I am saddened more and more everyday to see the decline in
spiritual morality. As Christians, we should be standing AGAINST the sin the
world offers, not FOR it. Scripture clearly tell us to “Abstain from all
appearance of evil.” We are ALL sinners. But as Christians, we are saved, and
forgiven. This doesn’t mean that we stop sinning- but it SHOULD mean that we
try harder not to. The word abstain is a verb, which conveys an action, an occurrence,
or a state of being. And it means :
to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action
or practice <abstain
from drinking> . The fact that “self-denial”
is mentioned in the definition clearly implies that whatever sin we abstain
from can be pleasurable. What sin would be tempting were it not pleasurable? I
mean come on, the devil isn’t stupid! The definition also uses the word “often”.
Sin is very tempting and we will be faced with it time after time after time
after…well you get it. But the Lord knows the definition of the word abstain.
He created it. And He wouldn’t have put it in His word unless He meant it. He
wants us to “constantly, on purpose, deprive ourselves, deny ourselves from
sin.” Hebrews 11: 25 says” Choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season;”
Is lust wrong? Fornication? Why do we brag publically when we watch a
movie about male strippers? Why do we brag about partying and getting drunk?? What about bitterness, anger, wrath? Let the
past go. Forgive. Stop talking about it, forget it, whatever “it” might be. People mess up, so do you. We are no better,
no holier than the next person. When we hang onto problems and continually talk
about them with others (GOSSIP), we are allowing the problem to become deeply
rooted in our hearts, thus causing a separation between ourselves and God.
Jealousy? A huge problem that puts wedges between Christians. Love each other
with godly love! Agree to disagree! Realize that we are ALL human, and each of
us have different thorns, different srtongholds and sins that we struggle with.
Again, we all sin. But as born-again believers, we should be striving daily to
combat the sin. Don’t give it in to it voluntarily, fight it. Pray against it- the
Lord will give you strength to overcome. Instead, so many Christians are
bragging publically about their sins, helping to send our society into an even
deeper moral plunge. I’m so saddened by the fact that so many Christians are
advertising their pleasure in sin to a lost and dying world. Don’t you know
that Jesus is coming SOON? Don’t speak
out against places and people who are trying their best to stand for good moral
biblical principles- we don’t want to come across as holier than thou. LOVINGLY
stand for what is right. Even if you
have points you disagree with, isn’t something biblical and spiritual better
than NOTHING at all? We are running out of time to reach these people. Our
testimony may be the one thing that reaches them. Who cares about your past?
God says that “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he
removed our transgressions from us.” He also says He remembers them no more.
Don’t live on mistakes you’ve made in the past. Forget the past, just like
Christ has. But don’t misunderstand – just because Christ “remembers them no
more” doesn’t mean that we will not suffer the consequences of the sin. The
marks of sin will stay with us, but we can strive TODAY to do more, and be more
for the cause of Christ. Ask yourself this: “Are my actions, and what I do each
day edifying to the body of Christ and
pleasing to the Lord?” In others words, are my actions making the Lord proud of
me, and is our daily testimony encouraging to another Christian? If the answer
to anything you do is No, this is NOT edifying or pleasing to the Lord, then
stop. Plain and simple. And when you DO mess up, willingly sin, continue in
your sin, please don’t advertise it. You are doing so much damage by doing so.
People are watching you. Lost people, saved people. They see how you behave as
a Christian, and your walk affects others whether you realize it or not. I pray
that we will be bold, have courage, and take a stand for all things holy, and
against all things contrary to holiness. I also pray that this convicts a heart
that has gotten slack in the endeavor to win souls to Christ, and “that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service.”
1 Peter 2:11 Dearly
beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul;
