Your Relationship With God - 20 June

When you think of Christians, what image comes to your mind? Two-faced hypocrites who do one thing on Sunday and another the remainder of the week? People who want to help the less fortunate? Saints who are perfect? Something in the middle? Do we as Christians help or hinder society’s perceptions? As a Christian, do you let people know that you still sin, still make mistakes? Or do you seem “holier than thou” to those you associate with? Your relationship with the Father and your behavior as a Christian will either help or hinder the Kingdom of God.

Since we know we’re all sinners, we need to face the issue of sin. If you’ve heard about the latest adult book phenomena, or you’ve seen the “witchy” stories that are being offered to children; if you’ve noticed how much sexuality and inappropriate behavior is available on the television, radio and in magazines, you know that sin is nearly worshiped in our culture. God isn’t amused with sin and the Bible shows us very clearly what God thinks of our sins.

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness [living apart from God’s law]; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:4-10 (ESV)

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.  James 4:17 (ESV)

Do you have areas in your life where you know “the right thing to do”, but you do something else instead?  Notice that the Bible doesn’t say that we won’t sin, it says we shouldn’t make a practice of sinning. When we accept Christ we get a clean slate but we are still imperfect creatures!

It’s time to do some inward looking. We see that God expects us to do the right thing when we know what it is. He expects us to have a relationship with Him, and in that relationship He expects to show us areas in our lives where we sin. Parents do the same thing with their earthly children. We show them what they are doing wrong, punish willful disobedience, but love them anyway.

Take some time to review your life. What areas is God nudging you to change? Do you participate in secret sins, hoping no one will notice? Do you see that God wants you to stop doing what you know is wrong? Pray! Ask Him to show you the steps you need to take to get yourself out of any sin He may be showing you. You’ve been born of God. He is there to help you through!

If you need an accountability partner, please email me or speak to a pastor. It’s hard to do things alone, and there is always someone who cares and wants to help. Reach out for that help. It’s not a sign of weakness.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Eccl 4:9-12 (ESV)

See you Friday!