Sins Unto Death

                                                       When The Door Slams

"For from within, [that is] out the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, acts of greed and covetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envy and jealousy, slander and profanity, arrogance and self-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment). "All these evil things [schemes and desires] come from within and defile and dishonor the man."             Mark 7:21-23

        If a person "dies in sin" they will be lost eternally because of the "sins unto death" which are still in their heart. Concerning the "works of the flesh," Paul says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I told you before, as I have told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).

        How many times must the apostles tell us these things before we believe them, and how many times must they tell us Christ died to take these things away before we will believe the truth and trust in Christ? 

        Many people have been deceived to believe that a man or woman could die in the act of adultery, and Christ would receive them "if their faith is grounded in the cross of Christ." That is one of the must self-righteous thing I have ever heard. The cross of Christ is the end of sin for those who trust in Christ "who loved us, and gave Himself for us" (Galatians 2:20).        

        Think about this: It is hard for people to believe the truth when they first hear it because it is foolishness to them. They know they are not "strong enough" to live free from sin, so their first disposition is to believe that it is only the "self-righteous" who would believe such a thing. It is a wrong understanding of "grace" that actually blinds the people. They think we are "covered by grace," or that we "go to heaven by grace." Neither of these is true. The true is that we are "made free from sin" by grace. It is not by works.

Renewal: I will not let sin reign in my mortal body that I should obey its lusts. nor will I present the members of my body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but I will present myself to God as one who is alive from the dead and my members as instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:12-23).

May I put away all filthiness' and the overflow of wickedness, and meekness accept the word planted in me, which is able to save my soul (James1:21). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                                            Never Rest Ministries     

             

        

Secret Sins

                                                       When The Door Slams

"For there is nothing hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come out into the open                                      Luke 8:17

        One of Satan's subtle deceptions is that you can do things in secret that will never be revealed. This is simply not true. The Bible stresses that everything done in darkness will one day be brought to light. So before you commit yourself to do anything questionable, seriously ask yourself, "Why am I willing for those around me to know what I am doing or about to do? Am I a Christian who is obedient or just a religious person? Am I willing for God to watch me participate in my sinful activity?"

        The knowledge that God sees what we do, the reality that we are true Christians, we are accountable for every word and action, this alone should discourage us from sin (2 Cor. 5:10). But we can become so alienated from God that even this knowledge does not deter us. God promises that He will publicly expose our sin so that we must give an account to others for our actions. Ultimately, everything we do will be exposed on Judgment Day, you will be there. 

        Think about this: Still, some people believe they can sin against God, their families, their employers, or their friends and never be discovered. God has provided a safeguard against sin: the reality of disclosure. Scripture commands us to expose the deeds of darkness as we become aware of them(Eph. 5:11). As Christians we are to be the light that dispels darkness in our world. Sin cannot continue in a true Christian life, for light cannot dwell with darkness. The only insurance against having you exposed is living a blameless life. 

Confession: My trespasses are multiplied before You, And my sins testify against me. For my transgressions are with me, And I know my iniquities: Transgressing and lying against the LORD, And departing from my God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Uttering lies my heart has conceived (Isaiah 59:12-13). 

Renewal: May I fear the LORD and Serve You in truth with all my heart, for I consider what great things You have done for me (1 Samuel 12:24). May I not transgress the commandments of the LORD, for I cannot prosper in disobedience. May I not forsake the LORD (2 Chronicles 24:20). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                    Never Rest Ministries     

                   

Our Motives Is Selfish, We Should Evaluate Our Prayers

                                                     When The Door Slams

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, telling him, "Take courage, get up! He is calling for you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni (my Master), let me regain my sight."                     Mark 10:49-51

        It is hard to believe that the LORD would ask us what He could do for us. However, sometimes that is the question we must answer. Bartimaeus was blind, and he knew exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him: restore his sight. Yet he received much more than physical sight! He received salvation, for Jesus know Bartimaeus's heart was faithful. Bartimaeus immediately used his gift to become a follower of the Savior.

        Jesus also asked James and John what they wanted Him to do for them. They requested the most prominent places in His kingdom. This time Jesus answered that He could not give them what they asked. Their request was selfish, and it brought dissension among their fellow disciples (Mark 10:41). 

        Think about this: Only when we pray according to God's will, He is pleased to grant our requests (John 15:16). We will not see our prayers answered if we ask selfishly (James 4:3). If God refrains from giving us what we are asking, we should evaluate our prayers. Are our motives selfish? Are we asking for far less than God wants to give (2 Kings 13:19; Eph. 3:20)? Are our requests worthy of God we approach? Are we obedient to God's word? Do we lack the faith God requires to give us our desires (Matt. 17:20)? Is there unconfessed sin (Isa. 1:15)? God delights in responding to our requests (Matt. 7:7). If we will ask according to His will, we, like Bartimaeus, will receive far more than we anticipated (Jer. 33:3).

May I be strong and courageous, being careful to obey Your word; may I not turn from it to the right or to the left, that I may act wisely wherever I go (Joshua 1:7).  

Godliness with contentment is great gain. For I brought nothing into the world, and I can take nothing out of it. But if I have food and clothing, with these I will be content.                                (1 Timothy 6:6-8).        

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                    Never Rest Ministries

           

When You Become A True Christian, God Renewed Your Mind

                                                     When The Door Slams 

So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit-steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.                         1 Peter 1:13

 

        Your mind is a wonderful thing! You can memorize life-changing passages of Scripture that can undergird you in your daily life; you can meditate upon God's Word, discovering His magnificent truths; you can discern between truth and falsehood; you can recall God's past blessings.

        Some of God's most effective servants were those who disciplined their minds for His service. Moses, educated in the best schools of Egypt, assembled the Books of the Law for the Israelites. Isaiah used his scholarly mind to write an exalted prophetic book in Scripture. Paul learned under Gamaliel, the outstanding teacher of his day, and it was through Paul that God presented much of the theology found in the New Testament. 

        Paul urged Christians to strive for maturity in their thinking (1 Cor. 14:20). He said there was a time when his spiritual thinking was immature, but he had prepared his mind to know and understand the great truths of God (1 Cor. 13:11). He had not allowed others to do his thinking for him. When you became a Christian, God renewed your mind (Rom. 12:2). Be certain to used your mind in a way that brings glory to God.

        Think about this: Sadly, many Christians today do not exercise their minds to be of service to God. Sometimes we allow others to do our religious thinking for us. If they can find their religion from a book, they will not bother to study God's Word themselves. If a speaker makes an authoritative statement, they readily accept it without verifying whether it is biblical.

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. He changes the times and the seasons; He raises up kings and deposes them He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:20-22). 

We give thanks to You, LORD God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign (Revelation 11:17).                        

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.