Topic: Depart from sin - Part 1

Bible Reading: 1 John 1: 5-10

Introduction

Sin is an action that is censure or is felt to be highly reprehensible. It is any conduct that deserves to be condemned. Sin is an immoral act, which is considered to be a transgression against the divine law of God. It can also be described as an offense against religious or moral law. Sin can be considered to be serious wrongdoing, shortcoming or fault. In fact, sin is any lack of conformity to the moral character of God or the law of God. In a nutshell, every form of unrighteousness and ungodliness is sin.

We sin by thinking evil, speaking evil and acting in wicked manner. We sin whenever omission occurs, whereby we failed or refused to carry out the instructions of the Lord, or perform our duties before the Lord. We commit sin through commission, whenever we do things that we ought not to have done. Things that are against directives of the Lord which can provoke His anger. Therefore, the best thing that can happen to anyone is to keep away from sin.

The genesis of sin: The spiritual eyes of the Lord is always bitter to sin and He cannot condone sin as demonstrated in the Book of Genesis when the first sin was committed. God instructed Adam and Eve not to touch or eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden, instead they were deceived by Lucifer the aged serpent. Due to their disobedience, they sinned against God and He pronounced judgment on them. This conduct of Adam and Eve was the genesis of sin and it caused separation between human and our Creator. Since then, God put enmity between mankind and Satan. In addition, He cursed the ground so that we have to toil before we can eat, and we have to work hard and sweat to earn a living. God also made it impossible for human to see or interact with Him physically; due to the above-mentioned sin, so human died spiritually since that day Genesis 3:1-19. One sin caused mankind so much, to the extent that we all became sinners, because we inherited the sin from Adam and Eve.

The situation grew worse, and the Bible testified to it by saying “Then the Lord said that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So, the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them” Genesis 6:5-7. Later, the Lord destroyed the world with flood. It is shameful and sorrowful for humans, to make their Creator who is so merciful and generous to them to regret His action of creating mankind. The animals and birds did not grieve the Lord, however, we humans that He loved so much and gave us the dominion of this world that are the source of His distress. So, what steps are you taking to flee from sin, so as to make the Lord happy? Don't you think you should live a godly life in order to amend your relationship with God? The only way to please the Lord is to make holiness your watchword.

Sin is deadly: Sin is very deadly because it will put your life at risk, and eventually cause death. Sinners will lose in this world and end up in hell, and they have no hope of inheriting the kingdom of heaven unless they repent. No benefit can be derived from sin except punishment and death. However, “If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects a man such as you, and your righteousness a son of man” Job 35:6-8. Remember the evil or good you do only affect other humans. If you sin, you will face the consequence but if you depart from sin and do what is good then you will commit the Lord to fulfill His promises in your life. Nevertheless, our lustful desires make us to sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead. Our cravings give birth sinful actions and when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. As it is written “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” James 1:15. For this reason, everyone who practices sin habitually are held in spiritual bondage by sin, and such people are spiritual captives of sin; according to the scripture which says “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” John 8:34. If you do not want to be in spiritual slavery, flee from sin.

Mankind was created perfectly: God created mankind excellently until the great deception by the serpent. Humans were created flawlessly until Adam and Eve disobeyed the instructions of the Lord. The Bible corroborated this fact by saying “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” Genesis 1:31. Everything made by the Lord was good until the fallen angel called Lucifer corrupted and manipulated them to suit his own purpose. God made human upright but we have sought out many devices for evil. We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds. God made us decent, plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated. In the beginning, God created people to be virtuous, but we have each turned to follow our own downward path. As it is written “Truly, this only I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes” Ecclesiastes 7:29. This is the reason, why many people cannot serve the Lord, because of their complications and perversions; according to the testimony of Joshua, which says “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good” Joshua 24:19-20. You can only serve the Lord, if you are determined to depart from sin. If you don't want God to turn against you and punish you, then you must neither fall into sin nor serve foreign gods. If you don't want God to destroy you, after He has been good to you, then abstain from sin and do not distort the word of the Lord.

Do not cease warning people: It is your duty to warn people to depart from sin. Inasmuch as the Lord has filled us with power and His Spirit, we have been given the courage to speak about justice and to tell the Christendom that they have sinned. As for us in this ministry, we are filled with power—with the Spirit of the Lord. We are filled with justice and strength to boldly declare the sins of Christians and their rebellion against the Lord. As it is written “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin” Micah 3:8. Hence, we will shout the message without holding back with Christ Apostolic Miracle Ministry publications. We will say to the Christendom that they have sinned and turned against the Lord. We are proclaiming to believers their rebellion and sins against the Lord; according to the Bible passage which says “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” Isaiah 58:1. Since God has no portion in sinners and sinners have no portion in Him, it will be counted as sin, if you fail to pray for sinners to change. You will be disobeying the Lord if you stop praying for brethren to depart from sin and teach them how to live right. As it is written “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way” 1 Samuel 12:23. Do not cease warning and praying for people, if you don't want God to hold you responsible or accountable for their blood.

Many believed that they are not sinners: Nowadays, many people believed that they are not sinners even when their sins are crystal clear; they still deny the existence of such sins. When you tell the people the messages of God concerning the judgment that is coming upon the sinners, then, they will ask, 'Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the Lord our God?' They will claim to be innocent and ask that 'Why does the Lord threaten them with disasters and decided to punish them harshly? They will ask what crime are they guilty of and what have they done wrong? How have we sinned against the Lord? Or what sin have they committed against God?' According to the scripture which says “And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?'” Jeremiah 16:10. Since they lack knowledge, they will always complain and query God whenever they are being punished for their sins. They will not admit that any living mortal must not complain when we are being punished for our sins. As it is written “Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?” Lamentation 3:39. Inasmuch as no sinner will go unpunished, many of us are the architect of our situations due to our sins. Hence, do not complain when you are being confronted by the consequences of your sins; according to the scripture which says “Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered” Proverbs 11:21. For this reason, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” 1 John 1:8-10. To prove that God is just, we must admit that we are sinners and take steps to abstain from our sins.

We all are sinners: Every one of us is a sinner, any human born of a woman or carried out of a woman's womb through Cesarean section operation is a sinner. We inherited the sin from our ancestors Adam and Eve, and the Bible supported this fact by saying “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” Psalm 51:5. We are sinners from the moment our mother conceived us to the day we were born. Therefore, everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence. We all have done wrong, and we have fall short of God's glorious standard; according to the scripture which says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory God” Romans 3:23. For this reason, no one in this world always does right. There is no righteous person on earth who does good and never sins or make a mistake. As it is written “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” Ecclesiastes 7:20. It is clear that humans are sinners with the exception of our Lord Jesus Christ who came in human form. Therefore, it is time to depart from sin and reconcile with your Creator.

