Tag: Dead to Sin

Desire…

Desire…

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” ~ Genesis 4:7 

Desire….  It permeates our thoughts. It is the motivator of all human effort and activity. It is ever-present in our consciousness and directs our will. As God cautioned Cain, if your desire leads to sin, it is ready and waiting at the door of your heart. Sin has a desire of its own to enslave you. Yet, the text here indicates that sin can be mastered. The Lord has provided the way for us:

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 (NIV)

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation (test) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (tested), He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

King David advised his son, Solomon, to honor God and to serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind because the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. (1 Chronicles 28:9) Indeed, God knows the desire of our hearts whether for good or evil. It was with great faith and discretion that King Solomon asked God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding instead of the temporal desires of this world within the human heart. (2 Chronicles 1:10-12)

Solomon discovered that wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you or I ever desire can compare with her. (Proverbs 8:11) He would advise: “Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the Way!” (Proverbs 19:2) And later, he would conclude: “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” (Proverbs 24:3-4)

The thoughts and desires of the human heart are manifested in everything we say and do. But what are the desires of the heart of God? Here are some answers revealed for us in His Word:

The Lord desires faithfulness … even in the womb….  ~ Psalm 51:6

The Lord desires mercy, not sacrifice; knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. ~ Hosea 6:6

The Lord desires intimacy with those who belong to Him. ~ Song of Songs 7:10

The Lord desires His Word to accomplish the purpose for which it is sent forth. ~ Isaiah 55:11

The Lord desires His dwelling place to be Jerusalem. ~ Psalm 132:13

My friends, the desires of God are revealed in His commandments, laws, statutes, and precepts. He desires holiness and righteousness … mercy and justice … to be displayed in our lives. Indeed, God desires us to believe in His Son and to love one another as He commanded us! (1 John 3:23) Therefore, I pray this verse be our resolve this coming year: “I desire to do your will, my God; your Law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8) Yes, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Have a Blessed Day!

Freedom to Serve…

Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Our Verse of the Day continues to focus on our relationships with one another; and I want us to spend time on the command to love one another. Jesus said to love our neighbor is second only to the command to love God. (Cf. Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31) As we have seen in New Testament scriptures, to love one another fulfills the command to love God. I think the Apostle John captured this thought best when he affirmed: “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (Cf. 1 John 4:20-21)

Galatians 5:13-25 (NIV)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature of our flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Citing Leviticus 19:18) If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

What Paul teaches here is that we cannot just do whatever we want based on the freedom we have received in Christ Jesus. We are called to be led by the Spirit and to live in accordance with His indwelling presence. Jesus, through the sacrificial atonement of His blood, saved us from the penalty of our sin; but we cannot continue to indulge the passions or desires of our flesh, or expect that such behavior or conduct will lead others to salvation. We must die to the power of sin in order to experience the freedom gain through Christ. Indeed, Paul had very pointed instruction in this regard:

Romans 6:1-14 (NIV)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

My friends, we have been called to serve one another humbly in love. What does this entail? Perhaps, we should go back and look at the biblical definition of love the Apostle Paul provided in1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  It is my prayer that we will strive to keep these attributes of love at the forefront of our thoughts so that our actions will follow the excellence of love. We fail to love God in truth if we cannot serve one another humbly in love. So, let the freedom we have been given become the source we draw upon to love one another as Jesus loved us. Indeed, I pray we will keep these things in mind as we encounter and engage with those who are lost….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. ~ 1 Corinthians: 9:19-23

Man of Sorrows…

Isaiah 53:3-4 (NIV)

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted.

Our Verse of the Day comes from a portion of the messianic prophecy captured in Chapter 53 of the Book of Isaiah.  As our Celebration of the Resurrection approaches, I think it is a good idea for us to revisit this prophetic description of Yeshua Hamashiach and to reflect on the suffering He would endure for our rebellion and transgressions (the sins of the whole world) against God:

Isaiah 53:1-12 (NIV)

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed (saved). We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression (arrest) and judgment He was taken away. Yet who of His generation considered that He was cut off from the land of the living; that for the transgression of my people He was punished? He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After He has suffered, He will see the light of life (the fruit of His suffering) and will be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Isaiah gave this prophetic word. The accuracy of his portrayal of the Messiah (Savior) to come is astounding; and to me, it instills an even greater measure of faith in the reliability of the identity of Jesus and His claim to be the Son of God. Jesus would affirm His suffering, death, and resurrection as the authentication of His divine nature; His role in the plan of salvation; and His sovereign authority over all people.  Oh, how I wish all people would receive this understanding….  Jesus is the Messiah!  He is the Savior! Yes, He is Lord!  As Paul confirmed: “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Cf. Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:23)

So, I have a thought to share today because people often question why a loving God would send His own Son to be sacrificed for the transgressions and iniquities of people. Why would God require a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin? Well, I think we forget, at times, just how serious sin is in the presence of a perfectly holy God. The Bible reveals that it was God’s plan to enjoy fellowship with His creation for eternity; and I believe that He ultimately will. However, when man sinned against God, an irreversible offense occurred in the sight of God. Such a serious affront to Him, His Love, and His Holiness required an equally serious resolution. Scripture reveals that in the mind of God, the resolution required that an unblemished lamb would have to be offered as a sacrifice for atonement to be effectuated. However, for the eternal atonement of man, a completely sinless man would have to shed His blood for a completely sinful mankind. In His love, God provided His own sacrifice – His own unblemished lamb for our atonement. Through the crucifixion of Jesus, His Son, He “eternal redemption” was obtained for us. (Cf. Hebrews 9:12)

Rather than question God on why He would be moved to the extreme of a crucifixion to commute His execution of our death sentence; I believe we should instead place our focus on the serious, fatal nature of sin itself. The Apostle James asserted in James 1:13-15: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” And as Paul explained: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ.” (Cf. Romans 6:23) Indeed, we need to ultimately understand that our sin nailed Jesus to the cross – not Roman soldiers. It was truly our sinfulness that led to His death; and it was a compassionate act of love on His part to submit to His own unmerited slaughter. The harshness and cruelty should wake us up and alert us to how God truly feels about our disobedience and rebellion!

And so, as we enter the upcoming week of the passion and reflect on the events that took place, I pray that we will look inwardly and examine ourselves. I pray we will consider what Paul admonished with regard to sin in our lives:

Romans 6:1-14 (NIV)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ~ Hebrews 12-1-3

When You Are Tempted…

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Our Verse of the Day encourages us to continue the pursuit of holiness for our lives. Let’s break it down and examine it in more detail:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.

No matter what you are going through … no matter what you face in the battle against sin in your life … there is someone else who has waged the same fight. The sinful human nature is common to the human life we experience here on earth. And if you have been “overtaken” by the sin that so easily ensnares you (Cf. Hebrews 12:1), know that you are not alone. What you have allowed to become a stronghold in your life is common to all mankind. And I believe the greatest temptation that has overtaken any human is the sin of “unbelief.” I think when most sin occurs is when we are most vulnerable to its deception and we have fallen into faithlessness toward God. Yes, when we ignore His invitation to intimacy, we lose the awareness that God sees all! David asked: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Cf. Psalm 139:7) Indeed, there is no place we can go outside of His presence. When we wander from God, we do not leave His presence; rather, we abandon His divine power and His hand upon our lives. Unbelief weakens us! It renders us powerless to overcome sin rather than being mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. Yet, there is an answer to this plight of temptation!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The reason temptation can overtake us is because we try to fight the battle in our flesh and not in the Spirit realm. Our weapons to resist and flee are not natural but spiritual! And those weapons are fasting, prayer, and the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God! (Cf. Ephesians 6:17) Paul instructs us to put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil (temptation) comes, we may be able to stand our ground, and after we have done everything, to stand. (Cf. Ephesians 6:13). Even Jesus was not exempt from being tempted by Satan when He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness! With every high and lofty arrow of temptation aimed straight for His heart, Jesus responded to Satan with Scripture: “It is written….” (Cf. Matthew 4:1-10) So, do we know the Word of God well enough to fight or resist temptation? Are we spiritually armored up to do battle and to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ? Spiritual warfare is real, my friends! And on the battlefields of our minds and hearts, the war will be won or lost….

God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

I think far too often we lose battles and wave our white flags of surrender because we have not prepared ourselves for the war. When we “cave to crave” we have not yet reached what we can bear. Remember, God will not let us be tempted (tested) beyond what we can bear! So, what happens? Why do we sometimes fail? I believe James gives us some insight:

James 1:12-15 (NIV)

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

So, we see that temptation comes from within our hearts. We just examined the condition of man – when the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. (Cf. Genesis 6:5) David asked, “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? (Cf. Psalm 20:9) Paul observed that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Cf. Romans 3:23) And John asserted: “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us.” (Cf. 1 John 1:10) We need clean hearts and right spirits in order to find the path to victory!

What an encouragement to know that even when we are tempted … even when we are weak or faithless … God is still faithful to us. Indeed, His kindness is always intended to lead us to repentance. (Cf. Romans 2:4) David found that place of repentance; and we would do well to carefully observe His confession. I encourage you to read Psalm 51 … but this excerpt is what came to my heart: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Cf. Psalm 51:10-12) And John affirmed, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (Cf. 1 John 1:9)

But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

The truth of the matter is you and I will be tempted. The text does not read, “But IF you are tempted….” No human being is or has ever been without temptation. It has become part of our human experience since the transgression of Adam and Eve. And even though God showed Himself mighty to deliver His people, they still wandered and rebelled against Him. God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Cf. Romans 5:8) And yet Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Cf. Luke 18:8) Faith is essential in this battle against temptation, because faith determines whether or not we will engage our human will to resist each temptation that comes. I am reminded what Moses wrote:

Deuteronomy 8:2-5 (NIV)

2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to Him and revering Him.

God took His people into the wilderness and then He led them through it. God caused His people to hunger … and then He fed them. So, I think it is important for us to realize the testing and trials that the Lord allows are not temptations; rather, they are used to expose the truth of what lies within our hearts. As Peter explained: “These (trials) have come so that the genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (Cf. 1 Peter 1:7) And James encouraged: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Cf. James 1:2-4)

My friends, we will all be sifted! We will all be subjected to temptation … in order to test the sincerity of our faith! But let me encourage you, that even now, Jesus sits at the right hand of God and He is interceding for us. (Cf. Hebrews 7:24-25) God may send you into the wilderness, but He will lead you through it. God may allow you to hunger and thirst, but He will fill you and sustain your life. God may allow Satan to sift you with temptation to test the genuineness of your faith, but Jesus will intercede for you so that your faith may not fail. Praise Him!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

“I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” ~ Psalm 119:11

Sin Is Fatal….

Romans 6:23 (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our verse today should be very familiar to us!  And I see it as a reminder … a call for repentance … for people everywhere to understand the gift of God we receive in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus prayed, ““Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given Him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” (Cf. John 17:1-4) Yes, eternal life is found … the salvation of God is found … in no other name given under heaven except in Jesus Christ! No longer can the world hear just a message of grace without repentance.  The “seeker sensitive” message without repentance is insufficient to bring a person to a knowledge of this Truth.

I just feel impressed that we need to focus ourselves on the fear of the Lord our God this morning!  Fear … as in reverence … reverence as in awe and wonder of His mighty power … His splendor and holiness! Perhaps, we are witnessing what the prophet have foretold: God is shaking the earth once more. (Read Haggai 2:1-9) In the midst of the Coronavirus … God is stirring up His Church … His people … to show forth His glory in this present hour!  “And the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house!”  There is a message … a message of revival! And revival begins with repentance … and repentance begins with reverence … and reverence manifests as the fear of Lord!

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 (ESV)

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set His heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve Him and hold fast to Him, and by His name you shall take your oaths. 21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Psalm 33:6-15 (ESV)

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their starry host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; He puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world stand in awe of (revere) Him! 9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen as His heritage! 13 The Lord looks down from heaven; He sees all the children of man; 14 from where He sits enthroned He watches all who live on the earth – 15 He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes everything that they do.

Psalm 36:1-4 (NIV)

I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4 Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.

Psalm 111:10 (NIV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.

Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but foolish people despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:7 (NIV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 14:26-27 (NIV)

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Proverbs 19:23 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied;

Proverbs 23:15-18 (NIV)

15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. 16 My innermost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. 17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. 18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Oh, I could continue with many more Scriptures, but I think the point has been made.  Sin is fatal.  The final outcome of transgression is death. But we have a merciful and gracious God who has made provision for us!  God provided His own atoning sacrifice for us.  In His great love for us, the Father sent His only begotten Son to bring us redemption … salvation … eternal life through Him.  What God has done … His lovingkindness … His mercy and grace … is intended to lead every human soul to repentance! (Cf. Romans 2:4) As Paul affirmed, “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness out of reverence for God.” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 7:1) Yes, we should come as we are to the throne of mercy and grace … but repentance is integral to reverence!  We must be broken … we must come before Him filled with godly sorrow. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10) We must be buried with Jesus through baptism … born-again of the Spirit … and raised to a new life in Christ … and walk in the Spirit God gave us:

Romans 6:1-14 (ESV)

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Indeed, sin is not to have dominion over us. We have been justified … we have been set free … by the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! In all reverence and fear, we are to walk in newness of life.  We are to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul, and to obey the commandments and statutes of the Lord. Holiness is not an option … for without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Cf. Hebrews 12:14) And so I pray that we will hear what the Spirit is telling us … His guidance into the truths that we need to ponder and apply to our hearts. I am convinced that we need to look to God and what He is doing in these days we have entered. A first response should be to examine ourselves. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5) Indeed, the Lord knows our hearts and examines our minds. (Cf. Jeremiah 17:9-10) And so we should be alert to deception.  Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall … for we are all subject to temptation….(Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13) As the Apostle John reminds us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (Cf. 1 John 1:9)

One final thought is this passage below.  I think with shaking and stirring up, there is an application for judgment:

1 Peter 4:12-19 (NIV)

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (Cf. Proverbs 11:31) 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!