The more i learn, the more i read, the more i see, the more i hear - the more i am convinced that Jesus Christ has been mostly head-knowledge to me all these years since i trusted Him, with only short drizzles of it raining into my heart during youth camps etc.
Now, my life is CHANGED! Wonderfully, Gloriously, Definitely, CHANGED!
I have not known such peace, such joy, such gladness, except in Christ my Lord... and truly, i have truly accepted Him into my HEART and trusted IN HIM FOR THE POWER to live a SINLESS life!
Many who do not read the Bible think that the only sins which are listed are in the 10Commandments in Exodus 20, which are, in brief:
3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (i.e. Using the name of God carelessly or flippantly)
8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (check out Luke 6:6onwards, Luke 13:10-15, Luke 14:1-4, etc)
12Honour thy father and thy mother (Obeying with the RIGHT-HEART ATTITUDE)
13Thou shalt not kill.
14Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15Thou shalt not steal.
16Thou shalt not bear false witness. (LIE)
17Thou shalt not covet (wish, long, crave for)
Also, more are found here in Romans1:
29Being filled with all
1.unrighteousness,
2.fornication,
3.wickedness,
4.covetousness,
5.maliciousness;
6.full of envy,
7.murder,
8.debate,
9.deceit,
10.malignity;
11.whisperers,
12.Backbiters,
13.haters of God,
14.despiteful,
15.proud,
16.boasters, ....
and so on.
Romans 2
15Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Giving excuses for sin of others IS WRONG TOO!
Yet, come to them IN LOVE, bringing them to repentence- instead of accusing and bringing anger at the person instead of his sin (which is definitely NOT of the Holy Spirit).
Churches, have we been despising the PEOPLE instead of their SIN? Are we being self-righteous, condemning them because of their sin? Are we biased against them because we think that WE are MORE righteous than them, and therefore DESERVE the Kingdom of God MORE THAN THEM?
Call your sin SIN! Don't call your LIE a "oh, its just an exxageration... that's not really a lie, right?" And, LYING is one of the 10Commandments- RIGHT THERE ON THE SLAB OF STONE, TOGETHER WITH ADULTERY!
So many of us are scandalised when we hear of people commiting adultery- that is satan's cunning ruse of leading us to believe that adultery is MUCH MORE SINFUL THAN LYING!
The truth is, BOTH are on the SAME slab of stone (Moses), and are part of the 10commandments.
I wonder, how many of you would be as scandalised at an EXXAGERATION (Yes, even a half-lie, a white-lie, a small lie, an exxageration... are FALSEHOODS) as you are to an adultery?
Are we like the Pharicees? Oh, brethren, that we might call our sin as it is: SIN! Instead of giving excuses for it... and CONFESS that we might become a clean vessel before God's sight!
Then, only, can we see HOW THE LORD WILL BLESS US, HOW HE WILL USE US- OH SO GREATLY!