Today, several Christians/believers have rebelled against the glorious God; their words and actions have made them to stumble and fall. They prefer the way of the Gentiles that is an abomination before the Lord to the righteous path, forgetting that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Many churches are doomed and their ministry is collapsing, and everything they say and do is against the Lord, to the extent that they openly insult God. As it is written “For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory” Isaiah 3:8. Are you among those who speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey Him? Do you belong to the class of people who provoke Him to His face and still claim not to be sinners? It is for this reason that it is rampant in the world that the more the number of churches in the world increases, the more there is steady rise in sins committed against the Lord; according to the scripture which says “The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory to shame” Hosea 4:7. The more the pastors in the world increases, the more lawlessness increases, because the priests are after their own selfish interest instead of the expansion of the work of God. What they want is to remain in sin, continue with their lustful lifestyle and expect the blessings of the Lord to continue to multiply in their lives. They have forgotten the Bible passage which says “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Romans 6:1. Therefore, if we keep on sinning, it is impossible for the wonderful grace of God to increase in our lives. For the grace to multiply, we must depart from sin.

Topic: Depart from sin - Part 2

Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

We shall continue with our discussions by mentioning that no human is pure before the Lord and in most cases, it is our sins or iniquities that always put us in our unsatisfactory situations.

Ignorance is no excuse for pardon

Nowadays, many people in the world are using the lack of knowledge or information about the commandments of the Lord to claim that they are not sinners, but they are just deceiving themselves. Inasmuch as the Gospel is being broadcasted on Radio Stations and televised on Television stations across the globe, their claims are baseless. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is on the internet and there are several publications about the Good News including the Bible, with countless people evangelizing on daily basis throughout the world, then the claim of innocence of such people is false. Even in the most restrictive country, people can still find a way around the oppressive decrees of their land to seek and know the Lord.

The bible says the earth was so corrupt to the extent that everywhere in this world we saw violence and injustice instead of fairness and justice. If you observe this present generation in the world, you will find wickedness where justice and right ought to be, you will find corruption/pollution where purity ought to be; according to the scripture which says, “And I saw under the sun: In place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there” Ecclesiastes 3:16. Iniquities and corruption is prevalent everywhere to the extent that the whole world has been desecrated and polluted; to the extent that different types of calamities are happening in various locations in the world. The novice people who lack knowledge are calling the events ‘natural disaster’ because they do not understand that it is the Lord that is punishing those geographical locations by making the land to reject the people who lived there. As it is written “For the land is defiled; therefore, I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants” Leviticus 18:25. You must depart from iniquity if you do not want catastrophe in your area.

The people in the world usually say ‘Ignorance is no defense in law’ likewise, if anyone breaks any of the commands of the Lord, even if such person is unaware or does not realize it, the person is guilty and liable to punishment, unless the person repents quickly. The scripture confirmed this fact by saying “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity” Leviticus 5:17. How many unintentional sins have you committed today? Don’t you think you need to flee from iniquities so that you will not be penalized? It is time for you to depart from sin so that you will not bear the consequences of your wrong-doings because the Lord is about to come out to punish everyone on earth for their sins, injustice and wrongdoings. The earth will uncover the blood shed on it, the physical and spiritual murders that were secretly committed on the earth together with extrajudicial killings will be revealed. Then the ground will no longer hide those who have been killed; as it is written “For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain” Isaiah 26:21. Since you know that the Lord is ready to punish the earthlings, why not depart from sin so as to escape the punishment?

No human is pure

Humans are impure, evil and corrupt; it is the grace that we received through Jesus Christ our Lord and His precious blood which was shed that is sanctifying us in the presence of our heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ alone is pure: No human is pure with the exception of Jesus Christ our Lord who came into this world in human form. It is for this reason that His conception was through the power of the Holy Spirit, and not through sexual relationship between man and woman. As it is written “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’” Luke 1:35. Jesus Christ alone is pure since He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Your sins are not hidden: You must realize that God knows your blunder and folly, so your sins and guilt are not hidden from Him. Your sins are not hidden from God because He knew you are stupid and foolish; according to the scripture which says “O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You” Psalm 69:5. Do not deceive yourself by saying you are pure; inasmuch as your sins cannot be hidden from God. In addition, all your sins that you are trying to conceal are known to the Lord, even those that you did in secret. Your iniquities are spread out before the Lord together with your secret sins. As it is written “You have set our iniquities before You, our secrets sins in the light of Your countenance” Psalm 90:8. For this reason, you must admit that you are not pure but corrupt and you must never claim that “I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me” Job 33:9. You must neither say ‘I am pure, without any rebellious acts against God,’ nor claim that ‘I have done nothing wrong, so, I am not guilty, but innocent and free from sin.’ Because the Bible testified that “What is man, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water!” Job 15:14-16. What chance do you think you have to claim that you are pure? So, humans are impure because we are evil, crooked and sinful with a thirst for wickedness.

You need to acknowledge your sin: We must realize that if God should keep account of our sins and treat us accordingly, no human could stand before Him in judgment and claim innocence. If the Lord kept the records of our sins, who could escape being condemned? As it is written, “If You, Lord should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Psalm 130:3. You must acknowledge your iniquities and depart from sin, since no one will survive if God kept track of our sins. Therefore, admit your sin and do not conceal your guilt. You must confess your rebellion to the Lord so that He will forgive you and overlook your wrongdoings; according to the Bible passage which says “I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” Psalm 32:5. For this reason, put away evil and wrong from your home, and give up your sins, even those you do in secret; according to the scripture which says “If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, and would not let wickedness dwell in your tents” Job 11:14. Then, you will be acceptable before the Lord because you have kept yourself from wrongdoing and you will live with integrity before Him, since you have guard yourself against sin. As it is written “I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity” Psalm 18:23. For you to be blameless and acceptable in the presence of God, you must depart from sin.

Beware of sin: You must be on your guard against sin, if you want to please the Lord. Be honest in whatever post/position that you currently occupy, and dispense justice accordingly. If you belong to the ruling class, make sure that you govern the land with honesty and transparency. Do not embezzle the funds of your community or convert the country’s resources to your personal property. In addition, you must neither afflict nor oppress the inhabitants of your land. If you are one of the judges/leaders you must neither be partial nor take bribes because you are judging on behalf of God with the knowledge that He will revisit your verdicts to ascertain your fairness, since He is the Judge of all judges. Therefore, pay attention whenever you are passing sentence, so as to render a just verdict; according to the scripture which says “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality nor taking of bribes” 2 Chronicles 19:6-7. Inasmuch as God cannot condone fraud and partiality, you must fear and honor Him by acting in a careful manner that will make you to be rewarded, so that the Lord will neither behold wickedness in your journey (for you are forgiven) nor see mischief or perverseness in your life; instead He will proclaim His greatness through you. As it is written “he has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King among them” Numbers 23:21. Whatever you are doing must be done to please God and not human, so that the promise of God to king David which was stated in the Book of Samuel will come to pass in your life. “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you” 2 Samuel 7:12-15. You must flee from sin and conduct yourself with fear of God before this covenant can be established in your life.

