Say No So You Can Say Yes
- Brandon Bruce
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 8
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” -1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Saying no can be really hard… especially if you or someone else wants to say yes or saying no will create an uncomfortable situation. However, there are few things that can bless your life and build spiritual muscle more than improving your ability to say no.
People often prefer floating between yes and no to avoid being pinned down under absolutes. We want freedom to do what we want, when we want to do it, and how we prefer to get it done. However, living your life based on what you feel like doing is built on a flawed foundation and a set-up for repeated stumbling into sin. Our natural instincts in the flesh are skewed by sinful desires.
As we mature spiritually, we increasingly align our will with God’s will. His will is the absolute best path for our lives that leads to the most love, joy, and peace long-term! In order for that maturity to take place, we must surrender our will to God’s will. You have to decide to say yes to what God says yes to and no when God says no, regardless of preference. Our personal preferences must submit to God’s plan.
God says a clear no to sin as laid out in His written Word. Some people won’t like it, others will argue against it, and many will try but realize how far they fall short of obeying God’s commands. The heart of the Gospel is not succeeding at following the rules, but realizing you can’t possibly get it all right because something inside is deeply broken. That leads us to an awareness of our need for God and His grace extended through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Despite our inability to keep all the rules, God does not lower His standard. It’s based on His perfect plan for us - not on human opinion or what we think is fair. Was it fair that our sinless Savior was crucified for our sins?
Spiritual muscle and maturity grow when we, through walking in His Spirit and living according to His Word, say no to sin. It takes courage to say no to yourself when you want to say yes. It is difficult to say no to children who want to hear a yes. It may feel unloving to say no when someone really wants you to say yes. However, saying no can be the most loving word you can say at times. It’s difficult to say no to those you lead or are responsible for, but leadership is not a popularity contest. It requires making the right decision and trusting the outcomes to God.
Choose the courageous and often more difficult path in the short-term by saying no so you can experience greater blessing and peace in the long-term! Be willing to say no to sin so you can say yes to God’s best!
Right on?
Read/listen to 1 Corinthians chapters 5-7
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