The Problem With Sin

The problem with sin is this. Rarely when we sin is there an immediate reaction from God to it. Almost never is there any instant retribution for transgressions. In fact years can go by or possibly our whole life go by and we see no blow back from our iniquities. But does that mean that there is no price to be paid? Does that mean that God didn’t see?

The worst mistake is the one a lot of people make. When someone consciously sins and sees no punishment from God they fool themselves into believing that God approves. This especially holds true when that person sees others doing the same sin with no reaction from God as well.

Sin now becomes incorporated into that person’s belief system. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage are prime examples. Both are a sin. Scripture has been ignored or worse, twisted so as to support the gay agenda. But even so, the acknowledgment and acceptance of it has grown.

“But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee….These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” (Psalm 50:16, 17, 21)

It is a huge mistake to judge sin by wordly standards. It is an even bigger mistake to determine right from wrong by the reaction or rather inaction of God. This is not living a principled life. This is not living by the precepts of the Christian religion. What it is doing is whatever feels good that doesn’t have an associated pain. It’s like a child who thinks they are getting by with something all the while the parent having full knowledge of what is going on.

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”(1 Corinthians 4:5).

Sin isn’t going against the rules. Sin is going against God and defying His love He has for you. Sin is the urge then the act of doing something ungodly.

“For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.” (Jeremiah 16:17).

There may not be a price paid for sin here on earth. But unrepentant sin does not go unpunished. There will be Hell to pay, literally after you leave this earth. God gives us a life time, our life time to ask for forgiveness and repent. We should understand God’s love for us and His desire for each of us to live for ever.

Our iniquities are before God. Our secret sins are in the light of His countenance. It’s time to stop and confess.

Do not be fooled into thinking that God approves of your sin simply because you have seen no retribution. God sees all sin and will deal with each in His own time be it now, later or when you die.

Bill Hitchcock

Sin Is An Urge

Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11). Go and sin no more is a guiding principle of the Christian religion. But have you ever stopped and really thought what sin was? After all, how can you stop doing something if you don’t have a clear picture of what “it” is?

Sin is an urge, a strong desire to go against the will of God and to act upon that urge. So sin has two sides to it, the urge and then the action. The Christian battle is with the urge to sin. It’s called temptation. As long as we stay in the fight with temptation then God will strengthen us and guide us to victory. But if we lose faith in God and His abilities we will lose the fight. We fall or transgress from the urge to the action and committal of sin. We now have yielded our self over to that sin. Jesus said, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” (John 8:34)

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” (Romans 6:12).

Once we have acted upon the urge to sin, we give up on God and yield to whatever sin it was. That sin now has dominion over our soul and body.

Sin is like alcoholism. The alcoholic is controlled and owned by alcohol. He has yielded himself to it completely. He knows it is bad but when he tries to quit the addiction draws him back in with strong cravings. All sin acts in the same fashion.

So what do we do once we realize that we are in complete darkness of sin?

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:5-9).

God is the light. If we repent of our sins He will cleanse us of all darkness and sin. He certainly will cleanse us for he does not want anyone to die and sin kills!

“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (Ezekiel 18:32).

Once cleansed we must resume the fight of temptation with the sin we were just freed from. The only way to do that is: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8).

But we must be very careful to never fall again for the second fall is usually much worse than the first. Jesus warned the man who had been healed of an infirmity of 38 years, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)

Jesus died on the cross so we would have the ability to fight, fall, repent and fight temptation again. Never think it is too late. It isn’t. Don’t let sin reign in your body. Rid yourself of the darkness within. 

Repent! Trust in God and live!

Bill Hitchcock

Forgiveness 101

Sin is the urge then the act of doing something ungodly. The urge is called temptation. This is our daily fight. The act of sin is called transgression. The process of sin is known as the fall. Realizing the mistake and being remorseful about sin is called repentance. The power to give the sin to God and move away from it is by God’s grace. It is by the Lord’s mercy that we are forgiven and accepted back into the family of God.

Bill Hitchcock

Asking God for Mercy

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.” (Psalm 41:4)

Lord show favor towards me and heal my soul for I have sinned against you. Asking God for mercy is what we are to do in all case scenarios for we are not owed nor have we earned anything from Him. All benefits are a gift from God due to His mercy and free grace.

Keep in mind that God’s mercy is not automatic. Often times we are to suffer for a time or a time multiplied by a time for reasons known only to God. But this we do know, if God is withholding a benefit it is for our benefit that it is being done.

But notice what the Psalmist asked for. He asks for his soul to be healed because he sinned against God. The pain and woe of his soul are because of some sin he did towards God. All sin is directed towards God. But this is a true repentant heart speaking here. Be merciful. I hurt. I sinned against you. This is bold, upfront and upright. The Psalmist from the very start has shown his boldness of heart when he started his supplication with “I said!” It is not a command but a strong calling. How many of us stand at the throne of grace and boldly call on the Father and ask for mercy and admit our sins?

The Psalmist then goes on to describe what evil his soul has been suffering.

“Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:5-9)

We find out what has hurt his soul so badly. It has been other people both friend and foe and the words that they have spoken about him. Some of the most pain anyone can experience are the words of others about us. Even when it comes from our worst enemies. Lies and vile words aptly said that make way into our heart, hurt more than a bullet or arrow and can crush anyone’s soul.

“I said….Heal my soul!” There is no messing around with the Psalmist. He knows he did wrong and immediately goes to the Father to have the matter settled. He didn’t engage his friends and enemies and get caught up in a war of words! No he goes where the authority and salvation are with God.

It can be difficult to not engage in an argument with those who speak poorly about you. But remember this:

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” (Proverbs 4:14-16)

Also remember that the sin is between you and God and so is your salvation. Take your problems boldly to God and ask for mercy.

“But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.” (Psalm 41:10)

The Psalmist once again asks God to be merciful and to lift him up out of his hurt and beleaguered soul. He asks God to raise him up in power, strength and conviction so that he may make peace with those who have attacked and assailed him.

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.” (Luke 6:27-29)

Only by God’s strength can we be raised up out of a down trodden and despondent soulful condition. And only by God can we have the spirit to make peace and to love thy neighbor under any and all conditions.

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

“By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.” (Psalm 41:11)

Sometimes we get so involved in the fight and the damage it is doing to us to realize that the enemy is not and cannot win! If we would let go of the fight and let God do the fighting then we suffer no more and the battle is won.

“And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.” (Psalm 41:12)

It is God’s righteousness, it is His integrity, not ours that upholds us every minute of our lives. All things are of God and from God. We are but an empty vessel that he fills and holds upright.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.” (Psalm 41:13)

The Lord of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting, from forever on through forever. In perpetuity is our Lord and so is His love and mercy for each of us.

Bill Hitchcock

The Religion Of Church But Not Of God

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Unfortunately in today’s society religion has come to mean church and church doctrine. In recent times there has been an exodus away from God because church and religion have supplanted God and worship. Faith has become synonymous with religion. Consequently the religion becomes the faith and the worshipped. God at best has become a subpart of that religion, a mere element or component of that particular faith.

Religion is a standards and practice of a particular faith. Each religion has its own set of standards it expects the adherents to follow. Ceremonies and rituals become the focal point and not God. It fosters a works and deeds mentality that is detrimental to true spiritual growth, knowledge of God and salvation. These standards and practices and ceremonies are creations of man and not God.

If there is any element of man in precepts, doctrine or foundation of a Church and/or religion then there will be a problem. God is perfect, man is not. God leads, man follows. If man attempts to lead, he being imperfect will deviate from God’s way. It is the assured inevitability of both man and his religion.

Although usually first established on the belief and commandments of God, religion continues on in precepts and rituals of man’s creation. Adding or subtracting as man and his religion may see fit, it quickly deviates from the word of God. One of man’s most favorite destinations is convenience. And when convenience contradicts precept, man (and his religion) has the power and ability to change his church and religion to suit his desires.

