Main Street Baptist Church

(Wednesday, July 16, 2008) Americans don’t have trouble losing weight. Most people lose hundreds of pounds in their lifetime. The problem isn’t loosing weight – it’s keeping it off! Likewise in our Christian life, we don’t have problem quitting the sin(s) that seem to defeat us. We quit them often, over and over, hundreds of times in any given year. The problem isn’t renouncing the sin and turning from it, the problem is to keep staying away from it.

Sustained weight loss, without gaining the weight back, is quite a feat. So is ongoing and continual victory against sin. Yet each is an absolute must if we are to be healthy physically or spiritually. When we are carrying weights we shouldn’t, either physical pounds or spiritual habits and sins, our health (spiritual or physical) is undermined and our effectiveness is affected. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Getting ride of extra weight is a must to meet our potential.

Confessing sin is easy, but not letting the sin back is much more difficult. We can only do this as we keep our eyes on Jesus and continually offer ourselves to Him for His use (Romans 12:1-2). So don’t let those extra pounds creep on and undercut your health. But even more so, don’t let that hidden, persistent sin deepen its roots and continue to drain the spiritual life from you. Confess it, shed that weight. Then make sure you don’t let it back. Take whatever steps necessary to get it off and keep it off!