Category Archives: CONFESS SIN ACCEPT FORGIVENESS

CAN PEOPLE CHANGE? 072716

Jesus and the Woman taken in Adultery In John 8:3-9 is this story: “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” . . . He said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” . . . Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. . . . ” He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

So here’s my question: Can people change? And if they can, how do they do it? How do we stop following the traditions of men and start to follow Jesus? It is not a choice between truth and love; it is finding the place of truth AND love. (Sorta like Jesus did in this story.) We can’t seek a forever solution (we want one, but people just don’t have it in them). We can only do what God tells us to do today. I don’t have the right to cast the first stone.

In the traditions of the Jews the person who witnessed the wrongful act and testified against the wrongdoer had to be willing to cast the first stone when they stoned the person to death. That’s a pretty hard task, when everyone is going to see. You had to be sure of what you were accusing someone of; and sure that you weren’t just as guilty as that person, of that crime or some other. It’s like they had to put their integrity where their mouth was.

We never get clean BEFORE we turn from our sins, only after, we are converted (changed). We are changed, we surrender and turn to God, THEN we are cleansed of our sins. When we’re hooked on drugs or control or sexual sin or pride, no one can help us, ’cause we don’t think we need help. But when we’re injured, damaged and suffering, we suddenly become vulnerable and open to be comforted and changed. Then we suddenly change from rocky to fertile soil; ready, even willing, to receive the Good Seed of God’s Word. Praise the Lord!

NOT THAT KIND OF SIN.061516

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cycle of fears, pain, anger, grief, revenge

Since we’re talking about sin, you probably heard of lying (bearing false witness) and stealing; murder and adultery; not honoring your father and your mother and covetousness; see Exodus 20:3-17, the Ten Commandments; also including don’t make or worship idols, don’t take the Lord’s Name in vain, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy, and the most important one, ‘you shall have no other gods besides Me [the One True God].’

But we’re not talking about those kinds of sin, what we show to the world as sin. We’re talking about what is going on in your heart; all the things that give rise to the sins that we exhibit to the world. Things like fear and shame, and guilt and worry, depression, hate and unforgiveness, arrogance and control. James says in his letter to the churches, in chapter 1:14-15 ¹⁴“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” What was it Jesus said about what defiles a person? In Matthew 15:17-19, ¹⁷He said, “It’s not what goes in your mouth, but what comes out of your mouth that defiles you, ¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Those things defile a man.”

How do we get away, and stay away, from sin like that? The short answer is, “Turn to God”. Like John the Apostle says, in 1 John 1:9, “If you’ll confess your sins, God is faithful and just to forgive you, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” But ultimately, it’s like Jesus says in Luke 9:23, “If you want to be my disciple, deny yourself, take up your cross [that means die to your self] daily, and follow Me.” It’s a lifetime commitment. If you keep on drawing near to God, He will definitely keep on drawing near to you. (James 4:8) It’s His life that will make you whole. It’s His righteousness (not yours) that will keep you from sinning, more and more every day.