Psa 85:2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Psa 85:3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
Why do Christian’s sin?
Scripture tells us that God CANNOT lie.
The Word of God tells us some pretty fantastic things about ourselves. We are a new creature in Christ.
2 Cor. 5:17. God dwells within us. 1 Cor. 3:16. We are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 5:21.
If what the Word of God says about us is true, and I believe His Word is true, then Christians should be radically different from the people of the world. Why aren’t we?
My experience, and most importantly the Word of God, tells me that there are three reasons why we Christians sin. Fortunately, we can address every one of these particular problems without too much difficulty.
We do not spend enough time with God
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Many of us are under the wrong impression that we need to be sinless in order to fellowship with God, but the opposite is true, when we fellowship with God, HE makes us sinless. His light drives out the darkness. He gives us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, it is often quite plain to see whether we, or others, are actually spending time fellowshipping with God.
The Apostle John speaks right to the heart of the matter. FELLOWSHIPPING with God is the basis of a sinless life. It is IMPOSSIBLE to walk in darkness (SIN) when we are walking in HIS light. If we fellowship with God it will directly affect how we fellowship with our fellow human beings.
Jesus explained why we fail to bear fruit in His parable of the sower.
Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
The first reason we do not spend time fellowshipping with God is LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. The Bible makes it clear that lack of understanding is NOT because of our stupidity, the reason we cannot understand the Word of God is because there are wicked spirits interfering with our understanding. This is one of the main reasons why we need to fast, meditate on God’s Word, and pray in tongues. Praying in tongues sweeps away the cobwebs of confusion and replaces confusion with clarity. When we pray in tongues, we receive REVELATION from the Holy Spirit, and meditating on God’s Word stops being a chore and it begins to be a pleasure and a joy.
Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
You WILL be persecuted when you begin to grow in HIS wisdom, and when you are transfigured more and more by the Word of God. You will be mocked, you will be called names, and people will react with anger, contempt, and even violence when you talk about our Lord Jesus Christ. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Most Christians are caught off guard by this reaction. Do not try and make sense of this reaction, it does not make sense. Remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. We need to realize that demonic spirits will use people, including friends and family, to prevent us from getting closer to God. DON’T GIVE UP!
Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Worldly success can be one of the biggest obstacles to our fellowship with God. Satan’s main goal is to stop the manifestation of the fruits, and the manifestation of the gifts, of the spirit. Satan’s main goal is to stop the manifestation of the sons of God! Therefore, if the acquisition of fame, or wealth, or even the necessities of life consume all of our time, the devil can, and will provide those things to us. I cannot count the number of rich and famous people I have heard, or read about, who said that they were deeply religious Christians when they were young. After they acquired their money and fame, they became completely antichristian.
Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Finally, false Christians, with false doctrines, may be the greatest hindrance to our fellowship with God. The history of the Church is packed full of these “tares” and Jesus told us that they were sown by our enemy. If Satan can convince us that God is angry with us, that He condemns us, that He judges us unworthy, it will probably prevent us from actually getting to know God. LEGALISM is one of Satan’s main weapons, and he loves to use the law against the sons of God.
The Babylonian Church’s hierarchy is absolutely packed full with legalistic priests, legalistic ministers, legalistic pastors, legalistic deacons, legalistic preachers, legalistic missionaries, and legalistic evangelists.
Satan wants us to keep busy trying to keep the law, because Satan knows the law is IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP, wicked spirits know that we will NEVER have the time, or the confidence, to fellowship with God as long as we feel guilty! Satan can allow Jesus to be preached as long as a large dose of legalism is also preached. Legalism directly opposes and counteracts the FREE GRACE AND FINISHED WORK of Jesus Christ. Always remember that God will not judge us, or condemn us, when we trust in Jesus Christ as our perfect sacrifice, and we believe He is our faithful high priest.
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
We can be perfectly confident when we approach God, not because we are perfect, but because we have a perfect sacrifice, and a perfect intercessor in our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul explains that the high priest under the old covenant offered a “temporary” blood sacrifice that covered the sins of the children of Israel for an entire year. WE, however, have an eternal high priest, under a NEW COVENANT, who has offered an “eternal” blood sacrifice, which covers ALL of our sins, forever and ever.
DO NOT LET SIN, GUILT, OR CONDEMNATION STOP YOU FROM BOLDLY APPROACHING AND FELLOWSIPPING WITH YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER EVERY DAY!
We do not know who we are in Christ
The TARES tend to emphasize how unworthy we are, and how pitiful we are, and how sinful we are, but God wants us to dwell on who we are in Jesus Christ. Why are the tares and God so diametrically opposed? God wants us to FREELY AND BOLDLY approach Him. The tares want us to believe we NEED THEM to act as intermediaries with God.
We MUST STOP focusing upon ourselves and START focusing all of our attention on JESUS CHRIST! Why? Our old man died when we accepted Jesus as our Lord. Our new man is eternal, sinless, and immensely powerful. Our new man IS Jesus.
2Co 3:15 But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.
2Co 3:16 But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY! The more we focus our attention on Jesus Christ, the more we are transformed into His image. Our main problem, as Christians, is that we focus all of our attention on the old man. It is like a butterfly focusing all of its time and energy dwelling on its old, dead caterpillar skin. The more we focus on Jesus Christ, the more we will begin to be about our Father’s business.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
Gal 2:21 I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.
Judging Others
Luk 6:36 Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Luk 6:37 And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released:
A sinner CANNOT approach a thrice holy God. All through the Bible, we see people coming into the presence of God and experiencing an overwhelming terror. More often than not, these people would be considered above average in morals and in character. It does not matter, because the best of us fall far short of God’s holiness.
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.
When we have walked with the Lord, and become intimate with Him, a noticeable difference between us and the world begins to be manifest. This can be a very dangerous time in our relationship with God. It can be very easy for us to start being judgmental towards others. Just like the season of Fall follows the Summer, and the season of Winter follows the Fall, it is almost guaranteed that some long forgotten sin will crop back up in our lives when we begin judging and condemning others.
I believe God it simply reminding us that it is ONLY by His grace, that we are any different from the people of the world. We dare not put any confidence in ourselves, or take any credit for our walk. ALL of our righteousness is TOTALLY dependent upon the Grace of God, and the gift of HIS righteousness. It is certainly true that ONLY by the grace of God, can we, or anybody else, be delivered from the perils and temptations of this present world.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
The acid test of whether we are spending enough time fellowshipping with God is HOW we fellowship with others…even if they do not treat us very well. If we are respectful to people even if they treat us with contempt, if we love people even if they take advantage of us, if we are gentle towards people even if they are violent to us, if we pray for those who despitefully use us…THEN WE ARE THE SONS OF GOD!
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:
Mat 5:44 but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
Mat 5:45 that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
To react with love and compassion to people who hate us is IMPOSSIBLE unless we are fellowshipping with God on a regular basis.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:
