For those who say we do not sin after we have become born again!
In most cases these expressions are sin, of course there are exceptions, however often we display sinful attitudes in our feelings and reactions.
Did you know that having a snarky attitude when someone takes your parking space at the store is sin? Even if you don't express it to those who took that parking space, the sin remains. We are ahead of the game if we don't express our wrong attitude, at least we don't have a mess to clean up with others when they didn't know we felt that way.
Did you know that refusing to share our popcorn when we are snacking is selfishness and sin?
Did you know that becoming irritated because someone didn't do something we thought they should do is sin?
Did you know to shout in someone's face because they challenged us in some way is sin?
Did you know that we sin when we want our children to be first or when we want to be first in anything?
Far too many people define sin in terms of only the "big stuff", such as murder, theft, blatant raging and other openly outrageous behavior and attitudes.
Our flesh is not capable of going an entire day without some form of sin, no matter how small or hidden.
God knew this, so He made a way for our sin to be forgiven and covered, while changing our spirit into a new creation, that our flesh would come under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-18 "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to one another, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.…"
Every born again believer should be growing continually, sin falling off with each new confession we gain ground in becoming holy.
2 Peter 3:17-18 "…17 Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard not to be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Those who believe they do not sin could never repair a broken relationship, they would have to blame others for the damage instead of evaluating their own responsibility.
Everyone needs to keep close accounts, that is, confess quickly while apologizing to those we have harmed. It takes humility to admit we have been rude, or selfish or whatever else we did that stressed others.
Christ said this:
Matthew 5:27 "27 You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
1 John 3:15 "15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer."
You see, we don't have to actually murder anyone to commit murder our hearts can have murder in it through hatred for someone.
We don't have to commit adultery openly to be counted as an adulterer, all we have to do is lust for someone.
The reason the letter of the Law has passed is because Christ took our walk with Him to a much higher level, that of being our heart.
Even if we never carried out the sin in our heart, it counts with God as sin.
It takes humility to confess sin and a desire to be cleansed of it. A prideful man cannot do it, therefore having to blame others when there are problems, leaving many things unresolved.
Thankfully Christ covers this sin for those who are born again, we confess it to grow in holiness. Those who will not confess will not grow. Those who will not admit they have sin, will grow worse over time, hardening their own hearts. 1 John 1:9
I may take a hit for this, addressing this matter of "good deed doing in public", but I see so much of this in the news feed, that I thought I should wrote about it.
There are some on facebook who are doing "good deeds" and filming it to post for everyone to see. This is a violation of the Scriptures. When we video good deeds it is a way of bragging. The good deed then has more to do with the strokes we get from others for doing them. God says we have our reward already, there will be none in heaven for us if we do that.
I am all for good deeds as led by Christ, but I believe God when He tells us how to carry them out. It is one thing to share privately with a friend our activities, it is quite another to post it for hundreds of others to see in a public forum.
This same principle applies to praying! Praying and giving ought to be done without fanfare, because it is done to obey God and out of love, not to gain praise for ourselves. If we are obeying Christ in our praying and giving, it shouldn't even come to mind whether or not someone else is going to know about it.
Matthew 6:1-8
"1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3 But when you [b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."
Willful ignorance is the denial of truth when it is known. No one has an excuse to be like this, we can always ask God. Most do not ask God because they do not want to know.
Most people love their fantasy life that makes them the center of their own universe, so they refuse to take a look at truth, or listen when it is presented.
If you are a believer, having trusted Christ, then it is a duty to test every single tradition of men that you have learned to see if it matches with the Word of God.
Do Not!!!! Do Not!!!! Go to men to ask them what they think, get in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to show you truth, He alone will give you all you need.
James 1:5 " 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
One way the devil has of wearing us down is causing doubt about what Christ is telling us to do, through pressure from others to follow the traditions of men.
Does anyone else notice that our cultural Christianity has more to do with traditions of men than obedience to the Word of God?
There are more human rules in the church today than there are Christ commanded principles from His Word.
Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so” in many such matters."
Isaiah 26:10 " 10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD."
When we punish the righteous to protect the wicked we are causing evil to grow.
From Gwendolyn Wehage's writings 2014
I don't know about any of you but I become weary at the health wealth and prosperity gospel that some are spreading. There is no scriptural basis for it. Many have become discouraged thinking they have done something wrong because they don't live in wealth, they are sick often and all their relatives hate them.
There are those who say they don't believe the false gospel of prosperity, but live as though they must prove God is blessing them through feverish efforts to acquire wealth. They even deny their illnesses to pretend they are healthy when they need a doctor.
Next time someone attempts to convince you that God does not want you to be poor, sick, or persecuted, repeat these words to them.
Hebrews 11:35 "Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Hbr 11:36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
Hbr 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, [fn] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--
Hbr 11:38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, [in] dens and caves of the earth.
Hbr 11:39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
Hbr 11:40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from "
Many people are being persecuted, beheaded and hung on crosses today in Egypt, what would you have to say to those people. The health, wealth and prosperity gospel is not the gospel at all, but a false one.
Matthew 6:19 ""Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;"
Mat 6:20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Mat 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
2 Corinthians 11:23 "Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I [am] more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
2Cr 11:24 From the Jews five times I received forty [stripe] minus one.
2Cr 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Cr 11:26 [in] journeys often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils of [my own] countrymen, [in] perils of the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;
2Cr 11:27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness--
2Cr 11:28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
2Cr 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn [with indignation]?
2Cr 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
2Cr 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
2Cr 11:32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
2Cr 11:33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands"
Luke 21:14 ""Therefore settle [it] in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;
Luk 21:15 "for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
Luk 21:16 "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put [some] of you to death.
Luk 21:17 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake"
Hmmm!!! Christ was our example and He did not escape poverty and persecution, what would make us think we would. Joel Osteen spits in the face of God when he writes a book entitled, "Your Best Life Now." This may be the best life now for those who are refusing Christ and ultimately will end up in a firey hell. But for the believer, nothing on this earth should take us captive, not wealth, not health nor the love of all the people that surround us. Our best life is to come when we go before the Savior and hear His Words, "Well done good and faithful servant."
We as believers yearn for our heavenly home and our husband that dwells in us now and will one day take us home.
