The issue of sin

I have often wondered if I would ever make it to heaven, in fact there were times in my life when I actually gave up altogether. I used to say it is impossible to be truely pure before God. Many times the good I want to do, i don't do and the evil I don't want to do I see myself doing.(Romans 7:18-20)

I decided to be very sincere with God and took a good look at my life....By God's grace many things came to light. Have you ever read galatians 5:19-21? Now I don't know about you(I am being real here) but i've pretty much ticked most of the boxes. Verse 21 says that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Some people would say "You know what, I'm a good person, I try to live in peace with my neighbours,I'm not a bad person and even if I sin it's a small sin" I've got news for you! no matter how good you think you are or how good people think you are,the soul that sins is cut off from God.
Let me give a simple example, Jesus said "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28) I have often wondered about this verse ......this is something that happens everyday to both men and women, young and old....it's something we could easily say is a small sin, afterall the act has not been comitted. So why did Jesus say this? Sin is a very funny thing....it always starts as a thought and if given grounds in our hearts it becomes sin.(James 1:15, Mark 7:21-22)

Sin is like a cancer, as a cancer would start with one cell, so sin will start with a single thought if it is given any root in our hearts, there is no telling what length it could grow to. I often wondered how a man like David, that loved the Lord with all his heart could first of all sleep with another man's wife then later go on to kill her husband......it all started with a small thought that at that time"didn't really matter". SIN BEGETS SIN, that's exactly what happened. The sin in the garden of eden was disobedience but today in the world we can all see how far that since has grown.

Why does God hate sin?
It was the very thing that was found in the heart of Lucifer(Ezekiel 28:15)
We are the object of God's love and sin hurts us. (Which of you will see something that can hurt your child and not hate it???)
It separates us from God because God is holy and will not behold iniquity.(Isaiah 59:1-2)
It was our sins that nailed Jesus to the cross.
It produces death both spritually and physically.

What does sin do to us?
It creates confusion.(Romans 1:28)
It causes stagnation, we never really move on when we are in sin( I realised this with the sin of unforgiveness)
It causes darkness.(Ephesians 5:8-14)
It causes fear....and the enemy feeds on fear.
It erodes your confidence.(Joshua 7:5)
It makes us compromise God's standards.(Romans 1:32)
It takes away God's presence from your life.(Judges 16:20)
It makes the heavens closed to your prayers(Psalm 66:18, Proverbs 1:28,Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 1:15, John 9:31)
It will ultimately lead to eternity without God.(Revalations 22:15)

Can we really make it? What has God done about this issue?
I am so grateful to God for what He is teaching me about this problem, I thought it was a hopeless case, but God loves us more that we can even imagine. Jude :24 says it is Jesus who is able to keep us from falling and to present us unblemished,blameless, faultless before His glorious presence.
There is hope!!! God really wants to keep us clean.(Jeremiah 33:8, Hebrews 10:17,Ezekiel 37:23) Alleluia!!!!

Long before we ever thought about God, while we were deep in sin and without help, He already had a plan of salvation. He did it in Christ Jesus. He did it to demonstrate His extravagant love for us: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. We have been saved from God's wrath because of the blood of Jesus.

What do we then do to keep this salvation we have recieved?
One thing I have learnt is that sin creats a legal ground for the devil to torment, believe me any opportunity we give to the devil, he'll seize it....because the time is short.
No matter how small the sin maybe, while it is still a thought deal with it. Don't allow it linger, don't let it take root. Confess it and ask God for the grace to live above sin.

Resist the devil by the word of God that you know(a good reason to read and meditate on God's word daily!)

The word of God is a very powerful tool, many of the psalms tell us the victory we can have if we hide God's word in our hearts.(Psalm 119 vs 9-11, vs 31,vs 36 vs 97-104, Psalm 37:31, Psalm 40:8)

Jesus taught us to pray everyday that God should deliever us from temptation so that we would not sin. (Matthew 6:13) We have to do this daily.

Paul summarises it very well when he tells us to crucify our flesh daily by taking up our cross.....yes "cross" because it is not something we naturally want to do. Walking in the spirit is the way to go! The spirit and the flesh are always waring against each other but it is a battle that the spirit must win if we are to be victorious.

I believe the reason I have struggled all my life is because I was ignorant and many of us are.
Can a child of God still conform to evil desires? a big YES! should we conform to them...NO! The word of God says" As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. 1 Peter 1:14-15.

May our loving Father keep us safe all the days of our lives, so that we may dwell with him for all eternity! Amen!

The real issue of sin is eternal death!!!