Some
Specific Sins
Please read Sin first
Our God has given
us commands which show us when we are sinning. These laws were not made to save
us because we will all break our God’s laws, and only the grace of Christ’s
death on the cross can atone for our sins.
*Therefore no one will be declared
righteous in his sight by observing
the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Ro
*What shall we say then? Is
the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not
have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You
shall not covet.” Ro 7:7 NKJV+
*Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Ro
God’s commands are
not sin, but holy. The sin comes when we do not obey them, when we allow our
human nature to rule over our minds. This pushes the Spirit, the love for our
Heavenly Father, for Jesus, out of our hearts.
*Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just
and good. Ro
* For in my inner being I delight in
God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. Ro 7:22-23 NIV+
These commands
include the moral Old Covenant laws which have not been redefined in the
New Covenant. The Old Covenant ceremonial laws, those
*"Do not think that I came to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to abolish but to fulfill. Matt 5:17 NASB+
*When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.
But whatever is becoming obsolete
and growing old is ready to disappear. Heb 8:13 NASB+
We are also to follow the
commands and teachings of the New Covenant. Our Heavenly Father replaced some
of the older moral laws in the Old Testament, and some older, previous
teachings in the New Testament as the New Covenant of grace evolved. We should
always follow the newest teachings, the last teachings given us in the Word of
God.
*But now He
has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established
on better promises. Heb 8:6 NKJV+
*who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter
kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Co 3:6 NKJV+
*If anyone
does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that
person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 2Th 3:14 NASB+
Here are some of the commands we will want to obey when we love our God above all things, our neighbors as ourselves:
- We should have no other gods before our great God. We will not let love of self, financial gain, the many pleasures of this world, work, sports, entertainment, or anything else become more important to us than our God. We will bow down and serve only our God, not any image, nor likeness of any other thing He has created.
*You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. Ex 20:3-4 NKJV+
- We should not be proud,
but humble ourselves before our God, be humble to all the people around us.
*But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Ja 4:6 NKJV+
* Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1Pe 5:5 NKJV+
*So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on
a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
- We should not take the name of the Lord our God in vain. Nor curse our God, or curse anyone else with the name of our God.
*"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Ex 20:7 NKJV+
*Then you shall speak to the children of
*Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Ja 3:10 NKJV+
- We should not swear by God’s name, nor swear by any of His creation, where a simple yes or no will do.
* "Again you have
heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall
perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all:
neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His
footstool; nor by
* "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond
these is of evil. Matt
5:37 NASB+
*But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by
earth or with any other oath; but your yes
is to be yes, and your no, no,
so that you may not fall under judgment. Ja 5:12 NASB+
- We should not lie to anyone, but tell the simple truth, and not manipulate the truth for any reason.
*Do not lie to one another,
since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
*'You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. Lev 19:11 NKJV+
*Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. Eph 4:25 NKJV+
- We should not be silent, but stand up for our God, for others, in a considerate manner. We will not always convince others, but we should let them know how we feel. Though sometimes we will be overruled, or we might not be able to express our view, we must let our leaving show we do not approve of what is going on, and do not want any part of it.
*If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 2Ti 2:12 NKJV+
*"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matt 10:33 NASB+
- We will worship our God in fellowship with other Christians gladly hearing and learning His word. It doesn’t matter the size of the group, as Jesus blesses even those which only have two in them. Early Christians met on the first day of the week, Sunday.
*Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb 10:25 NIV+
*For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Mat 18:20 NKJV+
*Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Ac 20:7 NKJV+
- We should worship any day or time we feel is best for us.
*One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. Ro 14:5 NIV+
*Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
- We should
support those who are called for specific work by the Lord, both with prayers
and sustaining them with their physical needs.
*So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. 1Co 9:14 NASB+
*Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, Ro 15:30 NKJV+
- We will bring the knowledge of our Lord to all nations.
* How, then, can they call on the one they
have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who
bring good news!" Ro 10:14_15 NIV+
*"The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. Mk 13:10 NASB+
- We should honor our
father and mother. We will rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for
the elderly, helping them whenever we can.
*”'Honor your father and your mother,
as the Lord your God has
commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in
the land which the Lord your God
is giving you. Dt 5:16 NKJV+
*"'Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. Lev 19:32 NIV+
- Children should
obey their parents. Parents should be fair with their children.
*Children,
obey your parents in
all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
*Fathers,
do not provoke your children, lest
they become discouraged.
- We are responsible for caring for all in our own family, our relatives, including our grandparents as they grow older.
