Counsel #9 — Struggling To Overcome Sin?

Picture: Counsel #9 — Struggling To Overcome Sin?CSL 99.1

Come to Jesus in prayer just as you are. Don’t wait to clean yourself up so Christ will like you more! Satan cannot overcome a person who keeps hold of God through prayer. But trying to overcome sin without Christ equals failure.CSL 99.2

Abiding in Christ^{[111]Abiding/staying in Christ means having faith in Christ alone. It’s evidenced by trusting Him, continually deepening your relationship with Him through repentance, connecting with Him daily, believing His word, loving Him and others, listening for His voice and obeying Him.} is foundational to overcoming sin. It's in this intimate union with Him that we draw the strength and grace to resist temptation. Our growth in spiritual maturity, the depth of our joy, and our effectiveness in serving others are all inextricably linked to our oneness with Christ. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit apart from the vine, we also cannot conquer sin without remaining connected to our life-giving source, Christ. Through this abiding relationship, we tap into His divine nature, allowing His love and power to transform us from within.^{[112]https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-abiding-christ/}CSL 99.3

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4 NKJVCSL 99.4

“[God] is able to keep that which we have given to Him. If we leave ourselves in His hands, He will give us power through Jesus to make sure that we win the battle against Satan.” Ellen White in Steps to Jesus, p. 71CSL 99.5

Reflect: How does understanding that God is able to keep you from falling^{[113]Jude 1:24} encourage and strengthen you in your struggle?CSL 99.6