Developing the Self Leader

GETTING STARTED

In this week’s devotion, we will consider author Steve Brown’s

(2015) next “bungee” from which we should unhook: unconfessed

sin.

The Christian faith teaches in

R

omans 8:1

-

2

(new tab)

: “Therefore,

there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life

has set you free from the law of sin and death.” While this is

remarkable in the freedom it

describes, this verse should not be

misunderstood; Christ’s death and resurrection did not create for

us a license to sin. The writer of Romans, Apostle Paul, cautioned

against that notion when he wrote in

Roman 6:1

-

2

(new tab)

:

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace

may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin;

how can we live in it any longer?”

What God offers each one of us

, through the redemptive work that

Christ’s death and resurrection represent and the work of the Holy

Spirit, is the freedom to pursue a holy life.

1 Peter 1:14

-

1

6

(new

tab)

illustrates this clearly for us: “As obedient children, do not

conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for

it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

O

f course, the Christ follower’s efforts to live in holiness are not

perfect. At one time or another, everyone falls short. However,

that in no way diminishes the Christian’s identity as a child of God

or the righteousness that Christ provides. As Brown (20

15) noted,

failures to live in holiness

“negatively impact our relationships

with God, with others and with ourselves” (p. 67). The response,

instead, should be to confess sin to God by repenting. Leading

oneself well also means viewing unconfessed sin as

yet another

bungee cord in which one must unhook and from which one should

disentangle. In

1 John 1:

9

(new tab)

, we read that “if we confess

our sins, he is faith

ful and just and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all unrighteousness.” How liberating is that?!

INSTRUCTIONS

1.

Use a Bible

or internet search engine to locate two different

Bible passages that address cautions about the negative

impact of sin in our lives and/or insights about how we

GETTING STARTED

In this week’s devotion, we will consider author Steve Brown’s

(2015) next “bungee” from which we should unhook: unconfessed

sin.

The Christian faith teaches in Romans 8:1-2(new tab): “Therefore,

there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life

has set you free from the law of sin and death.” While this is

remarkable in the freedom it describes, this verse should not be

misunderstood; Christ’s death and resurrection did not create for

us a license to sin. The writer of Romans, Apostle Paul, cautioned

against that notion when he wrote in Roman 6:1-2(new tab):

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace

may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin;

how can we live in it any longer?”

What God offers each one of us, through the redemptive work that

Christ’s death and resurrection represent and the work of the Holy

Spirit, is the freedom to pursue a holy life. 1 Peter 1:14-16(new

tab) illustrates this clearly for us: “As obedient children, do not

conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for

it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Of course, the Christ follower’s efforts to live in holiness are not

perfect. At one time or another, everyone falls short. However,

that in no way diminishes the Christian’s identity as a child of God

or the righteousness that Christ provides. As Brown (2015) noted,

failures to live in holiness “negatively impact our relationships

with God, with others and with ourselves” (p. 67). The response,

instead, should be to confess sin to God by repenting. Leading

oneself well also means viewing unconfessed sin as yet another

bungee cord in which one must unhook and from which one should

disentangle. In 1 John 1:9(new tab), we read that “if we confess

our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all unrighteousness.” How liberating is that?!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use a Bible or internet search engine to locate two different

Bible passages that address cautions about the negative

impact of sin in our lives and/or insights about how we