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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: FRESH (04/29/21)
It's been said that every day we wake up, it is the first day of the rest of our lives, providing each one of us with an opportunity to make a fresh start.

It is at the start of each day that we choose to continue on the same road that we are on, or choose to make a fresh start and begin to walk a different path.

We cannot change our past, nor can we get away from many of the consequences resulting from the negative choices we have made. In one way or another, while here on Earth or in eternity, we do reap a crop from the seeds that we have sown.

At the same time, excess baggage (e.g. past sin that has been confessed and forsaken) has to be eliminated to lighten the load moving forward.

Rear view mirrors serve a purpose, but failing to keep your eyes on the road ahead can be disastrous.

The purpose for the remaining or irreversible consequences is to serve as a reminder for us not to repeat the same sin, and/or for others not to take the same path (Acts 5).

The sad part is not so much that we fail. That, after all, is what human beings do. The sad part is when we don't learn by the experience.

In His mercy, we often do not receive all of the potential consequences for the negative choices we have made.

One cannot find or stay on the path (Luke 9: 23) that God has in mind for a born again believer as long as there is sin that has not been confessed (1John 1: 9) and forsaken (John 8:11).

In the times in which we are living, what the Bible labels as sin and/or evil has the growing support of private, public, religious, and governmental groups and institutions.

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke.

Scripture warns those who call evil good, and good evil (Isa. 5: 20).
We were ALL born "that way," having an inherent nature that is bent on engaging in sin and evil (Gen. 6: 5) while being hostile (Romans 8: 7) towards God and the things of God.

We do not all have the same evil or sinful tendencies, but James 2: 10 clearly teaches that that the ones we do have places all of us in the same boat.The spiritual battle is NOT with fellow sinners, but with the internal (Romans 7: 23) and external (Eph. 6: 12) forces of evil that promote sin.

When and where sin becomes socially accepted and there is no opposition, it becomes all the more unlikely that large scale repentance and fresh starts will be on the horizon any time soon.

But just because society is going down the toilet is no reason to go with the flow!

Secular and Biblical history discloses there is nothing new about any of these activities. They have preceded the inevitable fall of many nations, empires, and religious institutions.

The Bible concedes that sin has its season of satisfaction and pleasure (Hebrews 11: 25). Experience and/or observation indicates that these "pleasures" can last for a lifetime and even in the manner of death (Psalms 73).

The prosperity of the wicked is a challenge for many believers to deal with throughout human history (Psalms 73).

As one spiritually matures, what the world has to offer becomes less and less of an interest.

It is the convicting by (John16: 10) God the Holy Spirit that provides the motivation, ability, and opportunity for fresh starts.

The fresh start that God has in mind for unbelievers is to be born again (John 3: 7).

The fresh start that God has in mind for babes in Christ (1Cor. 3: 1) is to identify and execute the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.

The fresh start that God has in mind for back-sliding disciples to stop the slide (Rev. 2: 1 - Rev. 3: 22) and then move forward along the road to spiritual maturity.

The fresh start that God has in mind for advancing disciples is to embrace ambassadorship (2Cor. 5: 20).

In each stage along the road to spiritual maturity, there will be opposition, set-backs, wrong turns, and failures.

But nothing frustrates the devil more than to have thrown his best punch, only to see his intended target get back up, and start afresh.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Dolores Stohler 
05/06/21
You've made some very good points. I can see you're great at organizing things. Good job!
Penny Neimiller 
05/08/21
I felt like I was reading something from the book of Proverbs...Little bits of wisdom, instruction, warnings etc.
Some good reminders.
Laurie Kiel 
05/10/21
Important points for us all to remember. Good job.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
05/12/21
You make some great points. I liked how you brought the Scripture into your message. I'd urge you to use your own words instead of quotes or clichés. You have an important message and need to trust your own words. You did a nice job of writing on topic and delivering a clear message.