Your sin is the cause of your situation

The situations of many people were caused by their iniquities; several people are in unsatisfactory conditions because of their sins. It is our sin that is causing infirmities and untimely death among the Christendom. The prayer of countless people is not answered because of their transgressions, so we need to admit that sin is very deadly. The Bible corroborated this fact by saying “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23. The only thing that you can earn from sin is death, so depart from sin before it is too late, so that you will not become a casualty of the grave. It is for this reason that the grave is licking its lips in anticipation, opening its mouth wide. All sinners, including the great, the lowly and the corrupt mob will be swallowed up. The world of the dead is hungry for sinners, and it opens its mouth wide, it gulps down the nobles of Christianity along with the crowd of common people. As it is written “Therefore Sheol has enlarge itself and opened its mouth beyond measure; their glory and their multitude and their pomp, and he who is jubilant shall descend into it” Isaiah 5:14. The untimely death is a common occurrence in the world due to sin, and many of the dead do not have access to the glorious home because of their transgressions.

Do not turn to iniquity: Numerous people have turned to iniquities to resolve their issues, instead their sins have taken them far from God’s favor towards eternal destruction. Our iniquities have led the Lord to hid His glorious face from us and caused our misdeeds to destroy us. In fact, our sins are like spiritual stormy winds that are sweeping us away from the presence of the Lord. The Bible confirmed this fact by saying “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” Isaiah 64:6. If you do not want to be blown towards calamity, do not turn to iniquity but flee from it. Hence, you must not be among those who have gone back to the sins of their ancestors under the guise of searching for ‘national identity’ Or their ‘roots.’ Those who have turned back to serve deities/idols through their contrary traditions or strange culture, thereby breaking the covenant which God had with them. As it is written “They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers” Jeremiah 11:10.

When the consequences of their iniquities begin, then, they will be crying out for relief from their pain. They will be crying out over their injury which is the result of their sin and punishment for their glaring and innumerable iniquities. Such people should complain no more about their situations because it is the outcome of their sins and great wickedness; according to the Bible passage which says “Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increase, I have done these things to you” Jeremiah 30:15. Therefore, do not turn to evil as a way of escape. Be careful, do not turn to wickedness by complaining against God or judging Him, instead choose submission in your affliction. Be on guard, turn back from wrongdoing because God sent the suffering to keep you from a life of evil. As it is written “Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction” Job 36:21. Turn away from iniquity else you will suffer the consequences.

You will suffer the consequences of your sins: The Bible says “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” Psalm 24:1. However, the Christians who are children of God through our faith in Jesus Christ are the special treasure of the Lord among the earthlings; according to the scripture which says “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2. Since we are chosen people, we will be punished for our sins. Out of all the families on earth, only the Christians are intimately known by the Lord, therefore, He will punish us for our wrongdoing. As it is written “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities” Amos 3:2. It is time to depart from sin, so that you will escape the impending punishment of the Lord.

Sin has separated us from God: We need to realize that our sins are the spiritual roadblock between us and our God. That is the reason why He doesn’t answer our prayers or shine His face on us. It is our transgressions that always cut us off from God, and because of our wrongdoings, He will turn away from us and He will not listen to us anymore. According to the scripture which says “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” Isaiah 59:2. You must abstain from iniquity if you want God to shine His face upon you, and depart from sin for Him to hear your prayers. For this reason, turn away from sin that can make it impossible for the Lord to bless you. It is your wrongdoing that is turning away the blessing of God from you and robbing you of goodness. According to the Bible passage which says “Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good from you” Jeremiah 5:25. Do not turn to iniquities so that you will not be deprived of wonderful blessings and good things of life. If you don’t want your goodness to be withheld, but desire great transformation in your life, you must depart from sin.

Topic: Depart from sin - Part 3

Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

We shall continue with our discussions by mentioning some of the conducts which leads to sin and the easily committed sins among mankind.

The common sins among mankind

There are various sins that are widespread throughout the world, and most people have formed the habit of committing one or more of these sins on a daily basis, to the extent that many do not even count them as sins; whereas the Lord is always displeased whenever we commit these sins. As previously discussed, these sins are the genesis of our situations and the challenges that we are passing through; and until we depart from sin, our situations we remain the same with no improvement.

We need to realize the spiritual implications of falling into sin, because anyone who commits a sin is spiritually naked, and it is a matter of time before such person will be disgraced, since he/she has fallen from the grace of God. An example in the Bible was the event which happened to Adam and Eve. Their nakedness was initially covered by the grace and power of the Lord until they committed an offense. Then their nakedness was exposed because of the sin, and they realized that they were naked, which prompted them to get leaves to cover their nakedness Genesis 3:1-7.

You must flee from sin if you do not want your nakedness to be exposed spiritually. Many people do not know that they are naked spiritually because their homes are safe from fear and God is yet to punish them for their misdeeds. Do not have false confidence that you are not a sinner or you are pure, because you are not living in terror and your home has not witness any disaster. As it is written “Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them” Job 21:9. The fact that you are comfortable does not prove that you are not a sinner or a wicked person. Even if you live in peace and have no worries concerning your home, you must depart from sin before the punishment of God comes upon you.

You must love God with all your hearts

Today divine love is missing in the world and people don’t like themselves, talkless of loving God. What is rampant nowadays among mankind is lust, care and emotion. Everyone is pretending to love God but our actions speak otherwise. Countless people in the world today hates the Lord and His words, despite the fact that they are confessing or professing to love God, because they are using their lips and mouth to praise the Lord and confess that they love Him, while their hearts are withdrawn from the Lord; they are only deceiving themselves. It is a common occurrence to see people honoring God with their lip service but their minds are distant from Him. The worship of such people is in vain, and their speeches are meaningless to God, because their hearts are somewhere else. So, the prophecy of Isaiah came to pass which says, “Therefore, the Lord said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men’” Isaiah 29:13. Are you among those who prefer social activities to serving the Lord? Do you belong to the class of hypocrites’ who honors the Lord with only lip service? Anyone who does not love God whole-heartedly, with all his/her soul and mind has disobeyed the command of the Lord, and such person is a sinner that is not worthy to be called a child of God. Jesus corroborated this fact when tested by one of the Pharisees by saying, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your hearts, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment” Matthew 22:37-38. Do you think that if anyone breaks this first and great commandment, he/she will not be guilty? Are you among the offenders who are breaking this law regularly? You must love God more than anything in this world to be considered innocent of this law.

Love God and walk in His way: Your duty is to love the Lord your God. It is for your own sake to be sure to always love God. You must take great care to love the Lord so that it shall be well with you; according to the scripture which says “Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God” Joshua 23:11. You must be watchful not to break this law else it will be counted as sin against you; but keep it throughout your lifetime. Remember, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worth of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worth of Me, says the Lord” Matthew 10:37. If you love and takes more pleasure in anything in this world more than God, then you are not worthy. Therefore, you must always love God, and obey His laws and teachings. As it is written “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always” Deuteronomy 11:1. Failure to love God will bring penalty, and refusal to keep His laws and commands will be counted as offense. How many laws have you broken today? Don’t you think that departing from sin will make you to be innocent and acceptable in the presence of the Lord?

The requirement of the Lord: If you want the Lord to be delighted in you, then you must satisfy the mandatory conditions set forth by the Lord; which means, it is inevitable for you to fulfill the prerequisite that was written in the scripture which says “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” Deuteronomy 10:12. Are you living in a way that pleases God? Can people vouch for you that you are walking in the ways of the Lord? Can your conducts prove that you are serving the Lord with all your being? Do not forget that until you start doing what the Lord says, and obey His word, that you can prove that you love Him. The easy way to demonstrate that you love God is to bear in your mind His precepts and observe His messages in its entirety. As it is written “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” 1 John 2:5.

