Ps 50:16
16 But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? ESV
- James 1:22; There are those who want to recite God’s law but don’t want to obey it. God tells them they are in trouble. They think they are okay because they haven’t reaped the consequences of their sin yet. Vs 21 the time will come when you will give an account.
- The following verses give a list of things that mark what God calls wicked.
1. Hate discipline vs 17; Prov 1:5;
2. Cast God’s word behind them. (hear but don’t do) Vs 17; James 1:22;
3. Are pleased with others sin vs 18
4. Keep company with the adulterers (those living in sin) vs 18; Ps101:6
5. Let their tongue speak freely vs 19; Ps 39:1; 141:3; Prov 18:21
6. Speak lies vs 19; Ps 34:13
7. Slander their own family vs 20
8. Justify their sin in their own mind. Vs 21;
1 Kings 8:48
48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, ESV
- If, they repent with ALL. I think a lot of times we repent half way. Really we aren’t sorry for what we did and really don’t want to change but we are sorry we got in trouble or that you were hurt by what we did. But when we apologize or repent without changing we are admitting but not repenting. Prov 28:13 tells us it is the one that repents and forsakes their sin that finds mercy. God help me to repent whole heartedly, help me to see my sin like you see it. Help me to hate sin and depart from it. Help me to bring you glory in all I do.
- 1 kings 11:6;
Prov 10:19
19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
NIV
- Prov 10:8, 10, 18:2; 18:21; Ecc 5:3
- Do you know when to hold your tongue?
Prov 5:23
23 He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly. NLT
23 Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end. MSG
- Sin takes the life of those who love it most.
- Prov 11:5; unrestrained freedom ends trapped in a dead end formed by the choices it has made. Are the choices your making today going to haunt or free your future?
Jude 4
4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.NIV
4 I say this because some godless people have wormed their way in among you, saying that God’s forgiveness allows us to live immoral lives. The fate of such people was determined long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. NLT
- - Those who use grace to justify sin have turned against the Lord and are Hell bound.
- - They use God’s grace as a license to sin. We are told in Rom 6:15-16 that we are not to sin because we are under grace, we become a slave to the one we obey. Mal 2:17 Tells us that God is wearied by people saying those who do evil are right in the sight of the Lord. In 2 John 10-11 If we greet and help one teaching such things we are taking part in their evil works. The Bible makes it clear that you can’t separate someone from their fruit. A tree is known by its fruit Matt 12:33b. Prov 20:11 says that even a child is known by their actions. 3 John 11 tells us to imitate good not evil andour fruit demonstratesour relationship with God. Matt 3:10 says that the tree that doesn’t bear good fruit will be cut down. My actions are tied to my heart they are an overflow of what is in my heart whether I like to admit it or not (Prov 4:23; Matt 12:35). We often want say we believe something that our fruit says we don’t. I get the impression that what counts is what our fruit says not what we claim we believe James 2:17-20. Is there a gap between what we thought we believed and whatour fruit shows us to believe? The Bible tells us what we should do, so we have a choice. If the fruit we see isn’t what it should be we can choose to do some weeding of the heart. God show me the weeds in my life that I need to uproot and prune what you must to make me fruitful for you John 15:2.
Matt 18:6
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. NKJV
- Today this verse makes sense. I have recently heard several people’s stories and it honestly hurts to hear it. It hurts because I don’t have a time machine because no matter what I do, I can’t undo the past. I can tell them things to live a different future but I can’t make choices for people, it is up to them to make and walk out some hard choices. These stories all seem to have something in common. All the stories have a villain. At some point in the story you see a character (or characters) that shows up and then things start heading south. Someone beats them, someone lies to them, Someone takes advantage of them, someone sets a horrible example, someone hurts them in one form or another. You hear the story and I want to travel back in time to before the moments and stop people. I actually would like to inflict large amounts of bodily injury upon the villains. I hear the stories and so many of them sound alike. It is the same lies, the same people and you get so mad. I read this verse and it feels good to know they will pay. But then I think Some of the villains know they are the villain in the story, some are just so focused on themselves they don’t have a clue that their choices are destroying lives all around them. God I ask that you would open up their eyes and draw their hearts to you. Let them find a new life in you. May they see the impact they have had on others May they repent, leave it all behind, and find your forgiveness. Lord, help me and everyone who reads this to see not only what impact our choices have on ourselves but what affect they have on those around us. We want to live lives that draw people to you. Have your way in us.
1 Cor 10:14
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. NKJV
- Flee from; we are not to flirt with Sin. There shouldn’t be any gray. When we see an opportunity to sin we need to get up and run. Don’t flirt with the idea of sin. Flirting with sin is a game that you cannot win. 1 Cor 6:18; Prov 5:8
Ps 7:14
14 He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. NIV
(My paraphrase) He who became intimate with sin, those who nurture, feed and dwell on evil soon will give birth to disillusionment.
- This verse is showing us that those who get close to sin feed and grow a lie. The devil paints a picture that just isn’t true. They press forward looking forward to it’s expected in, but when they get there they find not the happiness and fulfillment they expected but disappointment and emptiness. It is the end of the illusion it is disillusionment. Prov 17:19 Are you flirting with sin? The more you flirt the better it looks, but the reality never changes. It is still sin; it still produces sin and death in your life. Run Prov 5:8; 7:25 Do not go near; flirting with sin is the process of swallowing the hook.
Rom 2:12
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. NKJV
- It is not the law but our own hearts that condemn us. “As many as have sinned without the law are judged without the law.” Vs 15 tells us there own thoughts accuse them. Rom 3:23 tells us all have sinned. Rom 2:1 tells that we judge another we condemn ourselves by showing we know it is wrong. The law is there not to condemn us but to show us that we were already condemned. Only when we recognize our sinful condition will we look for God’s forgiveness. The law then is an act not of judgment but of mercy. It is a map, it shows us that we are lost. It never made me lost but helps me recognize my state so I can back on course. Rev 20:12-15;
