It’s amazing how God can speak to us from the simplest things. I was just thinking about lunch earlier when a few of us from church went to a nearby restaurant. Although it was a great time of fellowship, I was quite surprised when I saw the size of my bill. For the price it cost me to have a burger, fry, and soda I could have not only purchased my own food but paid for two others as well had we eaten someplace like the Olive Tree Café. Back in my office, thinking about the overpriced burger sitting so heavy in my stomach, I got thinking about how sin is very much the same. Many times, we allow ourselves to engage in sin because we believe it will fulfill us – as though it will quench our thirst or desire – but instead all sin does is leave us feeling weighted down, unsatisfied, and far from God. And in the end, like the over-priced burger, sin always ends up costing us more than we wanted to pay.
The bible tells us that there is pleasure in sin for a season (Heb
Sin is exactly the same; regardless of whether we believe it or not, it will affect us. We cannot say, I can watch a little bit of pornography, do some drugs, engage in a bit of sexual immorality, gossip and slander a touch, and not have it effect our lives. If we open the door just an inch to sin, Satan will kick the door open and flood our lives with destructive habits and behaviors. Sin kills. That is why Jesus told us that the thief (Satan) comes only to “kill, steal, and destroy†(John
We have all heard the saying, “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.†If we want victorious lives, prosperity, blessings, and favor from God then we need to resist the devil (James 4:7), abstain from sin, and seek God’s will for our lives (Heb
Shalom!
Brent
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!! Brent – AMAZING analogy!! I have paid for way too many over-priced burgers in my day. I am going to remember this one forever.
I have recently begun truly realizing the effect (affect? I’m a secretary and can never get this one straight) of sin in my life. This reminds me of me: “We cannot say, I can watch a little bit of pornography, do some drugs, engage in a bit of sexual immorality, gossip and slander a touch, and not have it effect our lives.”
I’ve lived toooo long with that kind of mentality. Especially if I don’t see immediate consequences for my actions. But it’s destroying me internally, even if there are no blatant worldy consequences for my behavior. It destroys my soul, and it destroys my relationship with God, and it depletes my spiritual bank account….much like how too many over-priced burgers would deplete my National City account.
three words:
NOT WORTH IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks again Brent – great insight!!
peace, love and cowboys ~
lindsey j. north, MD, DO, DC, DDS, PH.D, ED.D
Brent,
I read this yesterday and didn’t have a good response so I decided to wait on it and meditate… see what I get after having time to chew. Wow. I’ve been studying in Matthew, and today I was in chapters 7-11 and a couple things really stood out to me, first, in 9:35-38 Jesus sets the example for our daily living, that as we’re going out through our daily business we’re going to see the needy – and if our hearts are right with God then we will have compassion on them and DO something about it. Then if you keep reading in 10:38-39 He says, “anyone who does not take up His cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” I could be out on a limb here so correct me if I’m wrong but this is what I see in this. If we’re walking in sin – even if it’s “little” stuff we’re going to be unable to work in His kingdom which means we’re definately not going to be taking up our cross (which basically means laying down our own desires and needs and taking up God’s biggest passion, leading people into relationship with Himself) and if we’re not doing even that, then Jesus says we have no place with Him. How scary is that? People see missions as going to Africa or India… but they’re missing the hundreds of people they see in their every day lives that are crying out in desperation for Someone they don’t know – and won’t know unless we share. Christianity is not for wimps or people who want to just “get by” and “slip in” to heaven – it is for people who know that they’re called of God and are willing to take a stand for righteousness and the cause of the Kingdom. As if that’s not enough, Matthew 5:48 calls us to “be perfect, therefore, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Yikes.
signing out…
anna
Anna-
I think that’s great insight about how sin can not only effect our relationship with God, but also our ministry. We are all called to be ministers (not just people in vocational ministry). But if our lives are cluttered with sin, how will we ever be able to have a true relationship with God, yet alone minister to others.
Now don’t hear me wrong… I am not saying that we need to be perfect in order to fulfill our destiny or work in the kingdom of God (only Jesus was perfect), but if we are willingly allowing sin into our lives it can discredit us from the things that God has in-store for us. Paul said in 1 Cor 9:27 – “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
We have to keep our lives in subjection to the WORD and not allow sin to creep into our lives and discredit us from our destiny and the good things God has in-store for us.
Shalom!
B.
B.
Good point, one that I had in my journal from this morning and maybe should have expounded upon more… hadn’t thought from that perspective on your last couple points – I wrote down the verse references you gave so I’ll check ‘em out after work! Thanks!
ani
Word!
WOW!
That was the best blog yet Brent! I literally see personal growth for everybody evident within that message.
Sin destroys, period. I especially love the part where you make the point that just a little sin will fool us into thinking that if we ask the Lord for forgiveness it won’t effect us. But it will, and will continue to effect us until we repent. REPENT… not simply take God’s grace for granted and ask forgiveness while continuing to walk in the sin. I did that for YEARS. “Oh, I’ll just ask forgiveness for ( Fill in blank ) and try to be a good boy from now on.”
However, in myself I do not have the power to be a “good boy!” It takes complete submission to God (The Word) and a willingnes to turn from the World. “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, my flesh. I can will what is right but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out]” Romans 7:18 AMP.
Yet does that mean I am destined to be trapped in a cycle of sin and death? No, Praise God!!! “For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending his own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdues, overcame, deprived it of it's power over all who accept that sacrifice]. Romans 8:3.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!!! Every single one of us would be on our way straight to hell without the healing power of the blood of the lamb. I am forever grateful for what my savior has done for me…
Or should I say… Thankful???
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
Los Explotantos,
Professor: Explosion of Joy Theory 210
MWF, 10-10:50 AM Haberlein Hall
!!
Brent,
Question regarding the alcohol part of the blog… It pertains to people who just can’t seem to stop drinking: Purely spiritual or spriritual AND physical? Moreover, can somebody who’s saved be an alcoholic? For myself, walking away from drinking wasn’t about the alcohol itself, but was about the friends I had made as a result and the whole “party” atmosphere that I had become a slave to. That definitely was a spiritual bondage to “people pleasing” that God broke the chains of. But I still have many peers, (I say peers because I do not consider them to be true friends anymore, now that God has shown me what true friends are!) that attend church but are still completely in bondage to drinkin’ and druggin’. I love them and want to see them conquer their addictions, but my own empiracle experiences are something I cannot explain to somebody who is a slave to the World’s system. I’ve tried, but 1 Cor 2:14 has been played out right before my very eyes when I do! How can they be helped? Is this a situation where there needs to be a laying on of hands?
-Los E.
Los E-
The bible tells us that the drunkard will not inherit the kingdom of the Lord (1Cor6:9-10). It’s easy to conclude that drinking comes with severe repercussions. Is it a sin to have “a” drink, as in one (1) beer? The bible does not say that, but it does tell us to not get drunk and to avoid anything that would cause any one else to stumble (Rom 14:21). Therefore, I think that it is easiest to completely abstain from alcohol all together so that we will not fall into sin by either being tempted ourselves or by allowing our actions to influence others in a negative way. Also there are certain people that God has told not to drink (i.e. John the Baptist, and multiple characters in the Old Testament), – the bible calls us all priests (Rev 1:6) in the kingdom so that raises the question of whether or not we should drink at all. Personally, I do not touch alcohol at all and have not for many years because: 1) I was never able to handle having a drink with out having multiple, and 2) if someone were to see me or hear about me drinking and it caused them to stumble in their walk or to have sin in their live, the bible says that I am the one in sin. Therefore to walk out my destiny in Christ, I do not drink alcohol.
When it comes to ministering to others, you have to allow the Holy Spirit to convict and change peoples hearts. We were never called to save people, that is God’s job, we are called to spread the Good News that Jesus saves. Only God has the power to change lives and hearts, and save souls. We just help show people the way to Christ. Those who through the Holy Spirit submit their lives to Christ we can then mentor and disciple.
Shalom!