Bible Studies

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BY COMMENTING
Leave Comment Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article

Track Writer

Add to Favorites

by Doug Laird

04/04/26
Free to Share

Cleaning Up Our Act

Part One

Despite our best attempts, we can find that cleaning up our lives to be a frustrating act of futility, as we inevitably find ourselves in a never-ending cycle of failure and short-lived recovery.

Through human effort, we might be able to extend the time between failures by such things as choosing to avoid situations and environments that provide us with the immediate means and opportunity to indulge.

But given the right circumstances, a trigger, temptation, urge, or desire will prove to be overwhelmingly irresistible to the fallen nature within us.

This is especially true of the obstacle or sin that ,“so easily entangles us (Heb. 12: 1 NASB2020,” as an individual.

Exactly what this obstacle or sin is, that can “so easily entangle” us, differs from one individual to the next, as we all have our own areas of strength and weaknesses.

Biblically speaking, an area of strength is one in which we know and apply the appropriate Bible doctrine to our thoughts and corresponding behaviors, whereas an area of weakness is one in which we are either ignorant of, reject, or rationalize away, what the Bible has to say, and have no genuine desire to conform that area of our lives to the likeness of Christ.

Accordingly, what may be a great temptation and or desire for one person is of no interest to another, and vice versa.

But the result of ANY sin is the same, being that the born-again believer is immediately taken out of fellowship with God.

Being out of fellowship with God can be likened to the marital environment during a conflict between husband and wife. They remain just as married, but there is no intimacy, and there may even be increasing hostility between the partners until whatever caused the conflict is resolved.

When out of fellowship with God, the born-again believer remains saved (1), but there is a lack of intimacy, a breakdown in meaningful communication, and a growing disinterest in the things of God, until the SIN that caused the problem is confessed (2).

The length of time that the born-again believer remains out of fellowship can be as brief as the minute it takes to confess (acknowledge) the sin, or for as long as the rest of one’s post salvation spiritual life here on Earth.

The born-again believer out of fellowship with God does not lose his salvation, but is subject to increasing levels of divine discipline (3) that God sends or allows to take place, for the purpose of motivating the wandering sheep to return to the fold.

Increasing activity in “other” areas (going to Church, reading the Bible, Christian service, doing good deeds, etc.) in an attempt to “make up for” the known area of unaddressed sin is not an acceptable solution in the Court of Heaven.

In fact, engaging in such activity while involved in ongoing sin, is what gives the Christian Community a bad reputation. Such hypocrisy is a major impediment in one’s effective participation in the Great Commission, and a useful tool in the hand of the devil.

Past sin, that has been confessed and forsaken, does NOT disqualify or excuse one from participating in the Great Commission.

In fact, being willing to acknowledge one’s past and forsaken sins can open the doors of opportunity that would otherwise remain closed.

While I’m not suggesting that a walk on the wild side be a prerequisite for the ministry, the fact is that some folks are more willing to listen to someone who has been there, done that, and recovered, than listen to a goodie-two shoes who has never faced, failed, or struggled in that area of life.

If sin that has been confessed and forsaken disqualified one from any future service, no one would ever be in a position to speak for God

That being said, present and ongoing sin is something that needs to be addressed if our hypocrisy is not to become a powerful tool in the hands of the devil.

By confessing, but then not forsaking (4) the sin, a born-again believer will inevitably spend much of his or her post-salvation spiritual life going around and around, as if in a revolving doorway, in and out of fellowship with God, and never being in fellowship long enough to move forward in the plan of God.

There is increasing levels of divine discipline in store for unrepentant, born-again believers, but for an advancing disciple who has experienced the intimacy of fellowship with God, just the feelings associated with being out of fellowship is enough to motivate him or her to address (5) his or her sin, and then return to the fold.

Human viewpoint, religious teachings of men, and in the administration of secular justice, there are distinctions in the “seriousness” of offenses, and their corresponding penalties.

But in the spiritual realm, James 2: 10 teaches that by just violating any ONE of God’s laws places the offender in the same boat as the one who breaks them all!

For example, the one who sins by refusing to forgive others is just as far out of fellowship with God as anyone else.

Every time we say “No” to God when He calls us to repentance, we increase the amount of wax in the proverbial ear canals of our souls. The calling is still there, but we can get to the point that the ears of our souls are so blocked with accumulated wax that we no longer can hear Him.

This condition is evidenced by having become comfortable with a sin that at one time would have bothered our conscience.

This condition opens the door to some form of divine discipline that God sends or allows to take place in order to motivate us to clear out the wax and listen to Him.

(1) Romans 8: 1 (2) 1John 1: 9 (3) Heb. 12:6 (4) John 8: 11 (5) 2Cor. 13:5/1John 1:9/John 8: 11

End of Part l;One

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE

Reader Count & Comments

Date