Many are not recognized by the Lord: Nowadays, several people are known by their families for their support and financial assistance, but they are not recognized by the heavens. Many of the famous and influential people across the globe are unknown to the Lord. God does not recognize numerous rulers of the nations of the world and the leaders of Christianity, why? Because they do not love God wholeheartedly. There are some people who are so important, necessary and essential in their community or there working place, but they are neither important nor known by the Lord because, they do not love God or have time for Him; whereas, these people have time for vanities of this world and love the materialistic things more than their Creator. The Bible supported this claim by saying “But, if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him” 1 Corinthians 8:3. You must love the Lord in order to be recognized by the heaven. If you love God with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience and gratitude, then He will recognize you as worth of His intimacy, love and blessings. For this reason, “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name” Deuteronomy 6:13. So, you must honor God at all times. You must worship and obey God with fear and trembling, with a promise to be loyal to Him.

If you want to be absolved from the guilt and punishment of not loving the Lord your Creator, then value your God more everything in this world. You must always magnify the Lord God and exalt His glorious name at all times. Your acts must always be in conformity with His laws and teachings, then your journey will be peaceful and your life will be transformed, because God will cause everything to work together for your benefit and good. We have the assurance and great confidence that in all things God works for good with those who love Him. As it is written “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. For all things to work together to your advantage, you must love God with all your heart, soul and mind.

Love your neighbor as yourself

Today, love is lost between spouse, and what is common is marriage of convenience. There is no love among siblings, children don’t love their parents and parents are pretending as if they love their Children. Colleagues jealous one another, and neighbors cannot stand each other due to hatred. It is for this reason that chaos and anarch are the norm of the day. Countless people are very greedy, but they think they are smart because they have intense selfish desire for perishable things of this world. Several people lack consideration for others, they are self-centered to the extent that they are primarily concern about their personal profit or pleasure. Whatever action that is taken by these people have an ulterior motive and they will do nothing except for their selfish ambition, yet they continue to proclaim that they love their neighbor as themselves. They have forgotten the commandment of God stated in the Bible which says “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:39. Anyone who is selfish has disobeyed the law of the Lord and no disobedient person shall inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore, it is an offense for you not to love your neighbor as yourself, which means selfishness is guiltiness in the presence of God.

Abstain from selfish ambition: It is our obligation as Christians to keep away from evil and sinful things. We need to try our best to please God by avoiding nefarious activities, instead we must strive for righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness and gentleness; according to the scripture which says “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” 1 Timothy 6:11. Anyone who failed to pursue the previously mentioned virtues will be held accountable, and such person cannot claim to love his/her neighbor. Hence, God will pour His fury on every selfish person who rejects the truth and wants to do evil. The wrath of God will come upon whoever obey wickedness instead of the truth because such person is acting out of selfishness and disobedience. As it is written “But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath” Romans 2:8. Are you one of those who are selfish and reject what is right in order to follow what is wrong? The only way to escape the anger of the Lord is to love your neighbor. Since selfishness is not smartness, but foolishness, then, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” Philippians 2:3. Do not be selfish, and nothing must be done to impress others, instead do all things to please the Lord.

Do not oppress or rule with cruelty: The scripture says, you must neither cheat anyone nor wrong one another. Do not take advantage of each other, instead love one another; according to the Bible passage which says “Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God” Leviticus 25:17. Make sure that you neither afflict nor exploit others but love them as yourself. In addition, you must not treat anyone harshly. You must not rule over others with cruelty and severity. Stop every conduct of brutality and inhumanity towards other people. As it is written “You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God” Leviticus 25:43. Therefore, do for others what you want them to do for you and treat others as you want them to treat you; according to the scripture which says “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12. Do not forget that if you are cruel to others, even if they treat you in the same manner, you will still be guilty of breaking the Law for nothing loving your neighbor, and you will eventually be punished for this sin.

Walk in love: Christians must live a life of love, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ who died because of us. Let love be your guide, and allow it to control your life, just as Christ loved us and gave His life for us; as it its written “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” Ephesians 5:2. Are you living a life filled with love? Are you following the example of Christ? God in His infinite mercy demonstrated real love for mankind, when He sent His Son to be the means by which our sins can be forgiven. So, let us reciprocate this gesture by loving Him and our neighbors as ourselves. The immense love that God had for us made Him to send Jesus Christ His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins and take our iniquities away. If God loved us this much, then we must love each other. If our Creator loved us in this incredible way, surely, we also ought to love one another; as it is written “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Behold, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” 1 John 4:10-11. For this reason, “Beloved, let us love another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” 1 John 4:7-8. The only way to prove that you are born-again and you know God is to love the Lord your God and others as yourself. If you want people to know that you are a child of God, do not be selfish or cruel to others.

Anyone who confesses to love God and hate other people or do not love his/her neighbor, is a liar, and the truth of the Lord is not in such person; according to the scripture which says “If someone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” 1 John 4:20-21. You can only love God when you love others, so it is inevitable for you to love others as yourself. We pray that the Lord will guide you to be as loving as God and as patient as Jesus Christ. May the Lord lead your heart into full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurances which comes from Christ. As it is written “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ” 2 Thessalonians 3:5. God will direct your life into a greater understanding of His love, in Jesus name. (Amen).

Topic: Depart from sin - Part 4

Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

We shall continue with our discussions by mentioning the ten commandments given to Moses to guide the Christians in our day-to-day activities.

The ten commandments

Everyday people fall into sin due to ignorance or stubbornness. Numerous people are committing sin because they refuse to obey the instructions of the Lord or ignore His Commandments. Many people commit sin unintentionally while others commit sin purposely in order to dare God. The scripture says, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” Exodus 20:1. The Lord our God is the Supreme being who protected and preserved you till this moment. He delivered you from your troubles, so that you will fear Him and keep His commandments. Our God is so unique that there is no being that can be used as His comparable. He is so great to the extent that we can neither describe Him nor evaluate Him; according to the Bible passage which says “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?” Isaiah 46:5. Since there is no one like Him, then you must fear Him and keep His commandments, else it will be counted as sin. As it is written “Do you not fear Me? Says the Lord. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it’” Jeremiah 5:22. It is inevitable for you to fear the Lord and depart from sin so as to be delivered and preserved.

You must have no other gods: “You shall have no other gods before Me” Exodus 20:2. You must realize that the contrary spirits or domestic gods cannot save you from your situation, but Almighty God alone can rescue you. The Bible testified by saying, “I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior” Isaiah 43:11. Only Jesus Christ the Savior of the world can deliver you from your afflictions. Therefore, whatever challenges that are confronting you, do not complicate your situation by seeking the assistance of deities/idols, instead put your faith in God who will save you and transform your life. As it is written “Look at Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” Isaiah 45:22. A word is enough for the wise; so, do not have other gods, but rely solely on God, else you will be guilty.

