PRAY FOR PATIENCE

We belong to the "Now" generation. We want what we want, and we want it "now!" And if we can't get what we want right away, then we pout, get angry, or blame God. Unfortunately, this attitude has carried over to our prayer life. We pray, and if our prayers are not answered immediately - then we lose complete faith and wallow in self-pity, feeling God has ignored us or simply doesn’t care. Even worse, we may feel that God doesn't love us! Oh how sad this must make our heavenly Father, who loves us so much He gave His only son to come to this earth and die on a cross-so that we may live eternally with Him! How soon we forget His incredible sacrifice! If you need more strength and patience, pray and ask God to give you more faith to trust Him more . . . and He will! Remember that God created you, loves you more than anyone else on this earth ever could, and wants only the BEST for you! He is worthy of our trust! And here is the kicker that so many of us struggle with the most . . . God's timing is not the same as ours! His time table of making things happen doesn't always match up to what we think it should be - but we need to remember this more than anything when we are waiting for our prayers to be answered: "God's Timing is PERFECT!" So, pray for patience, keep praying, and don't ever stop! If it takes years, so be it! Don't quit praying. - and don't quit trusting! Our God IS faithful! Text: Ps 37:4, Ps 27:14, Ps 37:7-9, Num 11:23, John 14:14.

Psalms 37:4 NKJV - "4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." 

Psalms 27:14 NKJV - "14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" 

Psalms 37:7-9 NKJV - "7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth." 

Numbers 11:23 NKJV - "23 And the LORD said to Moses, "Has the LORD's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."" 

John 14:14 NKJV - "14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

DO YOU HAVE A CRITICAL SPIRIT?

Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11 For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines criticism as “an act of criticizing; to judge as a critic; to find fault; to blame or condemn.”

As we have read, the scriptures tell us not to tear down our brethren through criticism or judgment, as this can pose a serious stumbling-block and cause irreparable damage to their faith.

Among God’s warnings to us in scripture, there are none more somber or serious than His warning to not become a stumbling block to His followers. “...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” (Matt. 18:6).

There’s an old saying that “We tend to judge others by their actions, and we judge ourselves by our intentions.” The truth is, we cannot rightly judge anyone else, because we do not know the contents of their heart. We should be content to judge only ourselves and seek to bring our own lives in alignment with God’s Word (1 Cor. 11:31).

What Exactly is a Critical Spirit?

A “critical spirit,” is an obsessive attitude of criticism and fault-finding, which seeks to tear others down — not the same thing as what is sometimes called “constructive criticism.” The only criticism that is ever constructive is that which is expressed in love to “build up,” not to tear down — it is always expressed face-to-face, never behind their back. 

The person with a critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws rather than good. They’re a complainer, usually always upset, and generally have a problem or a complaint about something. They often have little control over their tongue, their temper, and have tendencies for gossip and slander, which Paul said were sins “worthy of death” (Rom. 1:29-32).

What Causes a Critical Spirit?

1. Negativeness - A bad attitude and a negative view of life. A person may have unconfessed sin in their life (Rom. 2:1), or may harbor unforgiveness or bitterness toward someone who may have offended them (Heb. 12:15).

2. Insecurity - Criticism is often a subconscious means to “elevate one’s own self image.” By putting others down, they are inwardly trying to feel more important or that “they know more.” Jealousy toward the spiritual victories of others is often the cause of criticism and belittling comments. Popular ministers of the Gospel are often the target of such tactics.

3. Immaturity - Believers must always keep their focus upon Christ and His Word, not man, who will often fail (Heb. 12:2). The young or immature believer who has not progressed very far in their own faith, remain overly dependent upon the faith of those within the body of Christ. Unfortunately, when they begin to notice the flaws in their brethren, subconsciously, this becomes a threat to their own sense of victory. Criticism becomes a reaction of disappointment, because their expectations in others have been crushed.

4. An Unrenewed Mind - Put-downs, making-fun-of, criticism, sarcasm are the world’s ways of reacting to the faults of people. However, as Christians we don’t behave this way. Our thinking and attitude should be renewed by the Word of God, which teaches us to bear the infirmities of the weak, to love, and show compassion and encouragement (Rom. 12:2).

