"Pornography... That's Not Who You Are!"

The following was submitted by Ben, member of 423 Men:

"Freedom in Christ is not white knuckling it through temptation... Freedom in Christ is recognizing that sin is crap. And I just don't want anything to do with it." - Mike Erre, Live A Life Worthy

Brothers, Jesus is healing me, and I have faith that He is at work in your lives as well. He has been using the teaching called "Live A Life Worthy" by Mike Erre whose podcast you can find under the "Identity" series at http://www.ajesuschurch.org/. I have confidence that meditating on this teaching will help you gain some kingdom toughness that we all need.

Here's what I have come away with after listening to "Live a Life Worthy":

We've been adopted into the Kingdom and with new life breathed into us. We've all knelt before the Almighty at some point in our lives but we don't always embrace our new identity in Christ. We sometimes live as if we still haven't earned it or don't deserve it. The problem is that both of those are true but neither are required. Identity in Christ is not obtainable by effort nor can anything in our past keep us from the new identity we've been given. We've all been knighted as holy, righteous, and blameless in Christ.

There is not one place in the New Testament where believers are called sinners. We are not sinners who sometimes do right. We are Saints who sometimes sin against our Lord. The Word says that we are to forgive as many times as it takes because we have been forgiven of everything by our Heavenly Father. I urge you, my brothers, to remember your new identity daily and to learn to forgive yourselves of past sins no matter how difficult this may be. Your shame truly has been washed away.

"Live A Life Worthy" is definitely not about earning acceptance from Almighty God. It is about the personal realization that the sin you continue to commit is destroying you. Your new identity is in Christ! There is no reason for saints, that's you, to identify with it. So why would you go back to it? That's Not Who You Are! We can all learn together how to live out the identity we already have in Christ Jesus.

"The goal is to be what you already are. Do you understand the significance of this? Do you see how liberating from the condemnation and the empty moralism in the Christian community this is?" -Mike Erre, Live A Life Worthy

Pervert... That's Not Who You Are!
Addict... That's Not Who You Are!
Fantasy... That's Not Who You Are!
Pornography... That's Not Who You Are!

So... why would you go back?

"You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light"

1st Peter 2.9

"Why would I go back? I've tasted what's that's like and I've tasted what this [freedom in Christ] is like. And I want this period. Which is freedom." -Mike Erre, Live A Life Worthy

- Ben