Ever known somebody who was what you can call the total package. There personality is one of those that everybody just liked them...everybody did. Most of the time good looking and talented, maybe even exceptional communicator. They are just a total package. The person people looked at, listened to, and said, "Wow, that person is going a long way." and they could have, but then it turns out they had sin in their life that they harbored. Sin in their life that they never confessed. They tried to look better than they was and did that all the time. You could kind of sense there was something wrong. Then the sin inside of them controlled their inner person. It happens kind of all at once although it took time. Behind the scenes it was taking time, but to those who knew them, it happened all at once. At first, they lost their honor. Then lost their place in charge and then maybe even lost their family and then they almost or do lose everything.
First you or anyone can be drawn away by your sin. Something entices you. You know, subtle habits start to creep in...Something you enjoy. Maybe it’s a lust for sex. Maybe it’s a lust for food, or maybe it is pride, or maybe it is anger. You can start to justify it. Maybe it’s the love of power or recognition, jealousy, whatever it is, but it starts to draw you away...it becomes a secret.
Secondly you start excusing your sin. You start backing away from Scripture. You don’t even want to hear it. We develop a secret suspicion that, Maybe God has it wrong on that.
The third thing is you begin to be distant. Then the fourth thing that happens is that your heart becomes hardened. Paul in Ephesus calls it a calloused heart. You’re convinced of your rightness and suddenly God is distant.
See you can tell when someone is slowly starting to turn away from God because they start making excuses for their sins.
Isaiah 59, verse 1, says, "Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you and He is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call." But there is a problem. "Your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, He has turned away and He will not listen anymore." That’s why sin is so big. It short-circuits the work of the Holy Spirit in your life and you can pray and God doesn’t listen.
It’s like going into a dating relationship that you know God doesn’t want you in and pray that He’ll bless it anyway. God is not listening to you. The Holy Spirit is not going to work through you and reward your disobedience. Sin is a big deal because it short-circuits what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life.
Here is the truth. Sin is a big deal for God because it short-circuits the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, and also in the community. It needs to be a big deal for you.
But here is the good news, "But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ your Lord." You’re a hope dispenser. You’re a life dispenser. That’s why you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember, if you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit, you’re going to be filled with something.
Galatians 6:1 says, "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path." Listen, godly doesn’t refer to some elite spiritual class. Godly refers to you. You’re just a page ahead. You’re not doing what they’re doing, okay. You’re a page ahead. You ought to restore them humbly and gently, willing to help a brother out because their life depends on it.
First you or anyone can be drawn away by your sin. Something entices you. You know, subtle habits start to creep in...Something you enjoy. Maybe it’s a lust for sex. Maybe it’s a lust for food, or maybe it is pride, or maybe it is anger. You can start to justify it. Maybe it’s the love of power or recognition, jealousy, whatever it is, but it starts to draw you away...it becomes a secret.
Secondly you start excusing your sin. You start backing away from Scripture. You don’t even want to hear it. We develop a secret suspicion that, Maybe God has it wrong on that.
The third thing is you begin to be distant. Then the fourth thing that happens is that your heart becomes hardened. Paul in Ephesus calls it a calloused heart. You’re convinced of your rightness and suddenly God is distant.
See you can tell when someone is slowly starting to turn away from God because they start making excuses for their sins.
Isaiah 59, verse 1, says, "Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you and He is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call." But there is a problem. "Your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, He has turned away and He will not listen anymore." That’s why sin is so big. It short-circuits the work of the Holy Spirit in your life and you can pray and God doesn’t listen.
It’s like going into a dating relationship that you know God doesn’t want you in and pray that He’ll bless it anyway. God is not listening to you. The Holy Spirit is not going to work through you and reward your disobedience. Sin is a big deal because it short-circuits what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life.
Here is the truth. Sin is a big deal for God because it short-circuits the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, and also in the community. It needs to be a big deal for you.
But here is the good news, "But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ your Lord." You’re a hope dispenser. You’re a life dispenser. That’s why you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember, if you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit, you’re going to be filled with something.
Galatians 6:1 says, "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path." Listen, godly doesn’t refer to some elite spiritual class. Godly refers to you. You’re just a page ahead. You’re not doing what they’re doing, okay. You’re a page ahead. You ought to restore them humbly and gently, willing to help a brother out because their life depends on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment