Don't rebuild the rubble

I was reading this morning in Galatians chapter 2. Verse 18 states, "For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor." Paul was talking here about returning to the Law and refusing to live under grace. This really hit home with me concerning sexual purity.

I did some pretty awful things when I was following my addiction. Those activities and thoughts became part of a sort of sexual addiction "house" that I spent 13 years constructing. When God set me free the house was toppled over and replaced with the truth of God's grace and forgiveness. But the rubble remains.

Part of my journey over the past 5 years has been to sift through the rubble of my addiction and piece by piece toss the ruins of my former ways into God's fire of restoration. But sometimes I get distracted by particular pieces that I pick up. I am again enticed and intrigued by the lure of the old rubble. But I am reminded that the structure was destroyed, and to be enamored by a broken shard of lust or greed is a dangerous waste of time.

It's easy to want to return to the old ways of doing things. There was a specific structure and format to the way things were done. But God is urging me to live by faith, and unleash the power of His grace and mercy in my life to the benefit of those around me. As I burn the rubble of my sinful past I clear the way for building a foundation of truth and faith that cannot be shaken or destroyed. As Paul stated, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

Let's build something that lasts...

jonathan