* If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate
family, he has denied the faith
and is worse than an unbeliever. 1Tim 5:8 NKJV+
*But if a widow has children or grandchildren,
these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying
their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to
God. 1Ti
5:4 NIV+
- We should not kill. When we hate anyone, we are as bad as a murderer. This does not mean we cannot hate the evil some due, but we must always remember God can change anyone’s life.
*"You shall not murder. Ex 20:13 NKJV+
*Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 1 Jn 3:15 NKJV+
- We should not have anger towards any, nor seek revenge of any kind. Have no malice nor bear a grudge towards any person.
*But now you
yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
language out of your mouth.
*Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Ro 12:19 NIV+
*You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Lev 19:18 NKJV+
- A man and a
woman are to marry and become one, remain one flesh. Only a man and a woman can
be united into becoming one flesh, one family unit.
*Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and they shall become one
flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not
ashamed. Gen
2:24-25 NKJV+
*Haven't you read," he replied,
"that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and
said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife, and the two will become one flesh' ? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Matt
19:4-6 NIV+
- We should marry
a true Christian. Not one who says they are a Christian, goes to church, and
yet is soon disinterested after the marriage. We need a Christian spouse who will
love and cherish us until we die, with Christ as the head of our family.
*Do not be bound together with
unbelievers; for what partnership
have righteousness and lawlessness,
or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial,
or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 2Co 6:14-15 NASB+
*A woman is bound to her husband as long
as he lives. But if her husband dies, she
is free to marry anyone she wishes, but
he must belong to the Lord. 1Co
7:39 NIV+
*but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole
body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to
the proper working of each individual
part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in
love. Eph
4:15-16 NASB+
- The Christian husband is to love and treat his Christian wife as Christ loves and treats His church. The husband must be willing to give his life for his wife, always putting her and his children’s welfare above his own.
*Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, Eph 5:25 NKJV+
*So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. Eph 5:29 NKJV+
*You husbands
in the same way, live with your wives
in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow
heir of the grace of life, so
that your prayers will not be hindered. 1Pe 3:7 NASB+
- The Christian wife is to submit to her husband in all that is pleasing to God. She is to dress modestly showing her inward gentleness and beauty, not outward vanity of sexuality, clothes, makeup, or jewelry.
*Wives,
submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
*Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1Pe 3:3-4 NKJV+
- The husband and wife
should share their bodies with each other, for they are one flesh.
*The husband
should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong
to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's
body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 1Co 7:3-4 NIV+
*"For
this reason a man shall leave his
father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Eph
5:31 NKJV+
- We are not to marry certain relatives. This includes non-blood step relatives. See Lev 18:1-7
*"'No one is to approach any close relative
to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. Lev 18:6 NIV+
*It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of
such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. 1Cor 5:1 NASB+
- Purity and
virginity are prized possessions and should be reserved for our spouse alone.
Sexual relations should be more than mere sexual pleasure which soon burns out.
It is a lifetime relationship between a man and a woman, with the security of
being a personal relationship between
them alone.
*But immorality
or any impurity or greed must
not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; Eph 5:3 NASB+
*Therefore consider the members of your
earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
*Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality,
let each man have his own wife, and let each
woman have her own husband. 1Co
7:2 NKJV+
- We should not engage in sex for the physical pleasure alone, nor have casual sex with many. And especially not have relations with prostitutes. For sexual immorality is a sin against our own bodies.
*Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality,
not in strife and jealousy. Ro 13:13 NASB+
*Flee
sexual immorality. Every
sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 1Co 6:18 NKJV+
*Do you not know that your bodies are members of
Christ? Shall I then take away
the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or
do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall become one flesh." 1Co 6:15-16 NASB+
- We should not commit adultery. Adultery is when any who are married, or have a verbal commitment to be married, have sexual relations, sexual contact, with one who is not their spouse, their spouse to be.
*"You shall not commit adultery. Ex 20:14 NKJV+
*Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage
bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually
immoral. Heb 13:4 NIV+
Note: We must
honor our promise to marry another, including engagements, for not keeping our
word, lying, is a sin in itself. Those who are engaged are also under the
adultery commandment above. Once a couple promises to marry each other they are
considered man and wife in God’s eyes. Our
God gave the severest punishment in the Old Covenant, being stoned to death, to
those who were promised to be married and committed adultery.
*"If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. Dt 22:23 NASB+
- All who are
married, who are promised to be married, commit adultery when they sexually
think about any who are not their spouse, or spouse to be. Pornography is in
every part of the media, we are exposed to it every day. And if we are not
prepared with the help of Jesus to keep it out of our lives, it will destroy
our relationship with our God, with our spouse.