5. The Devil - As we may realize, the Devil specializes in influencing obsessive behavior. He may use any or all of the above channels, or other techniques, to influence a complaining or critical attitude to stir up turmoil and strife within the body of Christ (Eph. 6:12). We must be on guard that none of us would be used as a tool of the Devil to bring harassment or discouragement upon our brothers or sisters through continual criticism, as the Bible warns us not to “give place” to the Devil (Eph. 4:27). Remember that Satan is specifically called “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). Are you an accuser of the brethren?

The Bible says that the reason that we are to come together as a church is, not to criticize, but to “exhort” (encourage) one another (Hebrews 10:25). “Cursing the darkness” won’t change anything, but we must light a candle and “expose the light” of God’s Word. By sharing the truth of God’s Word, and encouraging people to live in its truth, people will change. Love and encouragement is a “motivational force.” 

If we ever hope to bring improvement in others, we need to become people of encouragement. This is the only attitude that will change people, and our actions and words must be devoted to encouraging the spiritual progress of our brethren. 

The Christian’s tongue should never be used for anything but good. “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk (ever) come out of your mouth; but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it” (Eph. 4:29). 

Remember this, the Bible doesn’t promise peace to those who dwell on the faults of others! It says that the Lord will keep them in perfect peace, whose minds are stayed on Him! (Isaiah 26:3).

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THE GREAT SIN

SOME REASONS WHY GOD HATES PRIDE 

“There are only two safe places for a Christian—

in the dust and in heaven. And of the two the

dust is safer, for Satan fell from heaven,” said a

wise man. Pride was the first sin to destroy the calm of

eternity. It was pride that cast Lucifer from

heaven and it was pride that cost our first

parents their place in Paradise. Pride is the first

sin to enter a man’s heart and the last to leave.

No sin is more offensive to God than the sin of pride. Pride has been referred to as the

“complete anti-God state of mind.” It militates

against God’s authority, God’s law, and God’s

rule. This is why the Bible equates rebellion with

witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23). Pride assaults God’s

throne and asserts its independence in an attempt to dislodge God as the Sovereign of the

universe. God and pride are like oil and water— they don’t

mix! Pride is dogmatic in its antagonism to God

and God is absolute in His opposition to pride.

The Creator never has and never will

compromise with pride. Humility is the foundation of all virtue, but pride

is the essence of all sin. The world system

operates on the basis of pride for all that is in

the world is lust and pride (1 John 2:16). Pride

and lust are root sins from which all other sins

spring. Pride is the mother of evil. God detests pride. He even hates a proud look

(Prov. 6:16-17). God’s loathing of pride is

unalterable, for “Every one that is proud in heart

is an abomination to the LORD” (Prov. 16:5).

But why does God hate pride so fiercely? 

PRIDE IS SATANIC 

Never forget that God did not make the Devil—

Lucifer only became the devil when he

arrogantly became infatuated with himself. Yes,

Lucifer is a created being. God said, “Thou wast

perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast

created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Ezek. 28:15). This beautiful, powerful, intelligent, and

gifted cherub fell from his perfect estate when

his heart was lifted up because of his own

beauty and brightness (v. 17). No longer was he

willing to be subservient to the Creator.

Staggering pride was to blame for the tragedy in heaven. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son

of the morning! … For thou hast said in thine

heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my

throne … I will sit also upon the mount … I will

ascend above the heights…I will be like the

most High” (Isa. 14:12-14). Self-will displaced God’s will, and the Devil

emerged. It has been said, “Man is never more

like the Devil than when he is full of self-will.”

The Bible strictly forbids placing a novice in

leadership, “lest being lifted up with pride he fall

into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). It was pride that caused Lucifer’s fall and

subsequent condemnation. The snare of pride is

a deadly peril to which new converts should

never be willfully subjected. Nothing does more

to set a person out of the devil’s reach than

humility. 

PRIDE SPAWNS PRAYERLESSNESS 

Once Solomon had completed the Temple, the

Lord instructed Israel on the proper way to

approach Him in times of judgment. If the

heavens withheld rain on account of their sins,

or disobedience caused God to send pestilence

among His people, then they were to pray toward the Lord’s house. But even before they

prayed, turned from their wicked ways, or

sought the face of God they needed to first

humble themselves (2 Chron. 7:14). God

required the people who were called by His

name to humble themselves before they prayed or repented. So why does humility precede

prayer? Why does humility come before turning

from wicked ways? The reason humility precedes prayer is because

there can be no real prayer without humility.

