If you feel yourself infected by a sinful habit of mind, body, or spirit, you are probably eager to be healed of that habit and have your life transformed. If so, your desire shows that your conscience is still alive and that the Holy Spirit is working inside you to will what God wills. What you are feeling is a godly restlessness\u2014a dissatisfaction with the things of this world and a yearning for the things that are from above.<\/p>\n
The Soul Prescription<\/em> process is designed to help you achieve the spiritual health you desire. Before we get to the prescription for your soul, however, we want to present another key idea: you not only need to be cleansed of your sin, but at the same time you need to be filled with holiness.<\/p>\n We may get rid of a compulsive thought, attitude, or behavior temporarily, perhaps through an exertion of willpower or by some type of therapy. That\u2019s good as far as it goes. Yet if we do not cooperate with God to supply a new thought, attitude, or behavior to take its place, the sin is likely to come back into our lives with a vengeance.\u00b9 What a sad outcome! As Peter said, \u201cWhen people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before\u201d (2 Peter 2:20). They are worse off than before because they have fallen more deeply into a sin habit.<\/p>\n In the past, have you had trouble making your resolutions to quit sinning stick? Maybe it is because you concentrated on the negative part of the equation (eliminating sin) and forgot about the positive part (adding holiness). Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, has rightly said, \u201cWe cannot say no to temptation without saying yes to something far better.\u201d<\/p>\n It is like defeating cancer: doctors not only want to destroy the cancerous cells but also boost the body\u2019s ability to replenish healthy cells. We need to tear down sin habits in our lives and replace them with virtue habits.<\/p>\n If we leave a vacancy in our spiritual lives, it will be filled with something. Either the same sin will return (perhaps grown more powerful) or another will come in to take its place. If you quit getting drunk, for example, you might start overeating. Instead of that kind of setback, let\u2019s allow holy qualities to flow in and fill the space vacated by a sinful practice. That is the biblical way.<\/p>\n Click here to continue reading abridged chapter 2: THE SECRET TO LASTING HEALTH<\/a><\/p>\n Click here to let us know how this helped you.<\/a> The Bible pairs the idea of eliminating sin with the idea of adopting holiness so consistently that we must take it to be an important principle of the Christian life. One of the clearest examples occurs in the letter to the Colossians. Here Paul used the image of taking off the old clothing of sin and putting on the new clothing of holiness (notice especially the emphasized phrases below).<\/p>\n \u201cPut to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don\u2019t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. \u2026 Get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don\u2019t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. \u2026 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other\u2019s faults and forgive the person who offends you … The most important piece of clothing you must wear is love … Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts … Always be thankful.\u201d (Colossians 3:5-15)<\/p>\n Nobody in their right mind would take off their clothes without sooner or later putting clothes on again. In the same way, figuratively speaking, we cannot take off the rags of sin without putting some clothes back on. Either we will don the shining new garments of holiness or we will put those dirty rags of wickedness back on.<\/p>\n In case you might consider all this to be merely theoretical, let us challenge you with a few practical questions:<\/p>\n As we all know, old clothes can sometimes be the most comfortable. And in the same way, our old habits of sin can seem easiest for us to wear. The problem is that they are morally shabby and are inappropriate attire for one who wants to enter the presence of the King. We need to judge our sin by the objective standard of Scripture, not by the temporary pleasure or comfort it might give us. Otherwise, we might not see its destructiveness until it is too late. The \u201ccomfortable\u201d clothes always become restrictive in the end. Whatever your particular sin problem might be, therefore, you need God\u2019s grace to remove it from your life and then begin to \u201cwear\u201d a new, holier attitude in its place.<\/p>\n And how do you do this? First, you identify your sin. Then you ask God for His help in defeating the sin once for all. You also seek the Spirit\u2019s transforming power to establish new and better habits in your life. (Note: These are just the basics. We will be introducing a more thorough process for healing a sin habit at the end of this chapter.) Of course, in practice, the putting off\/putting on process looks a little different in everyone\u2019s life.<\/p>\n This biblical image of changing clothes is a memorable one. An even more familiar image from the Bible\u2014namely, fruit bearing\u2014makes the same point, though with a twist.<\/p>\n Click here to continue reading abridged chapter 2: THE SECRET TO LASTING HEALTH<\/a><\/p>\n Click here to let us know how this helped you.<\/a> Many Christians would name Galatians 5:22-23\u2014the passage about the \u201cfruit of the Spirit\u201d\u2014as among their favorite verses in the Bible. But are you aware that Galatians 5 refers not to one kind of fruit but to two? The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, and all the rest, surely enough, but before that our old nature produces a welter of shameful sins.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin . . .<\/p>\n But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.\u201d (Galatians 5:19-23)<\/p>\n The fruit of the sinful nature correspond to the filthy clothing we are to remove, while the fruit of the Spirit correspond to the clean clothes of righteousness.<\/p>\n The twist is this: while the Colossians 3 passage about changing clothes implies that we have to make a personal effort at combating sin, the Galatians 5 passage about fruit bearing brings out more strongly the role of the Holy Spirit in our godliness. If the Spirit has control of our lives, we will live in a way that reflects the holiness of God. It is as natural as a healthy grapevine bearing big, juicy grapes.<\/p>\n As you seek to substitute holiness for the habitual sin in your life, remember that the effort is a cooperative endeavor between you and God. Of course, you have your own part to play\u2014you have to decide to act in accordance with God\u2019s holy commands and then follow through. But even more importantly, the Holy Spirit is at the same time working in you to help you stop doing what is wrong and start doing what is right. His help is primary and crucial to your deliverance from sin. His power is what makes it happen.<\/p>\n Maybe you need a new filling of the Holy Spirit so that you can reengage your enemy (your sin habit) with a powerful ally (the Spirit) by your side. In the words of P. T. Forsyth, \u201cUnless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is about us.\u201d<\/p>\n We all receive the Holy Spirit when we come to believe in Christ. But each of us can receive a fresh filling of the Spirit from time to time if we will seek God for it. Ask God to send His Spirit to you in greater fullness than ever, then attune your spirit to what God\u2019s Spirit is telling you. (See: \u201cHow to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n Personal effort is part of the solution. But nothing helps in the battle to be sin-free and virtue-full more than the Holy Spirit. \u201cWherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom\u201d (2 Corinthians 3:17). Indeed, freedom from sin and the freedom to be holy can be yours only through the Spirit.<\/p>\n Becoming a person of virtue means not only taking off the rags of sin but also putting on robes of righteousness. It means not only pruning away the fruit of the sinful nature but also letting the fruit of the Spirit ripen to perfection.<\/p>\n Does that sound like something that\u2019s easier said than done? Well, you are right. But there is a way to do it, and it is through a process called \u201cspiritual breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n Click here to continue reading abridged chapter 2: THE SECRET TO LASTING HEALTH<\/a><\/p>\n Click here to let us know how this helped you.<\/a> In the process of breathing, our lungs expel carbon dioxide (dangerous to our health) and take in oxygen (needed for proper tissue function). Similarly, spiritual breathing is \u201cexhaling\u201d guilt through confession and \u201cinhaling\u201d grace through filling by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n Whenever we have sinned, we can \u201cbreathe\u201d in this way.<\/p>\n The main difference between the two kinds of breathing is this: physical breathing is automatic, while spiritual breathing is voluntary. We choose to breathe spiritually. (See: \u201cSpiritual Breathing.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n The key to spiritual breathing is stopping a sin as soon as we are convicted of it. Otherwise, we will just reinforce a sin habit. Rather than letting the sin go on, we bring it before God and ask His forgiveness. Assuming our repentance is real, we can be confident that He will forgive. \u201cIf we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong\u201d (1 John 1:9).<\/p>\n But we do not stop there. We seek God further for grace to obey Him in the future. As the apostle John said, \u201cI am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin \u2026\u201d (1 John 2:1). In other words, while we may be freed from habitual sins, we will never be free from temptation and human weakness as long as we live in this world. Sin always remains a possibility, and so we never outgrow the need for grace.<\/p>\n God is faithful. He is like a kind father who gives his children what they need.\u00b2 Our God gladly gives us what we ask for, as long as it is in line with His will, and so of course He gives the resources we need to escape temptation. His mercy is what makes it possible for us to be filled with virtues where formerly we were full of sin.<\/p>\n Spiritual breathing does something wonderful for us. It helps us achieve and maintain holiness. And holiness is another name for Christ-likeness.