We need to know that the gods or deities are among the creations of God because He was the One who created the heavens and the earth, so, why must you believe in the efficacy of the creatures instead of that of the Creator? Remember that the gods are made of silver and gold, shaped or formed by humans’ hands, likewise, the idols are made by human hands. It is for this reason, that the Bible described them by saying, they have mouths but cannot speak, they have eyes but they do not see, they have ears, but they do not hear, they have hands but they cannot handle, they have feet but they cannot walk Psalm 115:4-9. Do not provoke God whose name is Jealous to anger by putting your trust in idols or worshipping other gods. As it is written “For you shall worship no other gods, for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” Exodus 34:14. Hence, do not consult the palm readers, the card readers, the stargazers, the herbalists and the mediums to solve your problems; according to the scripture which says “Give no regards to mediums and familiar spirits, do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God” Leviticus 19:31. For this reason, do not have other gods except Almighty God and  acknowledge Him in all your ways. As it is written “I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me, I will gird you, though you have not known Me” Isaiah 45:5. For God to equip you for spiritual battle, you must have no other gods. If you want God to strengthen you to overcome your troubles, you must depart from sin.

You must not serve idols/deities: The Bible stated that, you must not make any carved image; you must not bow to idols or serve other gods Exodus 20:4-6. God alone is worthy to be praised and worshipped because with God nothing is impossible Luke 1:37. We need to realize that anyone who does not serve Almighty God will serve a lesser god that can neither save nor provide for the needs of such person. The scripture described the unique qualities of our God by saying “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11. Unlike the gods that cannot save, only God must be appreciated, praised, served and worshipped. You must not associate with other gods in any form or shape. It is a sin to finance or support any festivity that is related to other gods. You must neither mention the name of any of god nor glamorize the name of any god. As it is written “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth” Exodus 23:13. You must neither invoke the names of other gods or speak their names throughout your lifetime. In addition, you must not worship the gods of the communities around you. If you are a sojourner, do not worship the gods of the land of your sojourn. Do not say “When you are in Rome, you have to behave like a Roman” according to the scripture which says “You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the people who are all around you” Deuteronomy 6:14. Make sure you are not influenced by anything or pressured by anyone to serve other gods.

Jesus Christ laid the example for us so that we can follow His footsteps. When He was tempted by Satan, He was very resolute that He responded by saying “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” Matthew 4:10. Are you determined that whatever happens you will not server other gods? You can resolve that whatever the circumstance you will not worship other gods. Imitate the courage of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were steadfast when they were in danger of losing their lives. They responded by saying “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king, But if not, let it be known to you O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” Daniel 3:17-18. Anyone who bow down to an idol or serve any other god have signed his/her document of eviction from the heavenly kingdom of God and the name of such person will be erased instantly from the Book of Life. For this reason, worship the Lord, obey Him and always be faithful to Him. Get rid of the idols that your ancestors have worshipped in the past. As it is written “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!” Joshua 24:14. Hence, cease praising anyone or yourself with pedigree which is associated with idolatry, because it is a sin.

Do not call the name of God in vain: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” Exodus 20:7. It is not right to use the name of God for evil purposes. Any misuse of the name of God is a sin which will attract penalty. Do not profane the name of God in any way, else, you will be punished. The name of God must not be ridiculed or turn to exclamation to express your feelings. The people who always say “O my God” or write “OMG” to express their feelings must stop because it is a sin. The scripture says “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” Proverbs 18:10. Therefore, do not make fun of the name of God or disrespect it in any way, else it will be counted as sin against you. For this reason, you must not misuse the name of God in any way. As it is written “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord” Leviticus 19:12. The name of God must be revered at all times so do not disgrace His awesome name. If you do not intend to keep any promise, do not use the name of God, else you will be punished for this sin. So, depart from any misconduct that can bring shame on the name of your God because God will only honor the people who honors Him and treat with contempt those who despises Him; according to the Bible passage which says “Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despises Me shall be lightly esteemed’” 1 Samuel 2:30. If you do not want to be cursed, do not hate God or His name. For God not to despise you, you must neither think of Him lightly nor profane His awesome name.

Keep the Sabbath Holy: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” Exodus 20:8. It is your duty to honor the Sabbath day as holy, else you will be guilt in the presence of God. Since the Sabbath day is a blessed day, it is a sin for anyone not to keep it holy. God laid the example for us to follow by creating the heavens and the earth in six day and rested on the seventh day which is the Sabbath day. God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day which is His resting day. Genesis 2:1-3. Furthermore, He commanded the believers to follow His steps by working for six days and rest on the seventh day which is the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:9-11. But nowadays, people are neither resting on the Sabbath day nor keeping it holy. People have turned the Sabbath day to a day of social activities, sport activities and political activities, instead of going to church services first before using the reminder of the day for their own desires. Numerous people are committing nefarious and immoral activities on the Sabbath instead of keeping it holy. One thing that those people must know is that, it will be counted as sin against them. The Bible corroborated this fact by saying “You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths” Ezekiel 22:8. Respect sacred places, and You must neither violate nor degrade the Sabbath day, if you do not want to become a sinner before the heavens.

We must know that Sabbath is an important sign between Christians and God. It is a sign that sets Christians apart as the chosen people of the Lord. The Bible supported this claim by starting that “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying ‘Surely My Sabbath you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you’” Exodus 31:13. Though the Sabbath is a sign between God and the believers but until you keep it holy that is when God will sanctify you and you will benefit from its significance. In addition, the Sabbath is a perpetual covenant and whoever fails to keep it has broken the covenant of God; according to the scripture which says, “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant” Exodus 31:16. So, do not desecrate the Sabbath else you will be cut off from the community of saints; as it is written “You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people” Exodus 31:14. Are you one of those who go to office or work on the Sabbath day? If God is keeping the Sabbath, then it is inevitable for you to honor and keep it. God demonstrated the importance of the Sabbath when He was feeding the people of Israel with manna in the wilderness. He supplied them manna for six days and no manna was supplied on the seventh day which is the Sabbath Exodus 16:22-29. Teach your household to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy.

Honor the elderly people: “Honor your father and your mother, that you days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” Exodus 20:12. It is your duty to give due obedience and honor to your biological parents and your parents in the Lord. It is a sin not to treat the elderly people with courtesy. God will not look favorable at the people who refused or failed to respect the elderly people. In fact, one of the easy ways to prolong your days on earth is to honor the elderly people. The Bible confirmed this fact by saying “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord” Leviticus 19:32. If you want long life and prosperity, then you must stand up in the presence of the elderly and show respect for the aged people. For longevity to abide in your life, you must never mistreat or disrespect the elderly people. But nowadays, decadence is rampant in the world to the extent that kids are calling the aged people by their first names. The scripture testified to this fact by saying “For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the men of his own household” Micha 7:6. Are you among those who are insulting the age mates of their parents? Have you ever defied your father or despise your mother? Jesus Christ brought our attention to the hypocrisy of how we are using our tradition/culture to make this commandment of God ineffective by saying “For God commanded, saying ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift of God”—then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition” Matthew 15:4-6. Flee from any tradition which contradicts the commands of the Lord. Therefore, if you consider your father as a fool, it is a sin, and if you oppose your mother who is telling you the truth, you will be guilty.