Proverbs speaks of the man who brazenly turns

his ear from the law, “Even his prayer shall be

abomination” (28:9). Prayerlessness is the very

first sign of pride. It has been said, “God’s power will never fall until we do.” Proud people

don’t pray. In fact, the only people who pray are

those who need God, know they need God, and

can’t go on without God. Humility is the altar on

which God wishes us to offer Him sacrifices. 

PRIDE BRINGS CONFLICT 

Why are there so many splintered relationships,

so many broken marriages, and church splits?

The Scripture gives us the short answer, “Only

by pride cometh contention” (Prov. 13:10). Just

as surely as pride erects a barrier between us

and God, it also builds a wall between us and others. Whereas love seeks to build a bridge,

pride seeks to erect a wall. Pride can keep you from apologizing when

you’ve been wrong. Pride can cause you to

defend yourself. Pride can cause you to look

down on others. If you allow it, pride can rob

you of the most treasured relationships in life.

“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife” (Prov. 28:25). Humbling ourselves is the only way to get the

roof off toward God and the walls down toward

our fellow man. Once offences have been

committed, whether intentional or unintentional,

they must be dealt with. “I was wrong. I am

sorry. Will you forgive me?” are healing words that only a humble soul would use. Whenever

you find a man willing to humble himself before

God and man, you have found a man who will

be exalted, because “humility comes before

honor.” 

PRIDE RESULTS IN GOSSIP 

“Thou shalt hide them … from the pride of man:

thou shalt keep them … from the strife of

tongues” (Ps. 31:20). Evil speaking, slander,

and gossip are the direct result of pride. This

comes as no surprise since the word “devil”

comes from the word diabalos which means slanderer. One of the Puritans said, “He that

receives a slander carries the devil in his ear

and he that commits a slander carries the devil

in his tongue.” Where Satan doesn’t go

personally, he sends a critic. Once a Sunday School teacher gave a lesson

on the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself

thanking God he was not like other men:

“adulterers, extortioners, and publicans.” The

teacher really blasted the Pharisee because of his proud, condemning attitude. He was glorying

in the fact that he was better than common

sinners—“not as other men.” As the class

ended the teacher said, “Students, let’s bow our

heads now and thank the Lord we’re not like that

Pharisee!” Before a man can look down on another he

must first assume he is better than the person

he is speaking against. A proud man is

suspicious of everyone else. A humble man is

more suspicious of his own heart than anyone

else. The proud heart will detect defects in others before himself. A humble soul sees the

evil in his own heart before he sees evil in

others. Wesley said, “Gossip is anything you would say

about someone that you wouldn’t say if they

were standing in front of you.” The only reason

for character assassination, or making an

unfavorable comparison, is to exalt one’s own

self. Before speaking against a fellow human being one must first establish himself as a

judge. This maligning of character can only be

explained in terms of pride. The connection

between pride and slander is clearly seen in

Psalm 101, “Whoso privily slandereth his

neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer” (v.

5). 

PRIDE IS DECEPTIVE A 

young man responded at the invitation and

told his pastor that he had come to rededicate

his life to the Lord. The pastor replied,

“Wonderful! Just kneel there at the pew and

confess your sins to God.” To which the man

replied, “Pastor, I can’t think of any sins to confess.” The pastor then said, “Son, just guess

at it.” And you know what? The young man got

it right on the first try! Pride is not just thinking

we are better than others, it is thinking we are

better than we are. Pride is the disposition to exalt self, get above

others, and conceal defects. Ever since the Fall

man has had the tendency to confess someone

else’s sins instead of his own. This is hardly

surprising since the heart of man is “deceitful

above all things” (Jer. 17:9). And the reason man’s heart is so deceitful is because of inborn

haughtiness. “Thy terribleness hath deceived

thee, and the pride of thine heart” (Jer. 49:16).

Contrary to popular thinking, we are not good

people who happen to do bad things—we are

sinners through and through. And it is the deceptive nature of pride which brings such

reluctance to admit our sins. 

