False Intimacy: Created to Be Relational
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 NLT
Thoughts for Today
As Dr. Schaumburg states in False Intimacy, if we are trying so hard to satisfy our need for intimate relationship, we must have been designed from the beginning to need intimacy ... with God and others.
In Genesis 2:7, we read that God carefully formed the first man, Adam, from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils. Through this intimate contact with the Creator, man became a living being.
Then God created Eve to be Adam's companion. He said the man should not be alone (Genesis 2:18). So, from the beginning human relationship has been critical to our well-being. God created us to be relational.
Woman was formed from deep within man; they were of the same body, formed with great care by God. They shared the same life that God had breathed into man. They were one flesh.
Consider this …
Adam and Eve knew perfect intimacy with each other and shared an intimate relationship with God, walking and talking with him each day. They were completely open and honest with him. And they shared everything with each other. But these perfect connections were broken when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God ... to listen to the serpent's lies instead of God's truth. Shame and guilt entered the couple and they hid from God. This was the end of their perfect intimacy with God and with each other. Physical death became a reality and God drove them from his presence.
Like Adam and Eve, we have all sinned, and that sin breaks our connection with God. We live with an inner void can never be filled by anyone or anything other than God. As today's scripture teaches, when we trust Christ Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, the life-giving Holy Spirit frees us from the power of sin.
Prayer
God, I have sinned. I feel shame and guilt. I know that I need forgiveness through Jesus. I choose to turn from my sin. I choose to follow Jesus. Please forgive me and free me from the power of sin. In Jesus' name ...
These thoughts were drawn from … Crossroads: Choosing the Road to Sexual Purity by David E. Longacre. Crossroads deals with choosing the road to sexual purity and is suggested for use in support groups and Christian counseling.
- Describes the sexual addiction process
- Shows how the sin of proximity often precedes sexual sins
- Shows the way out of sexual addiction
- Presents biblical insights to help a person break free and stay free
- Gives practical actions for renewing the mind
- Serves as a powerful evangelistic tool by providing a way to minister to people's felt needs and then pointing them to Christ
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