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Turn Sin Into Victory
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1 KJV).
The journey of the young shepherd David who killed Goliath and later in life became King and psalmist of Isreal is one of my favorite stories of redemption.
He committed adultery and murdered the woman’s husband—a husband who happened to be his friend and one of the top 37 warriors in his army. Every negative emotion engulfed him – guilt, shame, regret, depression, hopelessness.
Here are some ways David achieved victory over his sins, and we can too!
Ask for His mercy.
I love the King James version of Psalm 86:5. “For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee (emphasis added).” Our Lord is forgiving and good and pours out His love to all who call to Him. The key here is to be intentional and actively call upon Him.
Let’s not kid ourselves here. God does not tolerate sin. He despises it. However, if a person will truly repent of that sin, He loves to be merciful in accordance with Psalm 51:1, “Have mercy on me, oh God.”
God is still merciful even though he may allow some of the consequences of sin to happen (as he did with David). However, His most profound nature is mercy. The Prodigal Son’s father ran to meet his son even before the son said a word. The son was actively seeking and walking toward the father.
Ask for His cleansing.
Our sins are like filthy rags to God. David’s sin was a stain upon him. He felt unclean in his heart. He knew that only God could clean and restore such a stain. So, he asked God to “wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51: 7).
We all enjoy clean clothes, bedding, and a clean house. David desired a clean heart and wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Many men enjoy the clean feeling after a hot shower and a shave. The real clean feeling occurs by having a clean heart and conscience that no longer plagues you.
Every gift needs a giver and a receiver. The cleansing of God must be requested and accepted in order to receive His cleansing and restoration. The Blood of Christ allows us to be presented to God as clean and without fault. Scripture teaches, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Ask for His joy.
Scripture teaches that the wages of sin are death. A consequence of sin is also depression and guilt. A man without hope is spiritually dead. Victory over sin requires sincere repentance and restores a right relationship with God. David asked for joy as part of his prayer in Psalm 51:8. “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.”
Happiness comes and goes but the joy of the Lord is constant. However, we can not feel His joy when we are enslaved by negative emotions. An important step in turning sin into victory is to ask God to give us a renewed sense of joy. This joy is not happiness or giddiness, but the supernatural manifestation of a clean heart.
Ask for His joy, embrace it, and abide in it. Ask Him to open doors for ministry again.
Everyone reading this has overcome some sort of adversity in their life. We all have a story to share, but there is more to share. We can now use our story for ministry to others that are in the middle of the same valley that we have been.
Sin, mistakes, false accusations, and adversity do not define us. The Bible defines us and does so by telling us that we are all children of God. As His children, we all have been uniquely equipped by ministry – maybe its by our spiritual gifts or maybe it is by our past adversity. In either case, as long as we are alive, we have a ministry. Some people have told me in the past that they are physically unable to engage in ministry. I remind them that a powerful ministry awaits them by praying for themselves, family, friends, local church, evangelists, first responders, and government leaders.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for providing us a pathway to turn sin into victory. Thank you for your love and grace. Thank you for the blood of Jesus that has paid for our sins. Send your Holy Spirit to guide us as we navigate the pathway back to you after we sin. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Certified Lay Minister and Men’s Ministry Specialist through Francis Asbury Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Country Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a contributor to Project XII and Baton Rouge Parents Magazine. He is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Additionally, he’s the author of the inspiring book “Fathering A Special Needs Child.” Todd also enjoys filling the pulpit to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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