PRIDE MAKES A FALSE BOAST 

Samson killed a lion with his bare hands and

didn’t even tell his parents. Spurgeon

commented if a modern Christian so much as

killed a mouse he would publish it in the gospel

gazette! Man may be reluctant to acknowledge

his wrongs, but most are quick to publicize their accomplishments. “Most men will proclaim

every one his own goodness” (Prov. 20:6). The Bible warns us about thinking more highly

of ourselves than we ought. No man has a right

to an inflated view of himself. Under the

influence of pride a man takes on the air of a

master. He is more likely to instruct others than

inquire for himself. A humble Christian wants help from everybody, but the spiritually proud

thinks everybody wants his help. The proud man believes he has accomplished

what God and others have accomplished in him.

He seeks credit for things which he cannot

rightly take credit. Talent, intellect, abilities,

health, and life itself are gifts from God. The Bible says it is of God’s mercy that we are

not consumed. It is of God’s love that we have

been drawn to Him. It is because of His

everlasting arms being under us that we are

kept. It is by His faith that we are saved. It is by

His blood that we are cleansed. It is by His righteousness that we are clothed. It is by His

power that we are kept. It is by His grace that

we are sustained. It is by His intercession that

we are delivered. It is by His goodness that we

are led to repentance. It is by His indwelling

Spirit that we are filled. All that God has for His people is from the Father, all is through the Son,

and all is by the Holy Spirit. Of what can we

boast? Once Spurgeon had preached a powerful

sermon. As soon as he had finished his

message the devil whispered to him, “That was

a fine sermon. You preached magnificently!” For

a moment he agreed with the devil. Leaving the

pulpit, a deacon met him and said, “Pastor, that was a masterpiece.” Spurgeon interrupted and

said, “You’re too late. The devil told me that a

few moments ago.” 

PRIDE BRINGS SHAME 

Culture is the externalization of religion. So

when a culture calls good evil and evil good it

indicates corrupt religion[s] dominate[s] that

society. Never doubt that all men worship

something; if not the true God, then they will

worship something else, or themselves. The President proclaimed June as Gay Pride Month.

Biblically, it should have been dubbed Gay

Shame Month. Our society glories in things of

which it should be ashamed. Three factors contributed to the sin of Sodom

and Gomorrah. “This was the iniquity of thy

sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and

abundance of idleness” (Eze. 16:49). Note

carefully that pride was the foundation from

which homosexuality sprang. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame” (Prov. 11:2). After his journey through the valley of

humiliation Nebuchadnezzar realized, “Those

that walk in pride he is able to abase” (Dan.

4:37). He surely learned the proverb, “A man’s

pride shall bring him low” (Prov. 29:23). 

PRIDE PRECEDES A FALL 

Those who built the Titanic pronounced the

great ship unsinkable. With boldness and

confidence they boasted of the great safety this

vessel afforded. But on its maiden voyage the

unsinkable ship sank. The Titanic mentality of

invincibility sets the stage for collapse. “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty” (Prov.

18:12). Repeatedly, the scripture warns of pride

precipitating a fall. “Pride goeth before

destruction, and an haughty spirit before a

fall” (Prov. 16:18). “The lofty looks of man shall

be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall

be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted” (Isa. 2:11). Uzziah was greatly blessed

and marvelously helped, “till he was strong. But

when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to

his destruction” (2 Chron. 26:15-16). He

transgressed by entering the temple to offer

incense on the altar. When confronted by the priests, Uzziah became furious. While he was

holding the censer in his hand God smote him

and leprosy rose up in his forehead. He lost the

throne and was a leper the rest of his life. God not only dwells in the high and holy place.

He also dwells with him “that is of a contrite and

humble spirit” (Isa. 57:15). The man who sits

nearest the dust sits nearest heaven. It is the

valley of humiliation that leads to the mount of

transfiguration. He that is low need fear no fall.  “Welcome

everything that helps you on toward humility.” 

TOWARD HUMILITY 

Listing the sins of pride could go on and on. Its

pervasiveness cannot be overstated.

