12/30/13 A GREAT IDEA FOR THE NEW YEAR...
If you have a sin in your life (a behavior that is disobedience to God's commands), which you cannot stop, I have good news for you. Jesus came to save His people from their sins and deliver us from the power of darkness into His own kingdom.
Colossians 1:9-14
(9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
(11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
(12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
(13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
(14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
"Salvation" that does not save from sin is not salvation, it is useless religion.
Check out "Responses to Sin" verses below.
Responses to Sin...
There are several responses we can have toward sin
1- The Fool's Response. There is no sin, because there is no God, and I am personally good.
Psalms 53:1
(1) ... The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
2- Another Fool's Response. God does not judge sin or hold people accountable for sin.
Galatians 2:17
(17) But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
2 Peter 2:18
(18) For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
3- The Self-Deceived Man's Response. I do not need a savior, because I have no sin.
1 John 1:8
(8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
4- The Liars Response. I am a Christian, but do not keep His commandments.
1 John 2:4
(4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5- The Biblical Response. I am a Christian and I obey God.
1 John 2:3
(3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Do not forget...
We have all sinned.
We all deserve judgement from God.
Christ will save those that call on Him by faith.
No one can obey or please God, by his own power.
Christ will save us from the penalty, the pollution and the power of sin.
Faith. through grace, enables obedience to God.
Confession and Repentance...
Someone might be thinking, "The Bible says that the right response to sin is Confession and Repentance." Ok, that is the proper response after sin has been committed and the Holy Spirit has confronted and convicted us, and we realize our guilt before God.
However, the Biblical response to the idea of sinning, the possibility of sinning, the temptation to sin is to obey God instead. Remember, the point of this post is that God not only forgives us of sins committed, He delivers us from the pollution and the power of sin. Sin's stranglehold has been broken. Followers of Christ are no longer under the domain of sin and Satan (darkness).
The darkness is scattered. As a believer, follower of Christ, I have been delivered (rescued) from the power of darkness (sin, Satan) and translated (moved) into the kingdom (the rule) of Christ; therefore, I now walk (live, behave) in a manner that is all pleasing to God, fruitful in every good work, strengthened with all might.
