Key One Details

To stay continuously abstinent over a long period of time requires supernatural power.  When a person confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, then they become a new creation.  The Holy Spirit now lives in that person and will provide the power to resist each and every temptation.

Learning to hear the Holy Spirit and respond to His promptings comes with maturity.  One vital step in maturing occurs when the Christian stops  seeing the Bible as an occasional resource, but as one of the most powerful tools needed to increase his knowledge and love of Jesus.  Each time they read the Bible, study the Bible, and apply scripture to their lives, they grow in their understanding of what it means to “be in Christ.”  Being in Christ empowers the Christian to do ALL that God requires and this certainly includes staying abstinent “24/7”.

When an overeater rejects Jesus, they are without the indwelling Holy Spirit.  For them, continuous abstinence is often riddled with fear of losing their abstinence if they fail to perform certain tasks.  On the other hand, one who is in Christ grows daily in the assurance that God is safeguarding their abstinence.  This brings both an abiding peace and a growing trust that they are loved and highly favored by the Lord. Because of this assurance of the love of God, they are able to demonstrate genuine love toward God, themselves and others.  Abstinence becomes an extension of this love.  Abstinence is no longer a “have to”, but a wonderful privilege and a precious gift.