Haughtiness, arrogance, conceit, inordinate self-

esteem, and vainglory are as common as the air

we breathe. Pride is a sin to be hated, a sin to

be confessed, a sin to mourn over, a sin to flee, and a sin to fight against. William Law

commented, “Pride must die, or nothing of

heaven can live in you.” God resists the proud,

but He gives grace to the humble. Humility is the royal insignia that marks God’s

true people even though it is the saint’s hardest

conflict. The first step toward becoming humble

is realizing we are proud. Then we must take

the witness stand against ourselves and plead

“guilty as charged.” Continually, we must bring pride to the foot of the cross to be washed away

by the blood of Jesus. Surveying the wondrous

cross surely makes it easier to pour contempt

on all our pride. Even though pride is hateful to

God, the powerful blood of Jesus can cleanse it

away. If pride is the evil of evils, then humility is the

virtue of virtues. Like the pearl of great price, it

is worth selling all to obtain. Humility is our

responsibility. Humility is a choice, and so is

pride. How do you plead?

YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" HOW PRIDE AFFECTS OUR MARRIAGES.

A few days ago, I was in local grocery store where I live, and overheard a conversation between an employee of the store and a customer. The employee had made a very polite attempt to ask the customer to please have her child sit down in the cart, because she was worried the child might fall out (crazy idea I know). Instead of replying “oh, no problem!” and asking her child to sit down, the customer retorted “Don’t try and tell me how to parent my child!”, and left the store.

As I went about the rest of my day that day, I couldn’t help but think about what I saw, and how that kind of attitude – the one that says “You can’t tell me what to do! I can do whatever I want!” – no matter how wrong or idiotic it may be – seems to be getting more prevalent these days. Instead of accepting correction or advice,people now tend to reply “well, that works for you, but don’t try to push your opinion on me”, even when it comes to the safety of their own children, as in the example above. That mother’s pride prevented her from accepting what was obviously a well intended, and much needed, correction. What does this have to do with marriage? Hear me out.

How often do we have the same “you can’t tell me what to do, I’m doing it my way” attitude with our wives when they come to us and present us with an issue they see in us that needs worked on? Now we may not say it out loud, but in our heads we’re thinking “Yeah right, you want me to work on that? Don’t get me started on things that you need to work on!”, instead of really hearing what she’s saying, and taking it to heart. Why do we do this? Most of it comes from our good friend PRIDE. We don’t want to admit we have anything to work on. It takes a good bit of humility to say “wow, you’re right hon, I haven’t been doing very well in that area.” It takes even more humility to sincerely ask our wives periodically “Hey hon, how am I doing lately? Is there anything you’ve seen in me that I need to work on?” 

Or how about when you’re both struggling with an issue in your marriage. Doesn’t matter what it is. Both of you know you need to get advise from a counselor, your pastor, or even another trusted couple. But for the sake of pride, you don’t. You live with it. For years. Really?!Why do we put ourselves through this?Because we convince ourselves that no other couple is struggling with any issues. We must be some kind of “failure couple” that doesn’t have the great marriages that “all of our friends seem to have”. Wanting to salvage our pride, we hide it. We act like we have it all together when we’re around other couples, and then when we get home we go to our separate rooms, and continue to live out our lives in a dead marriage. Sad isn’t it? Maybe pathetic would be a better word(sorry, I didn’t say this would be an easy post to read).

If there’s something in your marriage that needs addressed, no matter who’s at fault, address it! Don’t let the elephant in the room set up camp and live there! 

And let me let you in on a little secret: There is no such thing as a marriage that doesn’t encounter issues!

Just because you might be struggling with one of those “topics no one brings up” like miscarriage, porn addiction, emotional or physical affairs, etc – you have to ask yourself the question: Does my marriage mean more to me than “saving face” and not admitting I have a problem? When you step back for a moment and really look at it, it’s pretty sad that we allow our pride to hold us in a unfulfilling marriage, when all it takes is a “Hey man, I’m really struggling with (insert problem here)” to a trusted Christian brother or couple, to start you on the road to getting better. To at least start to work on it, instead of just bury your head in the sand for another week, month or year. It’s not worth it! especially when you realize after you finally tell someone, that they have struggled with that in their marriage too. And to think you waited this long, all to find out you weren’t“strange” or a “failure”, you were just a normalmarriage, going through struggles like every one else.

