Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today man lives in a world of his own and given to self-righteousness. He disregards God and is actively engaged in sinful activities. ‘What others do, I do. Is it sin?’ He thinks so. He does not know what the Lord God would say. Some commit sins without knowing that they are sins. As they do not know the Truth, they keep on doing what others had done. It is the tradition that is honoured. Such people are led by customs and practices of their forefathers. Thus, they are slaves of traditional rites and practices. They do not question them. It is the pattern of worship followed by their forefathers. They do not know the Truth, and so continue with idol worship.
Dear Brother/ Sister, in the event of your realizing sinfulness and relenting truly with a penitent heart, you repent and can escape from the punishment for sins. Without knowing this, people keep on sinning. Jesus Christ came to this earth to redeem sinners wallowing in the mire of sins. He was born and brought up like us, but was faultless in His life. To redeem us from the punishment of sin, He offered Himself as a holy sacrifice for our sake as the Saviour of the World. As the scriptures say, there is no forgiveness without shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22). To put an end to the practice of offering sacrifice, He offered Himself as a sacrifice with no blemish. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Heb. 10:10).
The Bible says, “Jesus answered them,” Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). We do various kinds of sins and live as slaves of sin. First, we should know what sin is.
WHAT IS SIN?
1. SIN OF DISOBEDIENCE
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (1John 3:4).
One who sins trespasses law. He is not restrained by it. Sin is disregarding the scriptures, the Word of God, and acting fulfilling one’s own wishes. The Lord God had instructed Adam and Eve not to touch or eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. But they listened to the voice of Satan who tempted them and deceived them to make them eat the fruit. The fruit was good to look at. They took it ate and disobeyed the Word of the Lord. They listened and obeyed the voice of Satan who is the father of lies. Thus, we disobey the commandments of the Lord and commit sins.
2. SINS OF LUST
“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).
We are given to the lust of the flesh and pride, and thus, commit sins. King David who ought to have gone to the battle-field remained at home. He saw from his terrace a woman taking bath. He saw that she was beautiful and lusted for her. He misused his authority to bring her to his house. He fulfilled the desires of his flesh. She was the wife of another man. Yet he was remorseless in sinning.
Today, many fall a prey to the lust of their eyes and spend hours on phone. The sights they see sink into their hearts. This leads to sin at an early age. They become slaves to their lusts.
Once I was invited to pray for a young girl of 13 who had given birth to a child. This led to intense fight between her father and mother. It was all because of the cell phone contact she had with her classmate. Today computers, laptops and mobile phone have become essential equipment and part of life. But they ought to be used properly for good. Otherwise, they lead to evil practices which would entrap you and spoil your life.
Dear Brother/ Sister, the lust of David led to sin and death of his child. In the seventh chapter of Joshua, we read about Achan and his sins. He disobeyed the command of the Lord through lust. He confessed, “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.” (Joshua 7:21). This act of Achan led to the destruction of his whole family.
3. SIN OF OMISSION: NOT DOING GOOD
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17).
Even though blessed with good wealth, and special wisdom, there are those who do not want to help others in need. This lack of love in helping others is also called sin. Many come to us in their need. If after knowing the love and power of Jesus Christ, we do not share that knowledge with others who would benefit of it, it is called sin of omission. If you do not show the way of life and show them Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way,” it is sin. Whatever is given to us is for the benefit of others. When the Lord wants us to warn anyone, and if we do not do that, it is counted as sin. If a person living in sin is not warned by you, and he dies in his sin, his blood will be required of you.
4. SIN OF OMISSION: NOT PRAYING
“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).
We must become people of prayer. We must pray for others. It is very important according to the Bible. Mordecai sent word to Esther to pray and intercede for the people. In turn, she said, “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16). As they prayed, they were saved from destruction. The Lord worked their way. Job prayed for his friends and the Lord restored his losses when he prayed for his friends.
Dearly beloved in Christ, when we pray for the nation and for revival and for our friends, the Lord will work deliverance within us and bring about changes. When Peter was in prison, the people outside prayed for him fervently. The angel of the Lord came to prison and broke his bondage, and the doors of prison were opened. No one knew about it. He was brought out of the prison. We know this. We should learn to pray. As we pray, the Lord would listen and answer the prayer at the right time. We will be blessed. Let us pray for others. Let us inherit His blessings. Let us live without the sin of not praying.
CONSEQUENCES OF SINS
1. Obstructs Access to the Lord
“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).
Sin in our lives breaks our good relationship with the Lord God. We lose the fellowship of the mighty and all-powerful God and live a life of destruction. Our prayers are not able to reach the God who hears our prayers. Thus, sins create a barrier between us and the Lord.
Dear child of God, sins stand in our way as barriers preventing our prayers from reaching the Lord God. Sins also agonize us. We will not be able to enjoy any good thing from the Lord. Sins obstruct us from reaching the Lord.
Once, I began to pray for a young woman. She was heaped with several problems from the devil. I counselled her to repent of anything that she might have done to displease the Lord and pray for forgiveness. I also told her that when her sins were forgiven, she would experience a miracle. She also prayed fervently confessing the sins of which she was reminded. Immediately, there was a miracle in her life. The bondage was broken. She was delivered. The Lord enabled her to bear a child.
