In our modern culture we excuse sin by saying one sin does not make someone a sinner. God says that just one small sin will send someone to hell if they have not trusted in Christ.
The problem is that so many preachers say " only God knows the heart" and do not explain that He also said; "you shall know them by their fruit."
God gave us the criteria to know the heart of a person. One thing He said was that we cannot do differently on the outside than what is already on the inside. "Out of the heart comes", says Matthew 12:34; Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 10:11; Psalm 14:1
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."
Someone said to me; "you are not a liar just because you told one lie." I explained that someone cannot even tell one lie unless they are already a liar in their heart. God said that if we break one part of the Law we have broken it all because its all the same, sin is sin and any part broken is rebellion against God.
Matthew 5:27-28 "27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
One does not have to 'do' the sin to be committing it, they have to only wish they could do it. Do not be so proud that you have not committed a sin on the outside when there is a desire for sin on the inside.
1 John 3:14-16 "…14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. 16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
This is pretty severe, isn't it? Just hating someone and wanting bad to happen to them is the same as committing murder in the eyes of God.
If you are in Christ as a born again believer then you will want to confess your sins to be cleansed.
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."
Born again believers hate their sin, they confess because they don't want to hurt the heart of God.
Those who are not born again don't care if they sin, even becoming angry if they are told they are sinners. Those who do not know the Lord defend their sin as though justified some way in their actions.
This is the difference between a born again believer and the heathen who do not love God. Those who do not love God don't care if they hurt His heart.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
1 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
When we know what our Savior went through to pay for our sins we could never hurt His heart without a sense of deep sorrow that we had done so.
God told us to love other the same way He loved us, with great concern for their well being.
God told us to forgive as God has forgiven when there is repentance and sorrow over sin.
Colossians 3:13
"13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."
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."
The way God has forgiven us is through our confession of sin. If we do not want to confess it then we will not be forgiven.
If someone refuses to confess to restore a relationship then they are to be disregarded until there is sorrow over the harm that has been done.
Until the sorrow comes and the confession happens we are to treat them as an enemy.
How do we treat an enemy?
Matthew 5:43-45 "…43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…"
We are to treat them with love and decency when in their presence but they cannot be close friends until they learn what they have done is wrong.
The relationship will not be restored until your enemy confesses their sin. This is not a license to treat them with disrespect, it merely leaves room for and time for them to realize what they have done.
Our culture sadly thinks that just pretending the bad things didn't happen fixes them. There can be no closeness in a relationship as long as the offender doesn't think they did anything wrong. Behavior does not stop unless it is confessed.
James 5:15-16 "…15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. "
Sin is not healed unless it is confessed. If we love someone we want to restore the relationship. Only unloving and uncaring people do not care whether or not they have offended someone.
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
"4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
No comments:
Post a Comment