<\/p>\n Hebrews 1:3 states that \u201cthe Son reflects God\u2019s own glory, and everything about Him represents God exactly.\u201d While we sinners have had the image of God in us marred by sin, Jesus Christ perfectly reflects the image of God. This is not surprising\u2014since He is God!<\/p>\n Meanwhile, it is God\u2019s will that we conform ourselves to Christ. He chose us \u201cto become like His Son\u201d (Romans 8:29). How does that happen? \u201cAs the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more\u201d (2 Corinthians 3:18).<\/p>\n So we are back to the role of the Holy Spirit. We become holy through with the help of the Holy Spirit. And as we become more holy, we become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus the process of replacing virtues for vices is a part of our God-ordained goal of Christ-likeness.<\/p>\n Preeminent among the Christ-like virtues is love.<\/p>\n Click here to continue reading abridged chapter 2: THE SECRET TO LASTING HEALTH<\/a><\/p>\n Click here to let us know how this helped you.<\/a> Every virtue is important, but none other is so important as love. To Jesus, love for God and love for people represented the sum of all obedience (see Matthew 22:34-40). When Paul talked about taking off the rags of sin and putting on new garments of righteousness, he commented, \u201cThe most important piece of clothing you must wear is love\u201d (Colossians 3:14).<\/p>\n The same preeminence of love is supported in 1 Corinthians 13, where we see love split into its elements the way a prism separates light into the spectrum of color.<\/p>\n \u201cLove is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.\u201d (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)<\/p>\n It has been said that the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is a portrait of the character of Jesus. That\u2019s true. And since for us becoming more holy means becoming more like Christ, 1 Corinthians 13 also describes the character that God wants to instill in each of us. We should see ourselves reflected in the biblical description of love.<\/p>\n In Soul Prescription,<\/em> we present ten different sin families. But there is a virtue family too, and its parent is the virtue of love. Just as you will seek the Holy Spirit\u2019s help to implant moderation or purity or other virtues into your life, so you should seek His help to make you more loving. Your life will not be fully healed until you exhibit Christ-like love for all.<\/p>\n Friend, we know that you want to become more loving and therefore more like Jesus. But at the moment you may be feeling less like Jesus than like a sufferer from chronic sin sickness. It is time to turn to our prescription for healing.<\/p>\n We need a plan for healing\u2014that is, a plan of healing from habitual sin. We need to wipe out the lust or gluttony or conceit or other sin that has gotten a hold on our life.<\/p>\n God, in His Word, has provided principles for defeating the sins that trouble us. What we have done in Soul Prescription<\/em> is to organize these principles into a five-step process that can help put an end to your sin habit.<\/p>\n Here are the five steps in an overview:<\/p>\n Underlying all of these steps is a prayerful relationship with God through Christ. Prayer starts the healing process, keeps it going, and ensures its lasting effect. Prayer is the means by which we gain God\u2019s perspective on our life, and it opens us to His influence upon us.<\/p>\n Along with generous doses of prayer, then, the five steps constitute our prescription for your life. It is a proven treatment plan, and many ex-sufferers can testify of its ability to cure the sickness of sin. We urge you to try it if you want to be healed from the soul weakness that a sin habit has given you and to be transformed.<\/p>\n Of course, there is much more to each of these five steps and their implementation than the overview reveals. In the following five chapters we will take each of the steps in turn and explain it in depth so that you will understand thoroughly what it means. This will provide the complete prescription for your healing.<\/p>\n We begin with a step in the process that many people overlook but that is nevertheless foundational to a lasting liberation from sin\u2014and a lasting establishment of holiness. We must see God for who He really is.<\/p>\n Click here to read abridged chapter 3: STEP ONE – KNOWING GOD<\/a><\/p>\n\u00b9In this book, when we refer to \u201ccooperating\u201d with God, we mean acknowledging that He provides the answers in His Word, the Bible, and then submitting to those commands.<\/h6>\n
\n<\/p>\nDressed for Godliness<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/p>\nFruitful for God<\/h2>\n
Filled with Power<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nSpiritual Breathing<\/h2>\n
Quest for Christ-likeness<\/h2>\n
\u00b2We recognize that God\u2019s kindness does not mean that He never allows suffering to enter the lives of His children. See Bill Bright, Why Do Christians Suffer?<\/em> (Orlando, FL: New Life, 2000).<\/h6>\n
\n<\/p>\nLove: The Main Virtue<\/h2>\n
The Soul Prescription<\/h2>\n
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