*but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matt 5:28 NASB+
*Do not
lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let
her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Prov 6:25-26 NKJV+
- All who are single should not lust after meaningless sexual gratification from anyone, nor from any means. We should try and keep pornography out of our lives and never let it control us. This does not mean one cannot think about a life time of sexual love with a Christian spouse in the future.
*For all that is in the world--the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is
of the world. 1Jn
2:16 NKJV+
*Among them we too all formerly lived in
the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of
the flesh and of the mind , and were
by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Eph 2:3 NASB+
*that each of you should
know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
not in passion of lust, like
the Gentiles who do not know God; 1Thess 4:4-5 NKJV+
- Divorce is
allowed only for sexual unfaithfulness.
*And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." Matt 19:9 NASB+
*"Furthermore it has
been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of
divorce.' But I say to you that whoever
divorces his wife for any reason except
sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. Matt 5:31-32 NKJV+
Note: Jesus was explaining what indecent meant in the Mosaic law which allowed divorce. Jesus was not changing this law, but correctly defining the word indecent as meaning sexual unfaithfulness.
*"When a man takes a wife and marries her,
and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and
puts it in her hand and sends
her out from his house, Dt
24:1 NASB+
- Remarriage is
allows if a spouse dies, or if one is divorced because a spouse has been
sexually unfaithful. However once a couple divorce, they should not remarry, if
one has married another spouse after their divorce.
*So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will
be called an adulteress; but if
her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no
adulteress, though she has married another man. Ro 7:3 NKJV+
*then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Dt 24:2-4 NASB+
- Paul tells us
our Lord would not have married spouses separate. But if they do, they must
remain unmarried or be reconciled to their spouse.
*To the married
I give this command (not I, but the Lord):
A wife must not separate from her husband.
But if she does, she must remain
unmarried or else be reconciled
to her husband. And a husband must not
divorce his wife. 1Cor
7:10 NKJV+
- Paul, not the
Lord, tells us what to do when a marriage has one spouse who is a believer and
one spouse who does not believe. If the unbeliever is willing to live with the
believer, allowing the believer to live a Christian life, the believer should
not divorce the unbelieving spouse. But if the nonbeliever leaves, the
believing spouse is no longer bound to the marriage.
*But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If
any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing
to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not
divorce him. 1Co
7:12-13 NKJV+
*But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? 1Co 7:15-16 NKJV+
- We should remain
in the marital situation we were in when our God called us to be his children.
As long as it is acceptable to our God, as long as we make and keep it pleasing
to Him. We cannot make up for our past marital sins, but let the grace of Jesus
forgive us, and try to sin no more.
*Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. 1Co 7:17 NASB+
*Circumcision is
nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping
of the commandments of God. Each
man must remain in that condition in which he was called. 1Co 7:19-20 NASB+
- Do not practice
homosexual relationships. No one who practices homosexuality will inherit the
*For
this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural ,
and in the same way also the men abandoned
the natural function of the woman
and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due
penalty of their error. Ro 1:26-27 NASB+
*If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. Lev 20:13 NKJV+
*Or do you not
know that the unrighteous will not inherit the
- God detests those who dress to look like the other sex. This means purposely dressing to look like the opposite sex.
*A woman must not wear men's clothing. Nor a man wears women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this. Dt 22:5 NKJV+
- Do not have
sexual relations with animals.
*If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. Lev 20:15 NKJV+
*'Cursed
is he who lies with any animal.' And all the people shall
say, 'Amen.' Dt 27:21 NASB+
- When we talk, we should not use filthy sexual language, nor foolish talk, nor coarse vulgar language.
* Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse
joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Eph 5:4 NIV+
*But now you yourselves are to put off all
these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
language out of your mouth.
- We should not steal, but work to the best of our abilities so we can support ourselves, help others.
*'You shall not steal. Dt 5:19 NKJV+
* Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Eph 4:28 NKJV+
- We should always
give to the poor and help those who are sick. We should never expect them to
repay us, but we know our Father has treasures laid away in Heaven for all who
love the needy.
*But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." Lk 14:12-14 NKJV+
*"Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. Lk 12:33 NASB+
- We should always be generous, ready to share with those who have less.
*Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Mat 5:42 NASB+
*Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 1Ti 6:18 NASB+
- We should not defraud nor take advantage of anyone. We should pay the wages of those who work for us on time, when they are due, when the workers need them to live on.
*'You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. Lev 19:35 NASB+
*'You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. Lev 19:13 NKJV+
- We should not bear false witness against our neighbor, slander is evil.