You shall not kill: “You shall not murder” Exodus 12:13. Though it is the instruction of the Lord not to commit unjustified murder or deliberate homicide; still bloodshed is very rampant in the world to the extent that there is no location on earth which is not defiled by the blood of the innocent. Physical or spiritual killings of the innocent is a sin. Anyone who murders is a child of the devil because Satan was a murderer from the beginning. As it is written “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it” John 8:44. Murderers are proving that they love to break the law of God because of the evil things and sinful desires of the devil their father. Despite the fact that God warned us, that before anyone can be killed there must be two or more witnesses so as to prevent the shedding of the blood of the innocent. Today, there are countless secret murder across the globe and extrajudicial killing which is against the instruction of the Lord is the norm of the day. As it is written “Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty” Numbers 35:30. How many people have you framed because of your interest? How many political opponents have you eliminated? Can the heavens vouch for you that your hands are not stained spiritually with blood?

Topic: Depart from sin - Part 5

Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

We shall continue with our discussions with the continuation of the ten commandments of the Lord and examine how humans are falling into sin by breaking the law of God.

Do not commit adultery or fornication: “You shall not commit adultery” Exodus 20:14. Adultery and fornication are one of the most committed sin under the sun. Sexual immorality is so rampant in the world, to the extent that it has become the norm of the day. People are not ashamed of sexual immorality anymore, instead, they are glamorizing it. The situation is so bad to the level that the immoral people are now making fun of those who abstain from sexual immorality. Adultery and fornication cut across the rank and file of humanity. Fornication which is sexual relationship between two people who are not married is very common among youngsters. Majority of them have lost their virginity at a tender age or before their marriage. Some schools in western countries are encouraging this moral decline under the pretense of teaching the youngsters puberty, by giving them pills, and sexually preventive items to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, instead of teaching them abstinence.

The world is so corrupt that the youngsters can have access to erotic and adult films. Today, prostitution is legal in many countries, and the adult film actors and actresses are proud of their profession, with adult-oriented materials industry thriving throughout the globe. Adultery which is a deadly act, is a voluntary sexual activity between a married person and a person who is not his/her spouse. So, adultery can be described as extramarital affair. Adultery is so widespread that people are not afraid to talk about it in public. Even many people are boasting about this nefarious act, while some will even brag about it on talk show on the Television/Radio program. What people fail to realize is that, Satan is using this grievous sin to defile their body which is the temple of God, and make us to be unworthy of the glory of God. As it is written “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19. Heed warning, do not defile your body.

We must know that adultery can occur without physical contact. If you look lustfully at a person of opposite gender, you have committed adultery. Jesus explained this scenario by saying “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” Matthew 5:28. Hence, control your eyes and your feelings: avoid sexual immorality, because it is a sin against your own body; according to the scripture which says “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” 1 Corinthians 6:18. You must abstain from sexual immorality since no other sin clearly affects your body as this act. Therefore, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” Romans 6:12. Take steps to make it impossible for sin to rule your body in order to make you to yield to its cravings, and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. Inasmuch as your body is not intended for sexual immorality but for the Lord, do not do indecent things with your body. As it is written “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” 1 Corinthians 6:13. Use your body to serve the Lord who cares and provides for it. For this reason, do not let sin control the way you live and do not give in to sinful desires.

We must be aware that anyone who has sexual activity with a sexual immoral person has become one body with the promiscuous person; according to the Bible passage which says “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two’ He says, ‘Shall become one flesh’” 1 Corinthians 6:16. Hence, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” Romans 12:1. Keeping yourself from sexual immorality is what pleases the Lord, and you must be dedicated to His services, before you can be acceptable to Him. In addition, understand that holiness is the most sensible way to serve God. For this reason, have respect for marriage and always be faithful to your spouse because God will punish people who are immoral or unfaithful in their marriages. As it is written “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” Hebrews 13:4. Since God will punish those who engage in illicit affairs and the unchaste; please stick to your partner, and if you are not marry, control your urge/cravings.

Do not steal: “You shall not steal” Exodus 20:15. Stealing is one of the most common crime in the world and it is the most committed sin among mankind. The civilization and technological advancement have modified the methods of stealing. Nowadays, we have the arm robbers, pen robbers and internet robbers (identity theft, hackers etc.,) who manipulate the account of their establishments and the account of others for their benefit. Numerous people are pilfering in the stores. The question to ask human is: ‘Do you think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, serve other gods and still claim to be innocent?’ How can you escape the punishment of God unless you depart from these sins? Do you think you will be acceptable to God and inherit the kingdom of heaven by thriving in these wayward lifestyles? It is time to change; according to the Bible passage which says “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know?” Jeremiah 7:9. Therefore, anyone who cheats his/her parents and do not think it is wrong, is a common thief and such person is not better than a murderer. You must admit that robbing your parents is a crime, else you belong to the class of lawless robbers. As it is written “Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, ‘it is no transgression,’ The same is companion to a destroyer” Proverbs 28:24. To prove that you are not a partner of the vandals, then you must neither steal from your parents nor cheat them.

People are not only robbing humans like themselves, but now they are robbing their Creator through the tithes. Many people are defrauding God by withholding their tithes and offerings. It is a sin to underpay the amount due as your tithes or fail to pay it on time. As it is written “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation” Malachi 3:8-9. Are you paying your tithes and offerings? Are you paying the correct amount so as to escape the curse? One of the easiest way to be blessed is by making the payments of your tithes and contributions on time, so that the curse of God mentioned in the Book of Zechariah will not come upon you and your household; according to the scripture which says “‘I will send out the curse,’ says the Lord of hosts; ‘It shall enter the house of thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it, with its timber and stones’” Zechariah 5:4. You must neither rob the Lord nor other people, if you do not want your home to crumble and your journey to be jeopardized. For this reason, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” Ephesians 4:28. Hence, quit stealing and stop robbing others; be honest and work hard to earn a decent living for yourself.

Do not bear false witness: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” Exodus 20:18. It is the commandment of God not to lie or withhold the truth about anyone. It is a sin to accuse anyone falsely or wrongly accuse people that you dislike. If you manipulate the truth against anyone, it will be counted as sin and you will pay the penalty. So, do not spread harmful rumors or help a criminal by giving false evidence. As it is written “You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” Exodus 23:1. It is your duty not to help a guilty person by being a malicious witness immaterial of your association or relationship with such person; according to the Book of Proverbs which says “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish” Proverbs 19:9, 5. Since dishonest witnesses and lairs would not escape punishment, instead they will be destroyed. Then it is inevitable to impose on the false witness the sentence which he/she intended for the other person; according to the scripture which says “If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both man in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, so you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil among you” Deuteronomy 19:16-19. Hence, you must not be a false witness, else it will boomerang.

Do not covet: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” Exodus 20:17. These days, many people are greedy for unjust gain; everyone is given to covetousness and they are making profit dishonestly. Whether poor or rich numerous people are greedy and dishonest, to the extent that the rulers and the leaders of Christianity are cheating people. As it is written “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely” Jeremiah 6:13. Do you belong to the class of people whose lives are ruled by greed? Are you one of the fraudsters? Are you among those that think nothing except how to cheat or abuse their fellow human beings? According to the scripture which says, “Yet your eyes and your hearts are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood and practicing oppression and violence” Jeremiah 22:17. It is inevitable for you to control your craving, else, you will be judged. If you do not want to be doomed, do not make your family rich at the expense of others; according to the Book of Habakkuk which says “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster!” Habakkuk 2:9. Are you building your home or business empire with money gained dishonestly? Hearken to the warning of our Lord Jesus Christ which says “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the thing he possesses” Luke 12:15. Do not be greedy, because owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe. In addition, life is neither determined nor measured by how much you own. For this reason, do not crave for other people’s possessions and abstain from every form of greediness like Paul apostle: who said “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel” Acts 20:33.

