“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1st Cor. 6:11)
A saying from the world for you, “Sometimes it’s better to want something, than it is to have it.”
Our memories, if left unchecked, can at times be our worst enemy, they are not prompted by Satan, it is not the flesh or even the mind that recalls them at will, so to speak, they just are, they are part of the storage system of our brain and at times, and for no apparent reason, they are recalled.
What we do with them in those moments is extremely important.
The image of a face recalled from long ago can lead to a social media search and end in divorce, the imagined smell of a particular alcoholic beverage or of marijuana can lead to a death in the gutter of one who left that life decades ago. And rarely are any of these avenues traversed with any forethought, simply a memory that would not be let go of but followed to its inevitable conclusion.
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15)
You will meet many people in this life who were saved by the grace of God from deep wells of sin, whom many, including themselves, had given up hope of, and because of the varied extent of their memories of many trails of sin, they are almost constantly in danger of relapse.
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Prov. 24:16)
The temptations to return to the path that they found so much pleasure in can be overwhelming at times, and if those memories are simply put on a shelf, if when they arrive they do not face them and admit the truth of who they once were, they can become most dangerous indeed.
Those paths of sin, of debauchery, of the fulfillment of the lust of the flesh are well known to them, they were there, they committed those deeds, but the mind at times chooses to forget the worst parts of those days, and instead focuses on only the pleasurable parts of the memory. And then, because of his incredible knowledge of human nature, if even the smallest part of that memory is entertained in a pleasurable manner, Satan will notice, and now my friends you will have two very serious problems.
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prov. 4:18)
Your light, though never extinguished, will grow dimmer, the ministry you have been set upon, your testimony, your walk with the Lord, all up to that point can be irreparably damaged, and all because of a single, simple memory, the flash of a picture in your mind, the whiff of an imaginary smell, words once believed to be long forgotten, can be the cause of not only earthly items lost, but of eternal rewards as well.
You have probably witnessed it before, and perhaps in a way even experienced it. 1st John 1:9 is true, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” but there are always consequences for our actions.
There are so many ways to fall my friends, and we do not need our adversary’s assistance in doing so, though once he notices, he will do all he can to sway you towards that sin repeated.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22)
Our memories are not sinful, the action at the time they occurred was, but memories in and of themselves are nothing more than old cobwebs in the corners of our minds. Do not get the idea that you can just sweep them away, that in itself may be fatal, but see them for what they are, part of a distant past, a past that was paid for at the cross of Christ.
Follow them, allow them to fester in your thoughts, and that web may not only trap you, but destroy a part of you.
See them, recognize them, give thanks to the Lord for setting you free from them, and move on.
