Lesson 25 Washing at the Cross: Drawn out of Sin
Testimonies and Questions 8 and 9
Colleen writes, "I first discovered self-gratification when I was very young, and like most, I did not understand it at all. This self-gratification continued and along the way pornography and lusts over crushes and celebrities fell in and contributed to this vicious cycle. I used these sins to escape my loneliness, and when I felt the emptiness, I went online and looked up celebrity photos and images being with them either sexually or in a relationship. I even partook in an illicit relationship with someone online.
I was a professing Christian growing up, and in high school and college, I became more serious about my faith; but for all of those years, I was a slave to my lusts. In my junior year of college, I realized finally how truly sinful my lusts were, and I began to pray to God about it. I wished God would rip out my desires from me because I wanted to stop these sins, but that was not His plan.
This past year, I reached out to a friend from church and asked her to be my accountability person in my pursuit for purity of heart and mind. She told me about the Purity courses at Setting Captives Free, and it is during this course that I began to understand the gospel and see how incredible it is. Jesus took all of my self-gratifications, scenarios, desires, and sin upon Himself when He was nailed to the cross. Jesus took my place and fought on my behalf for my sins, and He paid that debt that I COULD NEVER pay. Jesus' love drenched me and drowned every single sin of lust, anger, jealousy, gluttony, and selfishness I have had and will ever have.
I still have those days where I fail, but I do not wallow in my guilt; instead, I feel God's grace and love pour over me, and I pray and ask for more strength for the next time. I am realizing more and more each day that I will NEVER be perfect and that in this life, sin will never truly leave me because of my flesh. But, I now seek Jesus and pray and picture the cross. I now have so much more hope that Jesus will continue to work in my life and show his infinite love and mercy and grace for me who was a hopeless and lonely sinner. When I am feeling lonely now I pray and go to Jesus, it still hurts, and I do feel those temptations to think of those "perfect" celebrities holding me but… Jesus is the perfect one I had been seeking all of these years. I still have a LONG way to go in my faith, but, Jesus is with me, and there is SO MUCH hope in that!"
Question 8. The gospel is our way out of prison, the cross has power to break us out and set us free, as Colleen is experiencing. Please share any thoughts you might have on this testimony.
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Below is the audio testimony of Mike L. His is a powerful testimony of the power of the cross drawing someone up out of sin. Listen and Rejoice.
Question 9. What are your thoughts after listening to Mike's testimony? Can you relate to anything that he shared? Share your thoughts here:
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