Why Do we fight for our right to sin?

Why Do we fight for our right to sin?

It's ok if I mess up, God knows I'm not perfect...REALLY!

I have heard professing "Christians" use this argument to justify their right to continually do the things that they know the bible does not condone, whether it be use of profanity, telling obscene jokes, sexual immorality, etc.

Phillipians 3:12-16 says this:

12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

James 1:27 states, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

So obviously, we will not be perfect until we are in our glorified bodies in heaven.  However, there is no scripture to support the idea that we should not be making every effort to abstain from all things that are not holy and pleasing to God. However, scripture says that is exactly what we should do. There is a big difference in making a mistake in sin and and continuing perpetually in a sin with no interest in changing the behavior.

Somehow, over many years, SATAN has managed to deceive America into justifying it's sin.  Homosexuality, fornication, adultery, obscenities of every kind; All things that God HATES according to his Word. And yet much of America, whom call themselves Christians have been sucked into the lie that these things are completely acceptable. Media has numbed the hearts and minds of countless Christians. It's as if the Ten Commandments along with many other rules for Christian living in God's Word were never written.

      Everything on television is designed to support immorality and feminism, and to tear down the role of the father as the leader of the household.   Watching television has become such a way of life, such a staple of most American households that we are not even aware of the fact that what we are watching on television is killing our relationship with Jesus. I know because I used to be one of them. Then God convicted me that, I was not honoring Phillipians 4:8 which states, “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things”, by watching most of what is on TV and in movies. Also, that I was supporting the filth by watching shows containing that filth. I had made TV an idol along with its content because it was getting more of my attention and heart than God. So I stopped. I will not say I have mastered it, but I am keenly aware and striving to be careful of what and how much I watch.

       In Matthew 6: 22-23 Jesus states: “The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  So what constitutes darkness?   Movies or TV shows that glorify witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, anything supernatural that is not supported by scripture should be questioned in regard to your relationship with God (Galatians 5:19-21).  That same scripture addresses most of the acts of the flesh to include sexual immorality, jealousy, rage, drunkenness, and the list goes on.  It goes on to state that the participants of these acts have no place in God’s kingdom.  There are many scriptures speaking against these sins. Why would we want to watch anything and allow it into our hearts that will cause us to be full of darkness.

Some might call this idea legalistic or simply believe that this is not a stumbling block for them.  I would not begin to try to force this change of thought/heart on anyone.  It is a decision that everyone must make between themselves and Jesus. However, we must remember that Satan comes like a lion, seeking whom he may devour.  He comes to steal , kill, and destroy. (1 Peter 5:8;  John 10:10)  Jesus said that Satan is the father of lies. (John 8:44) His art is deception.  He wants to make things that are not godly appear harmless so as to draw us away from Jesus.  The same is true of the music we listen to.  It is designed to take godly ideas like love and sex and make them so common and disassociated from God’s original plan that we don’t even realize it is happening.  Most secular lyrics and some music is designed to completely distract from the fact that God was ever associated with these ideas.  The rest of it blatantly glorifies most things that are sinful.

That is just media.  How about the social aspect of our daily walk?  How many professing Christians engage in sexual immorality of any kind?  How many professing Christians engage regularly in other sins of the flesh such as telling or engaging in dirty jokes, participating in gossip, lying, stealing, profanity, hatred.  If these are common threads in how you conduct your daily lives.  If you are living with little to no conviction or interest in changing these behaviors, then you had better take a serious look at your relationship with Jesus and consider it’s validity.(Galatians 5:19-21)  God’s Word pulls no punches in it’s stance on all of this and how it affects your salvation.

For myself, I have been guilty of many of these sins at a time in my life when I thought I was a Christian.  I would never have justified my actions.  In fact, I argued with other’s, who were as guilty as I of professing Christ and yet living in sin, that I was completely in the wrong by my actions, but I was still living out those things daily. The more I study the Word, the more I realize how displeasing my life was to God and that I am almost certain I would not have had a leg to stand on if I had met my maker then.  Read Matthew 7:13-23.  Jesus makes it plain, as he does in many places in the Gospels that small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to eternal life and few will find it.  That there are many that believe they are going to heaven even because of their devout religious commitment, but have no relationship with Jesus, simply empty works fueled by a selfish motivation.  God's Word makes it plain that Salvation without Lordship is no Salvation at all.  You are saved by grace not works for certain.  However, if your Salvation is genuine the fruits of God’s Lordship in your life will absolutely be evidence of that. 

I have decided that I want everything else in my life to take a backseat to my relationship with Jesus and that I will try not to do anything that would hinder that. I hope you will do the same  His grace is sufficient to cover any sin you have committed.  If you have not made him Lord of your life I encourage you to do that today.  Ask Jesus to help you fall in love with him.  From there it is much less difficult to obey because you will find yourself doing it out of a loving, selfless desire rather than obligation.

 As always, everything that I post about is out of a genuine love for God, and  lost souls, and a desire to see the two reconciled.  Please pray about these things, search your soul and make sure you are in right standing with God. 

Love in Christ,

Josh