Today, let us pray for the forgiveness of our sins so that our relationship with the Lord is restored. We will be blessed. Curse will be removed, and relationship with the Lord will be restored.
2. Diseases
“... Nor any health in my bones because of my sin.” (Psalm 38:3).
Sins are the reason for various diseases in our body. In Matthew 9:2, a paralytic lying on a bed was brought before Jesus Christ and He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” He stood up and went home. When we do not hide our sins but confess them to the Lord, He forgives us and gives us a new life. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Once we began to pray for a young man for deliverance. He was suffering from severe headache due to sin. When he confessed his sins, the Lord forgave him and he was delivered from that headache completely. Let us also confess them before the Lord and have His mercy and grace. We would have complete healing.
The parents of a young girl sought prayer for their daughter suffering from headache. The Lord revealed her sinful life. She had gone to the snake hole to place egg and milk there. She also realized her mistake and prayed with remorse and tears. She was completely healed.
Let us today confess our sins and turn into prayer warriors. Jesus Christ will touch us with His scarred hands and heal us.
3. Death to Soul
“... The soul who sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:4).
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because of the death of the soul in us, we are rendered ineffective. This soul has control over the body and spirit. The body and the spirit function properly because of the soul. Jesus Christ, the Lover of our soul gives us strength in our souls and guides us. When we are led by the Lord, we would be satisfied in life. When this soul is revived, we have remorse over sins and we try to live without sinning. Lust wars against the soul. Peter cautions in 1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” So we must preserve our souls by standing against any kind of lust. James says, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Let us desire these words and implant them in our hearts so as to be preserved from the death of the soul. Let us seek the Lord with all our heart and soul, and He will bless us in all stages.
4. Name Struck Off from the Book of Life
“And the Lord said to Moses,”Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book” (Exodus 32:33).
When we decide to live and work for the Lord, our names will be written in the Book of Life. Paul speaks about those who laboured with him: “And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Phil. 4:3). Today we are duty-bound to do ministry for the Lord.
It is also written in the Book of Revelations that the names of those who overcome will be written in the Book of Life. Thus, if our names are not written in the Book of Life, we will have to spend our eternity in hell. In Revelation 20:12 John says, “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” Further, Rev. 22:18 warns us, “. . . if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Hell is a sea of burning fire, unquenchable torment for eternity. If we live in sin which harms our happiness and peace, we will have to spend eternity there. The consequence of sins is that our names will be blotted out from this Book of Life.
Dear Brother/ Sister, when we commit our lives to be cleansed with the blood of Christ and to live a sanctified life in Christ, we would inherit eternal life with Christ in Heaven.
HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT SIN?
1. Salvation Through the Blood of Jesus Christ
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).
Now we should offer ourselves to be cleansed by the precious blood of Christ who offered Himself as a lamb without blemish and without spot. We should commit to live without sin, being delivered with His blood. His blood is holy and powerful to cleanse any sin. This would transform one’s life totally. He takes you out from the mire of sins and makes you stand on the rock of salvation. By His powerful act of cleansing and sanctification, He would make you stand and help you inherit blessings in this world. To die to sin and to live righteously with fullness of life, everyone needs this experience. Because the blood of God was shed, there is no need for offering any other sacrifice. Today it has been given to us to be transformed to live as children of the Lord with our names written in the Book of Life. Let us commit to be cleansed with this blood.
Once, it was written all over Trichy by a group mocking the blood of Christ, “Where is the blood of Christ?” But a Pastor and his congregation replied under those written messages that the blood of Christ was available in his church as the blood of Christ had cleansed their blood and the blood of Christ was running in their veins. When the political leader of that group approached the Pastor, he boldly replied that his blood had been cleansed with the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ not only cleanses but also emboldens.
2. Responding to Teachings
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18).
When you respond to the teachings of the Bible by obeying them whole-heartedly, your old style of life will totally change. You would give up old evil practices. Your sinful nature would change. You are a new creation in Christ, your sins having been forgiven. He cleanses you through His word – His teachings.
When I accepted these living words and began to meditate and live according to them, I had the assurance of salvation. The fear and weakness in my body left me. The joy of salvation welled up in me.
3. Praising and Thanksgiving
“Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases” Psalm 103:3
Dear child of God, we must be careful to praise and thank the Lord. Whenever we thank the Lord, our iniquities are forgiven. As you praise God, you exalt and glorify Him. David had devoted himself to praising and thanking the Lord; he was able to live a life acceptable to the Lord. Let us thank the Lord in everything. All our iniquities done knowingly or not will be forgiven and will be done away with.
4. The Fire of the Lord
‘Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”’ (Isaiah 6:6-7).
Prophet Isaiah was touched with a live coal from the altar and then he heard these words. His sins were purged. This fire from the Lord is needed for us to be cleansed. This fire should continue to burn in us. Jesus Christ said, “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” If we allow this fire to fill us and to refine us, we would inherit a sanctified life.
Today if you submit your life to be cleansed by Jesus Christ and to be filled by His fire, by His grace you would have a new life in Christ. If our relationship with the Lord is restored, we would enjoy a blessed life of no sin.
May the Lord bless us!
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.