March 20th 2022
During This Lenten Season Maybe, We Can Give Up Sinning!
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Many people are seeking an easy way of conducting themselves in this life, and they consider themselves good enough, so that they should be awarded heaven when they die. Such people see no real need to honor God or god as their life is just too busy for them to take any time to show worship for a god or gods, and if they do not profess a need to worship Jesus Christ, then they do not need to join a church of their choice and attend it regularly on the Sabbath day. Are you too busy to waste your precious time to join other believers on each Sabbath day?
According to the Bible, I believe it teaches that God/Jesus created mankind with the intent that they would in turn worship The God of The Bible. How do you theorize what the Bible teaches about what you should do to honor your Creator every Sabbath day? Jesus said we all can choose which gate we may enter when we die. Are you willing to take your time to worship God, which will put you on the path to, “Enter through the narrow gate?”
Only the narrow gate opens to the narrow path, which Jesus taught leads to the afterlife and heaven, when He said, “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” It appears our world is becoming more violent every day, at least it seems that way to me in the USA. As we see fewer people willing to allot time to attend a church of their choice, on a regular basis, or to ever attend. I believe there is a direct link to this behavior and more violence in our world. What do you think about this idea?
Paul wrote about how we are changed when we take on Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). While we are changed it seems apparent that most of us are improved but we still require to progress through a program of continuing change motivated by the Holy Spirit for us trying to become more Christ-like. Doing this on our own volition is difficult if not impossible. This is where attendance on a regular basis at a church of our choice comes in by helping us learn from other believers. Not only do you need to attend the worship service each week you should also join an adult Bible study class.
Some people do not feel they need to worship with other believers but remember that Jesus did this when He walked this earth as a member of mankind. Jesus often taught at the temple too, so why would someone decide to not offer to attend or even teach a class at their church? We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Jesus also taught that His followers must be receptive to learning more about Him. Jesus told us we need to be childlike so we will be receptive to the Word of God. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4). Are you trying to be receptive to God’s Word in this world of doubt?
We are all tempted to conform to this world, and thus, we will be tempted to sin. Paul wrote about how God offers protection for us to help us avoid sinning. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Paul believed that Holy Spirit will be with us and will offer us a way to avoid sinning, but of course, we must be ready to seek this escape route.
Because of our sinful nature sin will usually seem very enticing and will therefore be difficult for us to avoid or even to identify as being sinful. Paul wrote a lot about his sinful nature and how he tried to depend on the Holy Spirit to help him avoid sinning. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18). Everyone experiences this pull toward sin, but Paul helps us handle this pull. Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25).
Since God knows about our weakness to avoid sin, He has sent His Son to somewhat ignore our sins. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4).
So, then here is the good news written for us by Paul. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5). Thus, if you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ you are now being directed by the Holy Spirit and you can identify sin and choose to avoid it. This is of course a continuing battle as we continue to work on becoming more Christ-like every day. During this Lenten season maybe, we can give up sinning! Yes, I know, but it is still worth trying!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Many people are seeking an easy way of conducting themselves in this life, and they consider themselves good enough, so that they should be awarded heaven when they die. Such people see no real need to honor God or god as their life is just too busy for them to take any time to show worship for a god or gods, and if they do not profess a need to worship Jesus Christ, then they do not need to join a church of their choice and attend it regularly on the Sabbath day. Are you too busy to waste your precious time to join other believers on each Sabbath day?
According to the Bible, I believe it teaches that God/Jesus created mankind with the intent that they would in turn worship The God of The Bible. How do you theorize what the Bible teaches about what you should do to honor your Creator every Sabbath day? Jesus said we all can choose which gate we may enter when we die. Are you willing to take your time to worship God, which will put you on the path to, “Enter through the narrow gate?”
Only the narrow gate opens to the narrow path, which Jesus taught leads to the afterlife and heaven, when He said, “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” It appears our world is becoming more violent every day, at least it seems that way to me in the USA. As we see fewer people willing to allot time to attend a church of their choice, on a regular basis, or to ever attend. I believe there is a direct link to this behavior and more violence in our world. What do you think about this idea?
Paul wrote about how we are changed when we take on Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). While we are changed it seems apparent that most of us are improved but we still require to progress through a program of continuing change motivated by the Holy Spirit for us trying to become more Christ-like. Doing this on our own volition is difficult if not impossible. This is where attendance on a regular basis at a church of our choice comes in by helping us learn from other believers. Not only do you need to attend the worship service each week you should also join an adult Bible study class.
Some people do not feel they need to worship with other believers but remember that Jesus did this when He walked this earth as a member of mankind. Jesus often taught at the temple too, so why would someone decide to not offer to attend or even teach a class at their church? We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Jesus also taught that His followers must be receptive to learning more about Him. Jesus told us we need to be childlike so we will be receptive to the Word of God. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4). Are you trying to be receptive to God’s Word in this world of doubt?
We are all tempted to conform to this world, and thus, we will be tempted to sin. Paul wrote about how God offers protection for us to help us avoid sinning. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Paul believed that Holy Spirit will be with us and will offer us a way to avoid sinning, but of course, we must be ready to seek this escape route.
Because of our sinful nature sin will usually seem very enticing and will therefore be difficult for us to avoid or even to identify as being sinful. Paul wrote a lot about his sinful nature and how he tried to depend on the Holy Spirit to help him avoid sinning. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18). Everyone experiences this pull toward sin, but Paul helps us handle this pull. Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25).
Since God knows about our weakness to avoid sin, He has sent His Son to somewhat ignore our sins. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4).
So, then here is the good news written for us by Paul. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5). Thus, if you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ you are now being directed by the Holy Spirit and you can identify sin and choose to avoid it. This is of course a continuing battle as we continue to work on becoming more Christ-like every day. During this Lenten season maybe, we can give up sinning! Yes, I know, but it is still worth trying!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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