Brethren, we need to learn how to be satisfied with whatever we have. Anyone who is not content with what he/she has will neither rest nor have peace. We must be content with what the Lord has given us; according to the scripture which says “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” Philippians 4:11. Whatever situation that you find yourself, be content and self-sufficient through Christ, and regardless of your circumstances, be satisfied to the point where you are not disturbed. Heed the advice which John the Baptist gave to the soldiers “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages” Luke 3:14. Be content with your marriage, so, stop cheating. Be content with your paycheck, but pray to be promoted because if you add godliness to your contentment it is like great wealth. As it is written “Now godliness and contentment is great gain” 1 Timothy 6:6.

Some other common sins

· It is a sin and you will be punished for your sin, if you refuse to give information or testify about something that you have seen or heard or that you know about, Leviticus 5:1.

· It is a sin to rob, cheat or defraud others. You have sinned if you keep back money or valuables left in your care. It is a sin, if you refuse to return what was left as a deposit, or if you find something lost but claim not to have it Leviticus 6:2-4.

· It is a sin to curse God. You must not insult, query or judge God because it is a sin Leviticus 24:15.

· When you make a vow/pledge to God be prompt in fulfilling it, else you will be guilty of sin. It is a sin to delay or slow in keeping your vow to the Lord Deuteronomy 23:21.

· It is a sin to oppress anyone. You must not take advantage of the poor and the needy because you will be guilty. It is an offense to exploit hired workers, and if you hold back their pay or refuse to pay their wages on time, it will be counted as sin against you Deuteronomy 24:14-15.

· It is a sin for any woman who divorced her husband and was remarried to another man to return to her first/previous husband, after the demise of her current husband or dissolution her marriage to the current husband. It is a common occurrence in the world whereby a woman returns to her ex-husband after she has been defiled by another man. This is a grievous sin in the presence of God Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

· It is a sin to be biased or partial. You must neither discriminate nor show favoritism because it is a sin. Do not pervert justice nor take bribe because it is an offense in the presence of God James 2:9; Deuteronomy 16:19.

· Usury is prevalent in the world, despite the fact that it is illegal in many countries, and it is a sin before the Lord. If you do not want to be guilty, do not charge excessive interest on any money that you lend to others Leviticus 25:36.

· It is a sin to spread slanderous gossip among your people. It is an offense to backbite and assassinate other people’s character Leviticus 19:16.

· The people who are defying the instructions of the Lord must be aware that it is a sin. So, you must neither disobey the command of the Lord or criticize the teachings of the scripture, else it will be counted as sin. Therefore, do not be stubborn but yield, and start doing what pleases the Lord, so that you will not be guilty 1 Samuel 15:23.

Do you practice what you teach?

Christians must understand that if we are being persecuted for the Gospel of Jesus or suffer because of the cross of Christ, it is a good thing and it is acceptable to the Lord. However, it is a shameful thing for any Christians to suffer as a troublemaker or as a crook who is prying into other people’s affairs; according to the scripture which ways “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, and evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters” 1 Peter 4:15. Use your time and resources in manner that pleases the Lord, instead of making people to blaspheme God through you, because everything that is wrong is a sin. All your iniquity and wrongdoing is sin, even if it does not lead to your demise. As it is written “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death” 1 John 5:17. The fact that you are alive does not mean that you did not commit any sin, so abstain from wicked actions that are counted as sin. Hence, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you teach yourself? You preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” Romans 2:21-22. Stop living a double life and start practicing what you are teaching/preaching because ‘Charity begins at home.’ For this reason, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” Matthew 7:3-5; Luke 6:41-42. Practice what you preach, else you will be more guilty in the presence of God.

Topic: Depart from sin - Part 6

Bible Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

We shall continue with our discussions by mentioning the importance of repentance in relation to departing from sin and how it is a sin not to do what is good at all time.

A call to repentance

Repentance is the only way to prove that you have turn from sin and dedicate yourself to the amendment of your life to please God. It is the activity of reviewing your actions, and feeling contrition or regret for your past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to change for better. If you do not realize and acknowledge that you are a sinner, then you cannot be sorrowful over a specific sin or series of sins which you have committed in the past which means repentance cannot happen unless you sincerely regret your actions and you exhibit signs of remorse. Therefore, repent today because it is a formidable and terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God and incur the divine penalties. As it is written “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” Hebrews 10:31. Repent before it is too late, since it is a scary thing to suffer the judgment and wrath of God.

Depart and abstain from sin: Although God has persistently sent the prophets to the world the earthling did not obeyed His instructions or pay attention to His messages. Each time the message was this “Change your ways! Turn from your wicked way of life and stop doing evil, so that you will have your native land as a permanent possession.” According to the Bible passages which says “And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever’” Jeremiah 25:4-5. Turn from your crooked way, so that you will live peacefully without war, famine and pestilence in your indigenous land. Therefore, tell brethren to repent, and turn from imitating the gentiles. Inform them to abandon all their disgusting acts and vile practices; according to the scripture which says “Therefore says to the house of Israel, ‘This says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations”’” Ezekiel 14:6. So, renounce all your detestable practices and stop your disgusting sins, so that sin will not destroy you. Since God will judge every one according to his/her conduct, it is inevitable for you to repent and turn from your rebellious acts, so that sin will not cause your downfall. As it is written “‘Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his way,’ says the Lord God. ‘Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin’” Ezekiel 18:30. Change your way of thinking, and depart from sin, so that it will not block your access to the kingdom of heaven.

The importance of repentance: Repentance is an important aspect of our existence and it is an indispensable part of our Christianity faith. God knew that repentance is essential to our access to His glorious kingdom, so He sent His Son Jesus Christ who started His ministerial work by preaching repentance. The Bible confirmed this fact by saying “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” Matthew 4:17. In addition, He declared that His primary mission on earth is to call the sinners to repentance. As it is written “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” Matthew 9:13. For this reason, it is necessary for you to produce fruit that is consistent with repentance. You need to demonstrate new behavior which proves your change of heart, and your conscious decision to turn away from iniquity by giving up your sins. As it is written “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” Matthew 3:8. So, prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins, and turn to God. Then your sins will be forgiven, and you will be revived and renewed; according to the scripture which says “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” Acts 3:19. You must repent and turn to God, if you want your sins to be forgiven so that God will overlook whatever that you have done in the past due to ignorance. The conditionality that will make God to overlook and disregard the sins that you committed during the time of ignorance is for you to repent and turn to Him. As it is written “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” Act 17:30. The commandment to repent is for all nations throughout the globe.

Return to the Lord: It is time for mankind to return to their Creator, and we are proclaiming through this publication for people to come back to God. Though we have been unfaithful to Him and we have made Him to be furious with our acts, yet He is a merciful God who is willing to forgive our sins, if we can repent and turn to Him. The Book of Jeremiah explained this issue by saying “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity. That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord” Jeremiah 3:12-13. The only way for your sins to be forgiven is for you to repent, by acknowledge your guilt and admit that you have rebelled against the Lord. Hence, return to the Lord and do not be stubborn like your ancestors, who refused to give up their evil and neither turn back to God nor pay attention to His messages. As it is written “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus say the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of host.’  ‘Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, thus says the Lord of host: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.”’ But they did not heed Me, says the Lord” Zechariah 1:3-4. For this reason, “Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; he has stricken, but He will bind us up” Hosea 6:1. If you return to God, He will heal your injuries and bandage your spiritual wounds. Therefore, turn to God with all your heart, then He will relent and not punish you for your past wrongdoings. According to the scripture which says “‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So, rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm” Joel 2:12-13. Do not tarry but reconcile with your Creator now.

It is a sin not to do what is good

Brethren, we must not allow whatever that we are passing through to make us to forsake our obligation to do what is good. Our situations must not becloud our sense of reasoning that we should fail to do what is acceptable to the Lord. Whenever we refused to do what is good and right, it will be counted as sin, immaterial of our conditions. Job did not use his ordeals as an excuse to insult or sin against God. The Bible testified that he rebuked his wife who tried to mislead him by saying “‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips” Job 2:10. If Job cautioned himself, and he neither cursed nor insulted the Lord during his ordeals, then you must not use the challenges that you are facing as excuses not to do what is good. Whatever that you are suffering, you must neither do anything wrong nor speak against God, because it is a sin. In addition, you must not blame God for your situation nor charge Him foolishly. It is a sin to accuse God of doing wrong. Emulate Job, whom the scripture described by saying “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” Job 1:22. Do not sin by blaming God for your disappointing condition, and control yourself so that your situation will not make you to cease doing good, or teach the wrongdoers the way of the Lord. Inasmuch as it is your duty to teach the rebellious the way of the Lord so that they will change and return to God. As it is written “Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You” Psalm 51:13. Do not be selfish, teach the sinners about the eternal salvation of the Lord.

It is the command of the Lord to be generous to the poor and the less privileged, so whoever fails to take care of the poor and the needy has sinned. The Bible confirmed this fact by saying “ ‘If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for is need, whatever he needs…’ ”Deuteronomy 15:7-11. However, the opposite is the case nowadays, when a brother/sister lacks adequate clothing and is in need of daily food, what brethren usually say is: ‘Have a good day; stay warm and eat well, you are in my prayers’ without giving such person the necessities for his/her body. The Bible corroborated this fact by saying “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” James 2:15-16. Have you forgotten the scripture which says “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” Hosea 6:6. So, it is a sin to know the good and yet not do it; if you do not do what you know is right and good, you have sinned. As it is written “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” James 4:17. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and refuse to do it. Whoever knows what is right and good but fails to do it, he/she is guilty of sin. For this reason, you must get rid of every impediment and sin which easily hampers your movement; according to the scripture which says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside, every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” Hebrew 12:1. It is time to strip off everything that is obstructing and slowing us down in our Christianity journey, most especially the sin that so easily entangles and trips us up.

Beware of those who can make you to sin

Beware of those who can influence or lure you to sin. Flee from the people who can mislead you to fall into sin. Hence, do not follow whoever that is trying to lead you into sin. The scripture sounded this warning by saying “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” Proverbs 1:10. Say no, to any peer pressure that may compel you to go with the crowd to commit any atrocity against God or the government of your nation. Be strong enough not to go along or yield to the flattery of the sinners, else they will teach you to act in accordance with all their detestable practices. They will persuade you to do disgusting things that will provoke the Lord. As it is written “Lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God” Deuteronomy 20:18. Do not imitate the customs/traditions of the Gentiles that can make you to sin against God and beware of the so-called leaders who can mislead you. Aaron led the people of Israel into a grave sin, when he made a golden calf and they said ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought, you out of the land of Egypt’ Exodus 32:4. The scripture attested to this statement by saying “And Moses said to Aaron ‘What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?’” Exodus 32:21. You must be very careful because being a pastor/prophet does not guarantee that he/she cannot mislead you. So, abstain from whatever that is against the teaching of the Bible, and anything that is not in conformity with the Laws of God.

Moses and Aaron incurred the wrath of God: You must beware so that people will not make you to sin against the Lord your God. Like what happened to Moses at the water of Meribah. The children of Israel provoked Moses and Aaron to the extent that Moses said ‘Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’ Instead of saying ‘The Lord will bring water for you out of this rock.’ This ‘slip of tongue’ made it impossible for Moses and Aaron to step into the promised land, because they arrogated the power of God to themselves; Moses was also denied the opportunity to lead the people of Israel into the promised land Numbers 20:3-13.

God rejected Saul as king: King Saul transgressed the instructions of the Lord because he feared and listened to his soldiers. God instructed him to utterly destroy the Amalekites, instead he spared their king Agag and the best of their sheep, oxen and lambs. This failure of king Saul to carry out the directive of God ‘to the last letter’ made him to be rejected as king over Israel, and the throne was taken away from his descendants forever 1 Samuel 15:1-29.

King Ahab: Another example is king Ahab who was influenced and encouraged by Jezebel his wife. One of the prominent sins of Ahab was the murder of Naboth, who refused to sell or give king Ahab his vineyard. The Bible described the wayward activities of Ahab by saying “But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up” 1 Kings 21:1-24. It is not that one cannot take the advice of one’s spouse, but whatever that contradicts the teachings of the Bible is a sin. For this reason, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than your whole body to be cast into hell” Matthew 5:29-30.

Benefits of depart from sin

The benefits of departing from sin are endless, but we will only mention some of them because of time constraint:

· You will be blessed abundantly Psalm 1:1; Romans 4:7-8

· You will not be condemned, instead you will be among the assembly of the people of God Psalms 1:5.

· You will be called by a new name Isaiah 62:2.

· You will become a new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17.

· God will hear your prayers and reveal His awesome power through you John 9:31.

· God will rouse Himself; He will fulfill your needs and prosper your home Job 8:6.

· God will watch over you and take care of you. He will be intimately acquainted with your life and your heritage will abide forever Psalm 37:18.

· You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God Isaiah 62:3.

· You will not be forsaken anymore but you will be referred to as Hephzibah Isaiah 62:4.

· God will neither deny you goodness nor withhold good things of life from you Psalm 84:11.

· You will neither be shaken nor moved, instead you will remain secure throughout your lifetime and stand firm forever Psalm 15:5.

· Your future will be peaceful and prosperous Psalm 37:37.

· You will live in the presence of God Psalm 140:13.

· God will offer you His friendship, He will take you into His confidence and share His secret counsel with you Proverbs 3:32.

· Your home will continue to expand and flourish Proverbs 14:11.

Finally, anyone who departs from sin and start keeping the Laws of the Lord by doing what is right will not die but live; according to the scripture which says “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die” Ezekiel 18:21. So, understand that the antidote of untimely death is departing from sin.

The Seal: 1 John 1:10: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”