I watched a video on Instagram recently where a lady was talking about her struggles.
She said
‘My affections and actions are off the rails and I’m not doing it out of rebellion. I’m doing these things in search of comfort and now I’m looking for the line. Where is the line in loving God but still entertaining the affections of the flesh? And at what point does someone stop being a Christian?’
‘I know I’m living in unrepentant sin but also know that being a Christian means loving the Lord and loving the Lord means surrendering to Him. I don’t want to find out what the line of the end of grace is and I want to change before that but I don’t know how to do it.’
It honestly reminds me of the same way unbelievers think God can never forgive their sins, and for that reason, they continue living in sin. Obviously, she loves God; otherwise, she wouldn’t be struggling with this in the first place. But I think the main issue is her perspective, her definition of comfort is the beginning of the problem. The Bible is full of phrases that point out the wickedness of our hearts and our sinful nature, e.g.: Genesis 8:21 & Mark 7:21-23.
This means that our definition of comfort or pleasure is inherently flawed because of our human nature. Any form of pleasure we seek by relying on our fleshy desires will ultimately lead to sin. I’m not even talking about the heavy sins like sexual immorality; even smaller things like gluttony, pride, gossip, malice, and so on also come from the flesh.
God knows we are sinful by nature, which is why we have to be reborn when we come to Him (John 3:1-21). Being born again is not a trivial statement. It means putting the flesh to death, denying yourself the things you know your flesh would enjoy and refusing to indulge them because they go against the Word of God.
It means surrendering to the will of the Father, no matter how heavy the cross may be. Being a Christian is far more demanding than we sometimes realize, and there are many responsibilities that come with it.
Just loving God isn’t enough and definitely doesn’t justify disobedience. Love alone can never sustain any type of relationship. Every thriving relationship requires effort, respect, patience, understanding, and communication. If we put even half as much energy into our relationship with God as we do into our earthly relationships, we wouldn’t trivialize sin so much.
Her heart is in the right place, but it’s not enough. She claims to love God, yet her actions don’t show it (James 2:14-26). Imagine if you and your best friend set certain rules for yourselves, and you know why they exist, yet you keep breaking them over and over again. Can you blame them for not wanting to be friends anymore?
It’s the same with God. Yes, He loves us, cares for us, cherishes us, and looks out for us. But constantly grieving His Spirit shouldn’t be our response to His grace.
She is wise for not wanting to find out where the line is but the earlier she breaks free from these actions, the better. If she continues this way, there’s a risk that one day her Spirit won’t be grieved anymore when she sins. The Holy Spirit might go silent since she refuses to listen, and this is the beginning of one’s downfall.
I don’t know where the line is, and I don’t want to find out. I pray for everyone who is struggling with temptation and sin, that they would win the battle. This race is not for the weak, and until the end, we will keep facing obstacles. But we can never give up and must keep sharpening ourselves. Don’t ever get to the point where God might want to spit you out because you’ve become too lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16).
Stay Blessed x
