Just filthy.  Okay, not in “that” way but filthy as in “nice nasty.”  I’d cut a person into shards without them even knowing it.  Here’s the kicker, just because a sin isn’t known publically, doesn’t mean it’s not known in secret…because of course God knows all.  And here it was, I didn’t WANT to get rid of my attitude.  I didn’t FEEL that my thoughts hurt anyone.  Oh how I was wrong.  Because see every time I chose sin over God, I put more distance between He and I.

2 Peter 1:9 (NCV) But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly.  He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins.

By nature we are ALL sinners.  Daily we have to fight to maintain our salvation and deliverance.  That’s what the Apostle Paul makes clear in Galatians 5:16-17.  There will ALWAYS be a struggle between our old and new selves.  However, there is a difference between that and WILLFULLY returning to our sinful natures…or “the pig sty.”

Galatians 5:17(NLT) The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.  And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.  These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

This is the bottom line…nothing is hidden from God.  We all have to fight daily to not return to the sty of sin.  Temptations come and will continue to come.  People will work our nerves.  Situations will flop.  We will get disappointed.  The list goes on and on.  In all of that, we STILL have the choice to decide what we choose…to maintain our salvation OR return to the pit.

Which will you choose?