Sinning Daily
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By Gerald Schumacher
Often I have heard men teach that we all sin daily. However this is not biblical. The church in my opinion has slipped so far from biblical teaching and righteousness that this teaching is not only tolerated but loved and embraced with great joy. Jesus said unless you deny yourself and take up your cross daily you cannot be My disciple.
Matthew 6:22,23 reads;
Many will say unto Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not cast prophesied in Your name, cast out demons on Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me you who practice lawlessness.
These are all false professors. This passage cannot be looked at as those who belong to other religions, but only to those who are part of the church. The reason is that no other religion does things in the His name (Jesus). I believe that many are being led into a false hope when they are told that they can be saved by a "prayer of faith". Just ask Jesus into your heart and you will be saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is only one way to salvation and that is to come to repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. While a prayer of faith is fine it has nothing to do with salvation any more then baptism. I realize that some point to Romans 10:9,10 as a proof text that a prayer is needed, but that passage is not instructing us on a literal mechanical method for salvation. Paul was writing to Romans who confessed Caesar as "lord". Paul is saying that only JESUS is Lord and unless we receive that, we will not be saved. Jesus is the only One who we call on as true Lord.
In Acts 8 Philip explains to the Ethiopian the road to salvation. It is a person, and a heart to receive Him for who he is, not some kind of formula and no prayer is required or asked for in the passage. The Ethiopian accepts Christ and is baptized. No "prayer of faith". I have talked to a many older people on how the church has changed and many tell me that they got saved simply by believing the message and turning to God in Christ. There was no alter call and prayer for salvation. They simply made known their decision to be baptized and that was their public confession. From then their lives were changed never to be the same again as they grew in Christ. The prayer of faith and altar call has made it too easy. It is much more easy to walk an isle then to repent (surrender the heart to God) and many are taking the easy way out which is clear by their life styles.
As I said a prayer is fine if the person understands that it does not get them saved, but sadly many today are trusting in a time when they prayed the prayer and remain lost which is clear by how they live their lives. "No one who has been born of God continues to practice sin".(1 John")
For the true Child of God to sin they have to go against their new nature, and while it is possible it is not possible to be done in a practicing manner. Those around them will be shocked as well as they themselves when a true Christian sins. On the other hand a lost person can sin and it pass's by as water runs off a ducks back both to those around and the person who sins since it is expected. In other words it is common for the lost to sin. That does not mean that a lost person will not be convicted of sin, but it is for salvation not because of it.
Sometimes we hear someone say, but you cannot know my heart, but the truth is that the sinner does not know his own heart. We know their heart by how they act and live. Jesus said;Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The heart of men fools the man, not the listener.
Jer 17:9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
True believers live lives that are for Christ. False believers may do some things that seem fitting, but their daily lives are spotted and stained with unrepented sin. Ever hearing, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. May we all be wise and do what Paul told the church at Corinth to do.
2Cr 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
This raises a question. How do we examine ourselves if our own hearts can deceive us? Paul by the Spirit answers this;
2Cr 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."
True believers want truth no matter what the cost to them. False believers want to be comforted in their sin with things like, no one is perfect, we all sin, they have some disorder and many other sayings. However A true child of God is never satisfied with anything but the will of God once it has been made known to them. There can be no excuse since scripture says that no temptation has taken you but that which is common to man, for God will not allow you to be tempted above what you can endure, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape. The only way to determine if true salvation has taken place is a life change and a walk that honors the Lord that we claim to serve. Justifying our sin only further blinds our hearts to truth.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
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