Let us carry out a very brief opinion poll. No cash prises though. Why would you not continue in sin?
A huge percentage says because sin is bad
Another percentage says because sin has terrible consequences.
Let’s consider God’s view point on this issue. Why should you and I not make a habit of sin?
What, shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Romans 6:1,2
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you, as becometh saints. Ephesians 5:3
The reason you and I have been called to live a life free of sin is not just because they are out rightly evil or because they would prove to people something has come over you. Rather it is because we have been made new; in the very likeness of God.
Once we ran under the course of this world, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath … but now we have been set free with a new seal and mark upon our spirit.
We can’t be comfortable in those things anymore.
Imagine a fish given a remarkable transformation into a wild dog. You bet it would find the water less appealing. In fact it would abhor it totally. Not because it has anything to prove but because it’s new life runs contrary to that. It is a new being.
Consider this next time that urge comes to just give in a little. Realise you have been made new in Christ Jesus; A child of God in righteousness.
Don’t be fooled, God has not called you to a life of struggle with sin. You have been given the victory over sin. The word says that sin shall no more have dominion over you because you are under grace and not under the law – Romans 6:14. The slave it (sin) once had rule over is gone. There is a new man now around
Get out of that slave mentality to sin and all its devices. Realise you have got what it takes to say No and to live in righteousness unto God (Titus 2:11 – 13). I know you may have thought it is impossible to live free of sin. But thank God for the victory we have obtained in Christ Jesus. It’s no mistake when John said we cannot continue in sin. Note the word cannot. 1st John 3:9
Catch you next week
– bolaji akanni
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:7, 10)
Come along with me today and let us rejoice with those that rejoice… Let us pay a visit to the home of my very good friends who just had a baby boy…
The proud father is busy making all the telephone companies richer… he’s calling all the numbers in his phone book, and many others that are not there. The happy mother is getting used to the novelty of nursing her son… now what more can her difficult-to-please mother-in-law ask for? The two grandfathers are deciding whose eyes, whose ears, whose nose and whose mouth the baby has, and are finding it difficult to agree on any points of the infant’s anatomy. Each grandmother is trying very hard not to rub the fact that she knows best about taking care of babies in the other’s face. Everybody is happy…
Everybody, that is, except for the boy in question. He is very ignorant of the joy he has just brought to that home. He does not know, nor care to know what all the fuss is about. He absolutely refuses to participate in any of the activities going on, and is content to spend his time alternatively between eating and sleeping…
Many times, spiritual birth occurs like this too. There is a new member in God’s family, but he does not appreciate the import of the step he has just taken. He does not understand that there is rejoicing in heaven over him. He does not understand that he is now the heir to the greatest and the richest blessings of God. He looks down on himself and underrates the ability of God within him…
Wise up, baby… wise up.
– jide lawal
An arm’s length transaction is a transaction which takes place between a willing buyer and a willing seller where no relationship exists between both parties prior to the transaction. The opposite of this, however, is a related party transaction and this exists where there is a form of relationship between both parties prior to the transaction. For example, a transaction involving members of the family, shareholders of the company etc. The existence of such relationships is expected to be ascertained, identified by the auditor of the company and reported according to IAS 24. What is IAS? What is this accounting jargon doing here you might ask?
Well, it brings to mind an important fact that at a time we had no relationship whatsoever with God, we were strangers from the covenants of promise (Eph 2:12). At the best, one could say God dealt with us at arm’s length [but even that will not be entirely accurate because what we see from scriptures is the fact that the Jews (Israelites) were the only tribe or country that had a relationship with God (Eph 2:11 -12, Rom 9:4-5, 11:1). Every other Nation or tribes were considered foreigners to God]. However, this was not the father’s desire.
He wanted everybody to be a part of His plan. He wanted men of all tribes, background, economic and political strata to be able to come before Him (Eph 1:4-5,9-10) and thanks be to God, this He accomplished by Christ dying on the cross for us and shedding His blood which has now brought us as close to God as we can ever be. We are no longer strangers to God, we are now sons adopted into the family of God by Christ Jesus (Gal 4:5-6, Eph 1:5) What we now have is even better than what the Israelites had with God. What they had was considered as a shadow of what God desired? (Heb 10:1) God wanted everybody to come to Him on the basis of the blood of His son that was shed thereby, breaking down the wall of separation and bringing us together under one umbrella, the blood (Gal 3:28, I Cor 12:13). Thanks be to God, He no longer deals with us at “arms length” but as “related parties”, as sons.
“Now because of Christ-dying that death, shedding that blood, you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.” (Eph 2:13 – MSG).
– seni_adewoye
Meeting him as Dr Jekyll was such a delight but meeting him as Mr. Hyde was such a nightmare. It was the story of a man who had a split personality. Good and evil forces worked closely within the same individual. He just couldn’t help himself. He was weak to every nudge whether good or bad. This story aptly describes the mentality of a lot of Christians who are weak to every impulse of good and evil excusing it as the evil side of me. Some out rightly confess of an evil thing working deep down. It’s deep in me comes the humble and pitiable cry of some.
But let’s look at how God’s word describes you.
James said can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine or figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. James 3:12. Once you and I were darkness but now are we light in the lord Eph 5:8. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1st Corinthians 6:9 – 11.
Once we ran under the course of this world. Within the very core of our being was an evil too strong for any code of conduct. We were evil by nature. Sin was in every fibre of our being. When sin sneezed we caught a very, very terrible cold. But God has delivered us from the bondage of sin that we were held in so that we should now live our lives in righteousness to God. Roman 6:10 – 11. Ponder a while on this reality. Since you are now the very child of God from above, the only thing wired deep down into your system is the very spirit of God. Thank God for this wonderful Grace upon you.
Next time you want to excuse that action because of an evil thing in your being. Realise that you are walking in the greatest deceit of all time. For that is not who you are. I mean don’t you know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God now dwells within you.
Catch you next week
– bolaji akanni
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light – Ephesians 5:8
Something happened at the cross which we cannot deny. We were darkness, but now we’re light. Our nature was changed.
An understanding of this simple reality has changed the attitude of many believers towards sin. When we were darkness, it was natural for us to sin and to love sinning. That was our nature. That was the desire of our hearts.
But now that we’re not just in the light, but actually the light of the world, it is no longer natural for us to sin or to love sinning. That is no longer our nature. Now we have a nature that desires to do right. Now we have a desire to please God.
A man says, “The things I used to do, I do them no more.” That may be true, but the great change in your life since you met Christ is not primarily your actions. Its your nature. The change in nature is the great change we celebrate. Of course, this change in nature should be demonstrated in a change in actions as well.
Another man says, “I’ve been born again for some time now, but I still find myself with a longing for the old life.” Well, get out your Bible and learn about the realities of the New Life. When you come to a realization of the will of God for your life and you discover the truth about your new nature, you’ll find out the longing for the old life will go! In its place will be an unquenchable thirst for progress in living the new life.
Walk as a child of the light!
– jide lawal