*"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Ex 20:16 NKJV+
*Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Eph 4:31-32 NKJV+
- We should not pervert justice, nor show partiality to the poor, or favoritism to the great, but judge our neighbor fairly.
*'You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor fairly. Lev 19:15 NKJV+
*But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. Ja 2:9 NASB+
- If there is a dispute, go with love to discuss the matter privately between you and the person involved. If both of you cannot agree, then bring in others to help solve the problem.
*If your brother sin, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. Mat 18:15 NASB+
*But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' Matt 18:16 NKJV+
*'You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. Lev 19:17 NKJV+
- We should take our disputes before fellow Christians to be settled quickly, trying to avoid secular courts.
*Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 1Co 6:1 NASB+
*But instead, one brother goes to law against another--and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. 1Co 6:6-8 NIV+
- We should not gossip about any, but defend everyone against lies, and bring forth the truth in a considerate manner.
*to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Tit 3:2 NKJV+
*For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 2Co 12:20 NIV+
- We should not
covet our neighbor’s wife, nor covet any of his possessions. We should not envy
others’ possessions, but work hard to obtain our own possessions. Whether they
be greater or less than that of our neighbors’.
*You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. Ex 20:17 NKJV+
*'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife;
and you shall not desire your neighbor's house,
his field, his male servant, his
female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything
that is your neighbor's.' Dt 5:21 NKJV+
- Having food and shelter we should be content with what we have. We should not think about or try to obtain our neighbor’s possessions in any way. Nor should we try and use the government to obtain more than the necessities of life. Redistribution of wealth is merely stealing from the rich because of the envy of the poor.
*And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 1Tim 6:8 NKJV+
*Keep
your lives free from the love of money and be content with
what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Heb 13:5 NIV+
- We should not be greedy, but put God first in our lives, not the riches of the world. Helping all who have less than we do.
*Therefore
consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed, which
amounts to idolatry.
*having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; 2Pe 2:14 NASB+
- We should obey our government laws as long as they don’t conflict with our God’s laws.
*When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him. Mk 12:14-17
- We should avoid the evils of drunkenness, or illegal drugs that keep one from thinking clearly, from living a Christian life.
*envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:21 NASB+
*And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries [or drugs] or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Rev 9:21 NKJV+ Note: Mixing of potions, Greek pharmakon, from which we get pharmacy.
- We should not practice sorcery nor turn to mediums or spiritualists, for you will be defiled by them. Do not cut nor tattoo your body.
*There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, Dt 18:10 NKJV+
* 'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. Lev 19:31 NKJV+
*You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord. Lev 19:28 NKJV+
- We should forgive others as Christ forgives us. For if we do not forgive others Christ will not forgive our sins.
*And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Lk 11:4 NKJV+
*But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Mat 6:15 NKJV+
*Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy
and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive
whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive
as the Lord forgave you.
- All sins we commit when we don’t love our God above all things, our neighbor as ourselves are evil. It is as deadly a sin to lie, as it to kill. For any sin separates us from our God, keeps us from being one with Him.
*For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. Ja 2:10 NKJV+
*But the
cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which
burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death." Rev 21:8 NKJV+
- Anything we do
must be out of love to our great God. We can do the things our God would have
us do, keep His commands, treat our neighbors as ourselves, and yet it gains us
nothing, it is useless. For anything we do that is not done out of faith, out
of love for our God, the love of others, is worthless in the sight of our great
God, and is not accepted by Him. Everything we say or do must be done to the
glory of our God.
*And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 1Co 13:3 NKJV+
*And without
faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who
seek Him. Heb
11:6 NASB+
In closing we must
always remember though we are all sinners, our Heavenly Father loves us, wants
us to be His children. He has made a way for our sins to be forgiven. Jesus
died on the cross as atonement for all of our sins, as a means of grace by
which all of our sins can be forgiven. When we give up our human will the
Spirit comes into our hearts giving us a faith which produces a love which
makes our God number one in our lives. And when we love our God above all
things, we are sanctified, our sins are continually forgiven us. Our sins are
gone, washed away by the blood of Jesus and our Father remembers them no more. See: How Our Sins Are Forgiven
*This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 1Tim 1:15 NKJV+
*being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Rom 3:24 NKJV+
*For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Heb 8:12 NKJV
Copyright
2011 by Ron Borkey
+ NIV Scripture taken from
the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984
International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
reserved.
+ NASB "Scripture taken from
the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright ©
1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission."
+ NKJV "Scripture
taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved."