We're at the first stop on the Romans Road..."for all have sinned"...nothing like starting off on a positive note, huh? Have you looked in the mirror and confronted your image of sinfulness? It's there."Sinned" (hemartano in the Greek) means to miss the mark, to err, be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to wander from the law of God, violate God's law --- any of those definitions fit times of your life?
When I've wandered from God's laws, it's most often been because I have decided that I was going to do what I wanted to do. Forget what God says, I knew what I wanted and my plan would work out just fine, and I'd have what I wanted and all would be right in my world.
Are you picking up on the common denominator in this scenario? It is all about ME! Sin most often comes about because we become so totally self-centered that we can't get our eyes off of ourself, our wants, our desires, our goals for ourself. It's the oldest tool in the book (the book being the Bible) that Satan has used in his ploys to turn us away from God. Turn us to self. It worked on Eve, and Satan learned quickly that all of mankind was very susceptible to his suggestion of self-sufficiency and pridefulness.
Even David, the one the Bible calls a man after God's heart, succumbed to temptation when he became more wrapped up in his desires than in his role as the King of God's chosen nation, Israel, his anointed role. David had been so intimate in his relationship with God, and yet when Satan got David's eyes off of God and totally focused onto himself...when he got David to believing that he deserved anything that his little royal heart desired...then David plunged into a pit of sin that took him much further down than he ever thought he would fall.
David was a godly man, he fell, he repented and he was restored. God was so good to include David's complete story in the Bible (read 2 Samuel and you'll get the full story...it is amazing!).
Don't fool yourself...we are all susceptible to Satan's ploys. We are told in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Even when Satan tempted Jesus, unsuccessfully, we are told he "retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity." (The Message, Luke 4:13).
Satan knows that when we sin, we separate ourselves from our intimacy with God. And that pleases him.
So do we have any hope? Can we beat Satan at his game? Absolutely, we can! Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it." And Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6:10-11, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
We live in a world of sin - it confronts us on a daily---make that hourly---make that minute by minute---basis. We can be strong in the Lord and live lives of victory over our temptations, but it takes continual reliance on God's strength residing within us through the Holy Spirit, being armed through His Word and asking for His protection and His deliverance.
Are you picking up on the common denominator in this scenario? It is all about ME! Sin most often comes about because we become so totally self-centered that we can't get our eyes off of ourself, our wants, our desires, our goals for ourself. It's the oldest tool in the book (the book being the Bible) that Satan has used in his ploys to turn us away from God. Turn us to self. It worked on Eve, and Satan learned quickly that all of mankind was very susceptible to his suggestion of self-sufficiency and pridefulness.
Even David, the one the Bible calls a man after God's heart, succumbed to temptation when he became more wrapped up in his desires than in his role as the King of God's chosen nation, Israel, his anointed role. David had been so intimate in his relationship with God, and yet when Satan got David's eyes off of God and totally focused onto himself...when he got David to believing that he deserved anything that his little royal heart desired...then David plunged into a pit of sin that took him much further down than he ever thought he would fall.
David was a godly man, he fell, he repented and he was restored. God was so good to include David's complete story in the Bible (read 2 Samuel and you'll get the full story...it is amazing!).
Don't fool yourself...we are all susceptible to Satan's ploys. We are told in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Even when Satan tempted Jesus, unsuccessfully, we are told he "retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity." (The Message, Luke 4:13).
Satan knows that when we sin, we separate ourselves from our intimacy with God. And that pleases him.
So do we have any hope? Can we beat Satan at his game? Absolutely, we can! Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it." And Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6:10-11, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
We live in a world of sin - it confronts us on a daily---make that hourly---make that minute by minute---basis. We can be strong in the Lord and live lives of victory over our temptations, but it takes continual reliance on God's strength residing within us through the Holy Spirit, being armed through His Word and asking for His protection and His deliverance.
1 comment:
I have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God's law of Love and Forgiveness. I have people in my life that I have not forgiven and I do not love them as God has instructed us to do. I do pray for God's power to help me to love and forgive others. Sin and it's power creeps into my mind daily. When I was younger my sins dealt more with the sins of immorality. Now my sins are that I don't study God's Word enough. I don't serve others as God has asked. I have become lazy and selfish with my time. God is patient and kind. He has led me to connect with other Christian believers and associate with others that study His Word. As the scripture says all are sinners. I pray for God's Love and for his forgiveness. God does restore my heart and loves me. H e knows of the power of sin. As I talk with God my heart is comforted and his forgiveness surrounds me and shields me.
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