No You May Not

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Jerry Sandusky is guilty. After listening to the morning talking heads, it seems that there is little if any hope that he will ever get out of prison. He was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse. Now the focus will be shifting back to Penn State's culpability in the whole situation. We still don't know the impact upon the legacy of Penn State as well as Joe Paterno's mystique.

Thoughts on Joe Paterno's Legacy

Weirdly enough, in January, in the middle of all the legal wrangling, Sandusky asked permission for visitiation rights for his grandchildren while he was under house arrest. He felt is was unfair for his grandchildren not to have their grandfather around as he was waiting for his trial for 48 counts of child sex abuse charges. I have no idea if the parents of his grandchildren were willing to give permission for him to visit with grandpa. I just know the judge was okay with it.

Regardless of what the judge decided, as a parent, if I was asked permission for a grandfather who has been accused of sex abuse of children...did you get that? ...children...sexually abused. This is as dangerous to these children as a Moon Pie would be at a Fat Farm. It's playing with fire. My answer would be "NO, YOU MAY NOT!"

In our Christian walk, we are also playing with fire. We think we can give ourselves permission to sin. Think of it this way, Sin comes to us and demands the right to run our life. Many times we answer with a question, "Do I have choice?" The truth is you do not. Here's the Truth: sin is no longer your master, and you never have to allow it access to your life ever again. Your only choice is to refuse sin access. That is the what the Bible lets us know with this exhortation:

Sin shall not be your master. Romans 6:14

So, here is how we can and should live as Christians, not in misery, but in joy. Sin delights in making us miserable. God never intended for our Christian life to be like that. This is why Jesus entered human history. Not only to free us from the guilt of sin by forgiving us, but also to deliver is from the power of sin by sanctifying us (the process of making us holy). When it comes to our salvation, there can be no distinction between forgiving us and making us holy. It is all a result of what happens the moment we ask Christ Jesus to be our Forgiver (Savior) and Leader (Lord).

Why then do so many Christians continue to be ruled by sin? They have not been given the information they need to live an overcoming life. It is Satan's greatest weapon against believers...just keep them in the dark.

That is no longer the case. We now know that Christ empowers us to live life joyfully and without guilt. Knowledge can be your quantum leap in weapon technology when it comes to defeating sin and living as God intended. That is why the next time sin comes to you with temptation and asks, "May I?" All you need answer is, "NO, YOU MAY NOT!"

Pastor Trey Rhodes

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