Sin Part II
Pastor J. R. Wilhite, author
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Sin is what ever cuts us off from God. Things of this world can cut us off from the blessings promised to us in the Word. Offense is the biggest of all sin as far us cutting us off. It leads to so many others. We get offended and that leads to anger, strife, jealousy, hate, self-pity, and just about anything else you can imagine. We get offended at what someone does or says and we are then cutting God off from us and relying on our own judgment. We are not to judge (Matthew 7) but offense comes in and brings judgment. I have seen many people allow something someone does or says to block their blessings. Satan will use what ever it takes to divide us from each other and God. Satan knows how offense works; how to manipulate it and us if we allow. I watched someone get offended due to them not getting an item they thought they should have. This person was blessed with an all expenses paid trip, and had gotten about $800 in cash as well to spend. Then when they asked if they could have this $3.00 item and were told that it was for sale only, this person got offended. I saw how it affected them and others around them. I know the odds are low for this person to be blessed by these people again, simply because of their actions. Think about it, all expenses paid and $800 for a week, and then get offended at the fact they could not have for free a $3.00 item. This person had the money, but like a lot in the kingdom (especially some Pastors) they thought they should get it for free. Instead of praising God for the blessing, now this person was being manipulated by Satan. Instead of getting more blessings by having this trip again, now this person may not get it again, so for $3.00 this person lost a future blessing of over $2,000. God did not create sin; man sinned, and continues to sin. All God did was create the law to point out sin, so we would know where to watch out for things that would cut us off from Him and His blessings. Then God sent us His Son to cleanse us of sin. But we still allow the sin to enter, Paul said, "cast down every vain imagination", to help us keep from sinning. So what do we do, someone cuts us off on the freeway, we get offended and mad and cuss them. We have all cut someone off. Agreed we may not have seen them; they may have been in our blind spot. But how many of those who cut us off have the same excuse and if so, then why should we get offended at them. As you can see offense is one of our worst problems. We have what I call buttons and these buttons when pushed get us offended. We need to learn to deactivate these buttons and allow whatever offends to go in one ear and out the other. Here are a few of the sins that cut us off from God: 19
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Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,21
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.Gal 5:19-21 (KJV)
So if the law was not around pointing out sin, would we then not be sinners? No, we still would sin, but we would not know why we are being cursed instead of blessed.
The word greed is not mentioned in this passage, but it is a sin also. Think about this verse:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:19 (KJV)
Does it say He will supply all your GREED? No, it says need. There is a big difference. We must be careful that we do not get out of the will of God. He knows what we NEED. He even said He would give us the desires of our hearts:
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psa 37:4 (KJV)
When He said that, He was not saying He would give us anything we wish for. No, what is actually being said in that verse is when your delight is in the Lord, He will cause your heart to desire right things. Do you see the difference? I hope so, because it could mean the difference between sin and holiness.
We need to walk in the fruit of the Spirit:
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.Gal 5:22-23 (KJV)
God wants us to be blessed, and he wants to have a relationship with us, so He provided the law to point out our faults and then supplied His Son, Jesus to give us an out. Thank God for that! His mercy endures forever!
2-20-04 H.O.M.E.