How To Keep From Sinning
1 John 2:1-2
“If” does not give us permission.....it literally means “provided” or on the condition that we sin.....we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous !
John rebuked those who claimed they had no sin.....and offered the promise of forgiveness for those who do sin......but his ideal situation is presented........."that we sin not"
We are not only to confess our sins as John says is ch. 1 but forsake our sins !
How do we live holy ? How can we overcome those acts of sin ?
: A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them: 1. Materialism 2. Pride 3. Self-centeredness 4. Laziness 5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness 5. (Tie) Sexual lust. 7. Envy 8. Gluttony 9. Lying Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent).
1. Attend The Sanctuary !
Psa 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be still praising thee.
It is vitally important for our spiritual lives that we be faithful in our attendance to the house of God. David certainly knew the importance. He valued it ! He loved it !
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psa. 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
Church attendance is not a warranty or a guarantee of no sin......but those who forsake the assembling of themselves with other saints will certainly be living disobediently....will lack the fellowship of believers.....will be neglecting the priviledge of worshipping God.....will be undernourished in their spiritual lives....and their faith will only be weakened......thus they will have a very difficult time in fighting the fight against the flesh, and Satan.
2. Avoid The Situations.
1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
“Abstain” means “to hold oneself off”
On the TV show Hee Haw, Doc Campbell is confronted by a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies, “Well then, stay out of them places!” He may have something there. We cannot regularly put ourselves in the face of temptation and not be affected. When faced with the problem of temptation, we need to take the good doctor’s advice and “stay out of them places.”
If you’re prone to fall....don’t walk where it’s slippery !
If you’re prone to lust.....stay off the beach !
Stay out of them places !
1 Co 6:18 “Flee fornication........”
2 Ti 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the name of the Lord........”
1 Co 10:14 .......”flee from idolatry”
Don’t you imagine that Eve’s proximity to the tree made it that much easier for the devil to get her attention !
3. Assimilate The Scriptures.
“Assimilate” means to convert ! We are to convert the scriptures to our living !
Psa 119:11 Thy word have i hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Jos. 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
I can identify with the little boy whose teacher reprimanded him for stumbling through his recitation of a poem he was supposed to have memorized. “Didn’t I tell you that you were to learn the poem by heart?” she asked. “I did learn it by heart,” the child replied. “But I forgot it by head.” We’ve each had times when we’ve forgotten by head something we thought we knew by heart. Forgetting God, however, is a problem of the heart rather than the head.
It is important that we assimilate the scripture.....convert it to living !
We need to memorize it, and meditate upon it......and the scripture will be a deterrent to sin ! Remember the example of the Lord in the temptation in the wilderness !
The bible will keep you from sin.....or sin will keep your from the bible !
Mt. 4 Temptation of Jesus.....used scripture each time !
4. Approach The Saviour
In the survey mentioned earlier....resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer(84 %), avoiding compromising situations(76%) Bible study(66 %) and by being accountable to someone(church attendance)(52 %)
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart.......
James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and he will drae nigh to you......”
It’s hard to pray and sin at the same time ! The closer we get to Jesus the stronger we will be....and the further we’ll stray from sin !
