Psalm 19:7-"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; "
Psalm 23:3-"He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake."
To restore means to "repair, renovate, or return to a former condition." As Christians, Jesus is the Great Shepherd(Hebrews 13:20) and we are the sheep of his pasture(Psalm 100:3), and only He is able to restore our souls.
Sin not only deceives and defrauds us, but it also destroys our souls.
1 Peter 2:11-"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."
God is not some kind of cosmic kill joy. God wants to empower you to put to death the sin in your life because he knows that sin in the end will steal all your joy. God loves you, he always has, he always will. Because of his unconditional love for you, he wants to provide for you and protect you. The means the Great Shepherd uses to restore our soul's is the Word of God, The Spirit of God, and the People of God.
The Word of God-
God's Word draws boundaries, and these boundaries are not meant to take away from our joy but to give and preserve our joy. Every time God says “Thou shalt
not,” God is simply saying, “Don’t hurt yourself.” And every time God says,
“Thou shalt,” God is saying, “Help yourself to happiness.”
James 1:21-" Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive
with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
The Word of God convicts and turns us away from the way of error, sin, foolishness, and death to the way of holiness, wisdom, and life.
The Spirit of God-
Psalm 139:23-24-"Search me, O God, and know my heart!Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
One of ministries of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin.
The Path to Spiritual restoration is simple: Conviction--> Confession--> Repentance--> Submit to God---> Resists the Devil( 1 John 1:9, : James 4:7).
The People of God-
Galatians 6:1-"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are
spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on
yourself, lest you too be tempted."
James 5:16-"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,
that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power
as it is working."
Hebrews 3:12-13- " See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
A great resource for our restoration is the Body of Christ. Simply put, we need one another.
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