Jeroboam made it more convenient for the people to worship God. He said, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem”. So, he made two golden calves, “And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi” (1 Kings 10:29-31).

Jeroboam made it more convenient for the people to worship. In so doing he created a religion with its own precepts, principles and method of worship. God was supplanted for ease and comfort of the people.

Man’s religion is for those unable or unwilling to face the simple truth of God and His word. Man finds God harsh, offensive and often impractical for a modern day world not realizing that that is exactly what He is suppose to be. God’s word, precepts and principles are to keep us in the way, the path of righteousness and life. Any deviation or exception to the word of God is sin and death.

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.” (Psalms 119:133-144)

Man’s religion will always be in a constant state of flux. But the word of God is perfect, true, immutable and they are life.

Bill Hitchcock

The Clarion Call

The clarion call goes out from God. The call and message of love, peace, redemption, reconciliation and salvation. It is a call that has gone out to the entire world for thousands of years. But few will hear it and receive it. Why?

“They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:5-6).

It can be frustrating sometimes as a Christian when no one seems to “get it”. You speak of Christ and His perfect plan of Salvation to folks and no one seems to care. Noah preached for over a 100 years and saved no one except his immediate family. But it all starts to make sense once we realize that there are two kinds of people; children of God and children of this world. To the children of this world the, “preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18). And that is what is going to happen to the children of this world, they are going to perish without Jesus Christ.

What are the children of God to do? Jesus gave us the great commission to go and preach!

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Notice nowhere in the great commission does Jesus lay the burden of converting a person on anyone’s shoulders. We are only to spread the word. It is the Holy Spirit working on a person’s spirit that motivates and quickens a soul to God, not us.

Spread the word! Some of it will find hard ground and not take root. Sometimes the devil will steal away the word from someone. Sometimes the word will find shallow ground and will take root and sprout but soon die. But sometimes the word finds fertile soil in which to plant, sprout and grow into a mighty and fruitful tree.

Keeping with the seed metaphor, the germination time period is different for each person. Of those who receive the word, some sprout quickly others may take years. But we are to treat both the same feeding them the word on a daily basis until they do sprout and grow.

“He that is not of God heareth not us.” I wish it were different but it is a fact of life. But praise the Lord for, “he that knoweth God heareth us!”

Bill Hitchcock

Salvation Is Now. Eternity Has Already Begun

Salvation isn't a future event. Eternity and our life with Christ doesn't begin at our physical death. Salvation is now. It isn't gradual, by degrees or in a series of events. Salvation is instant when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is now, not later and certainly not at our physical death.

"But this deliverance is expected at death." Where is the promise that it shall then be given? There is not one such in the whole Bible!...Do not expect redemption in death: it can do nothing for thee even under the best consideration: it is thy last enemy….Multitudes of such persons are continually deploring their want of faith, even where they have the clearest and most explicit promises; and yet, strange to tell, risk their salvation at the hour of death on a deliverance that is nowhere promised in the sacred oracles! "But who has got this blessing?" Every one who has come to God in the right way for it.” (Adam Clarke)

Did not Jesus teach and exhort us to pray to God, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). God’s will, which is His will for our salvation, is done here on earth! We are saved now! Not later, upon physical death, when we, “shuffle off this mortal coil” (Shakespeare) and go to heaven.

“Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are adopted by God. Not “will be” adopted, we “are” presently adopted! And as children of God, we are heirs to the Kingdom of God!

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (8:15-17)

We obtain salvation now! For if we have put away the old man with his sins and have died for Christ, then we shall live with Him now!

“Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him” (2 Timothy 2:10-11)

If we be dead with Christ, then we are also alive in Christ right now! We are currently freed from the bondage of sin!

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:6-8)

Right now, for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, we are alive and living with Jesus Christ. Eternity started the day you received Him into your heart.

Bill Hitchcock