The sooner we as married couples come to the conclusion that WE ALL STRUGGLE , the sooner we can move to support each other, instead of just “existing” next to each other, and never getting past “how the kids are doing” when we in our conversation. Putting your pride aside and admitting you struggle isn’t easy, but the sooner we “get over ourselves” and start, the stronger our marriages will be.

WHY IS SEXUAL TEMPTATION A BIGGER PROBLEM FOR MEN THAN FOR WOMEN?

While women are by no means immune from sexual temptation, men struggle with sexual temptation to a much greater degree. Far more men commit adultery than women. In premarital relationships, men are far more likely to seek sex from their partners than women. This is perhaps hinted at in Matthew 5:28, which refers exclusively to men lusting after women. While lust is sinful for both men and women, the fact that the passage only speaks of men committing “heart adultery” implies that sexual temptation is primarily a male problem.

Why is this? Why is sexual temptation a bigger problem for men than for women? The Bible does not seek to answer this “why” question. Instead, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that sexual immorality is always a sin (Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Jude 7). The fact that overcoming sexual temptation is more difficult for men is definitely not an excuse. “It is so hard to resist” is not an explanation God will accept from a man, or from a woman for that matter. Again, sexual immorality is always a sin. Therefore, sexual temptation is to be overcome (1 Corinthians 6:18), whether the temptation is strong or mild, and whether the person tempted is a man or a woman.

Since the Bible does not specifically give an answer as to why sexual temptation is a greater struggle for men than for women, we can look to biology/physiology for insight. Physiologically, men typically have a much stronger sex drive than women. Men naturally think about sex more often and desire sex more frequently than women do. Especially when sexual intercourse has not occurred recently, the male body has a greater desire for the release that sex provides. This is then compounded by the fact that men are far more easily stimulated by sight than women are (which also explains why men are far more prone to look at pornography). Simply the sight of an attractive female is sometimes enough to trigger a male’s sex drive. If a sexual thought is not immediately forsaken (with God’s help), it can become a cascading river of sexual temptation, very difficult to resist.

Again, let it be said, the male sex drive is a fact, not an excuse. If a man gives in to sexual temptation, he has no one to blame but himself. First Corinthians 10:13 declares, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” If we do not take advantage of the divinely provided “way of escape,” we are without excuse. Sexual temptation can be powerful, and sexual sin is among the most devastating (1 Corinthians 6:18). But, with God’s help, sexual temptation can be defeated. This is equally true for men and women.

HOW BAD CAN A CHRISTIAN SIN?

Christians continue to sin after they are saved “ we will not be completely free from sin until we die or Jesus comes back. However, becoming a Christian results in a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17). A person will go from producing the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) to displaying the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), as the indwelling Holy Spirit has more and more control over his life. This change does not happen instantly, but it does happen over time. If a person does not demonstrate a changed life, he/she is likely not a genuine believer. Christians can commit grievous sins. History is filled with Christians (or those who claim to be Christians) committing terrible crimes. Jesus died for these sins as well. All the more reason not to commit them!

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, the Apostle Paul describes the kind of sinful lifestyles believers are saved from. Verse 11 says, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Notice the word “were.” Believers used to be like the things listed in verses 9-10, but they are not like that any longer. Can a person who is an adulterer, drunkard, or homosexual, child abuser, etc. be saved? Yes. Is a person who lives a life of continual sin a believer? No. When we become Christians, our lives will change. Anyone who is living a sinful lifestyle and claims to be a Christian is either lying, is self-deceived, or really is a believer who is going to experience God’s judgment and discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11).

The difference between a sinning unbeliever and a sinning believer is that one loves his sin while the other hates it. The believer who stumbles in his walk with the Lord regrets it, confesses it, wishes to never do it again and seeks to appropriate God’s power and grace to avoid it. He doesn’t consider how much he can sin and still be considered a Christian. Rather, he considers how he can avoid even the appearance of sin in the future.

HOW CAN I BE AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS FOR CHRIST IN A LOST WORLD?

 A "witness" is someone who attests to a fact, so in order to be an effective witness for Christ, one must have first-hand knowledge of Him. John the Apostle speaks of this in 1 John 1:1-3, when he says, "That . . . which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at, and our hands have touched"this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life." Today, we who have experienced new life in Christ give an account of His love and forgiveness, both verbally and in the way we live our lives. This is witnessing. To be effective in our witness, we should remember several basic things:

1) the THEME of our witness is Jesus Christ. Paul defined the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). If we aren't explaining the sacrifice of Christ, then we"re not really sharing the gospel. (See also 1 Corinthians 2:2 and Romans 10:9-10.) An important part of this theme is the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, not just one of many ways. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6, emphasis added). 

2) the POWER of our witness is the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who transforms a life (Titus 3:5), and a transformed life is evident to all. As we witness, we should spend much time in prayer, appropriating the Spirit's power so that we are enabled to let our light shine in such a way that others will recognize the power of God in us (Matthew 5:16).

3) the VALIDITY of our witness will be shown in how we live our lives. Philippians 2:15 sets this goal for us: "that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." The effective Christian witness will live his/her life above reproach in the power of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit we exhibit when we remain in Christ (John 15:1-8; Galatians 5:22-23).

Perhaps most importantly, we must be familiar enough with the Scriptures to be able to accurately and coherently present the gospel to others. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). Always being prepared means diligent Bible study, memorizing Scripture, and praying for "divine appointments""God-given opportunities to share with those whose hearts have been prepared by the Lord to hear His message of salvation.

WHO IS SATAN AND WHAT ARE DEMONS?

I. Satan is a fallen angel who has led other fallen angels into a war against God.

A. Satan is called by several names in Scripture.

“Satan” (Job.1:6; Matt.4:10)

“Evil one” (Matt. 6:13; 13:19, 38; 1 John 2:13).

“Serpent” (Gen.3:1, Rev.12:9)

“Devil’ (Matt.4:1; Jn.8:44)

Each title brings out an aspect of his character.

“Satan” means adversary. Satan’s is God’s adversary and the adversary of all that belongs to God.

Satan is called the “Evil One” because he is evil and the perpetrator of evil against God’s moral will and plan.

Satan is called the serpent because he took the form of a serpent when he tempted Eve and he has characteristics associated with serpents. He is crafty, seeking victims to attack.

The “Devil” literally in the Greek means “slanderer”: One who slanders another.

This word describes more than the others what the devil actually does. He slanders God in the presence of man.

Slander is making false statements, lies about someone else in order to damage their character and reputation before others.

This is what the devil is, a slanderer against God. He lies about God so that others may think wrongly about God, who he is, what he is like, and what he desires for us.

In Jn.8:44 Jesus tells the people, “You are of your father, the devil, and you will do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not abide in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you do not believe.”

The devil is a liar and his primary weapon is deceit.

B. Satan is a fallen angel who leads other fallen angels.

The devil is a fallen angel, angelically powerful, more powerful than man, but nowhere near God in power. He is our enemy and he commands a powerful army.

The devil commands a demonic host of other fallen angels. We don’t know how many.

Rev.12:3-9

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to give birth in order to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought and did not prevail; neither was there a place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

This passage speaks of the dragon identified in v.9 as Satan waiting when the woman who represents Israel was giving birth to the messiah, Jesus. He wanted to destroy the Son of God, but instead he was victorious rising from the dead and ascending to the right hand of God.

In the future during the tribulation, there will be a great battle between Satan and Michael where Satan will be cast down to earth at the mid-point of the tribulation. For more information on this see “Knowing the Future” on the Titus Institute Website.

V.4 suggests that Satan and a third of the angels rebelled against God which leaves two-thirds of the angels left to minister God's plan. So holy angels probably outnumber evil angels 2 to 1.

Paul tells us in v. 12 describes the power and authorities of the demons we are up against.

Eph.6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

These are our enemies, the demonic authorities.

C. Satan was created by God as a good angel, but pridefully rebelled against God.

Two passages from the Old Testament seem to speak of evil human kings and look beyond them to Satan who is behind them. In both, God sends his prophet to rebuke an evil human king. In that rebuke, strong words are used either as hyperbole of the human king’s self-exaltation or words describing the fall of Satan.

Isa. 14:12-15

“How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, which didn’t weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. ‘“

Ezek.28:11-19

“Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You have been in Eden the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your timbrels and of your pipes was prepared in you in the day that you were created. You are the anointed cherub that covers and I have set you so. You were upon the holy mountain of God. You have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled your midst with violence, and you have sinned.

Therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God and I will destroy you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness. I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. You have defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading. Therefore will I bring forth a fire from your midst. It will devour you and I will bring you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all those that behold you. All those that know you among the people shall be astonished at you. You shall be a terror, and you will never exist any more.’”

Read the chapter before and the chapter after these passages to get the full context. Both passages first speak of the human king that God is rebuking, then they seem to go beyond the human king to the ultimate source of evil, Satan who is working in him.

However, we cannot be sure if it actually does. Conservative Biblical scholars and commentators are divided over the issue.

God does not reveal very much about Satan’s origin and fall, probably because he does not want us to focus on Satan, but on God.

D. Satan’s destiny is being punished in the fires of hell.

In Matt.25:41 Jesus says, “Then he [the Son of Man] shall also say to them [the unsaved] on the left hand, ’Depart from me, you cursed ones into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’”

In Rev.20:10, it says

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. “

E. We are in a spiritual war with Satan and his demons.

God has revealed to us that we are living in the midst of a spiritual war that is being waged by Satan and his demons against the God of the universe and his followers.

Eph.6:11-12 says, ”Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The word “wrestle” refers to hand to hand combat, not a big battle on a battlefield where armies stand against each other and go at it. The spiritual reality is that each of us face Satan’s temptations individually and personally and it is an intense struggle.

We face Satan’s temptations individually and must stand against him individually.

However, this is not meant to be taken physically as if we physically wrestle with Satan or his demons.

As we will see the Scriptures indicate that Satan can only tempt us externally through the unbelieving world, but here Paul is saying that his temptation will touch us personally. We will not be able to hide from them.

Paul says that it is not against human beings, but against spirit beings.

“Flesh and blood” refers to human beings; “the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” refers to evil spirit beings.

I believe that these descriptions do not refer to different ranks of demons but to demons as a whole.

F. Satan and his demons wield authority over the unbelieving world.

Paul describes all the demons with their leader, Satan, as a whole group in four ways.

1. They are “rulers,” that is, they have subjects they rule over.

They rule over fallen human beings.

Being “rulers” over fallen man has the idea of domination and direction.

They dominate fallen man and they direct them to accomplish their goals.

They do not control their decisions and actions internally, but they dominate and direct externally by deceiving them and by enticing their fleshly desires.

Eph.2:2 “in which in time past you lived according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.”

“According to” means “in agreement with.”

Paul says that when the Ephesian Christians were unbelievers they “lived according to the course of this world.” That is, they lived in agreement with the world’s way of doing things. They followed the world. The world is a term for all unbelievers grouped together and the way of life they follow.

They also “lived according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the son’s of disobedience.”

They lived in agreement with “the prince of the power of the air” who is “a spirit.” This refers to Satan. Then Paul calls him “the spirit who works in the children of disobedience.”

Satan is the one working “in” the children of disobedience. The “children of disobedience” are unbelievers who live in disobedience to God. Satan is working in them. “Working in them” does not mean that he is possessing them, but that what is in them, their values and their attitudes reflects Satan’s work.

If I have a brother who is prejudiced against all races, but white. And my son spends a summer with him where he is influenced deeply by him and becomes prejudiced; I can say that my brother has worked evil in my son.

The reason they are able to do this is because they have authority from God to do this. This authority is limited, but it is authority. Notice, what Paul says next about them.

2. They are “authorities,” that is, they have authority to dominate and direct fallen man.

This rule comes from authority that God himself has given to them over fallen man in judgment on fallen man and for God’s purposes.

They have spiritual authority by God to dominate and direct fallen man. They are limited in this authority. They can only do what God allows them to do, but they have it.

They have authority to accomplish a certain amount of evil in this world and to influence fallen man toward evil.

This is evident in what Paul says in 2 Cor.4:3-4.

“But if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost. In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them.”

God has allowed Satan, the god (spirit who rules the world of unbelieving man) of this world, to blind the minds of those who do not know Christ and thus because they are blinded, they can be controlled by the lies of Satan.

This is the foundation of Satan’s rule over fallen man.

They are blind to spiritual truth. Therefore, they cannot see God’s light of truth, so they are susceptible to the lies of Satan.

Satan then spreads his lies among unbelievers, lies about God, about salvation, about life, etc. Unbelievers accept those lies as truth, which then becomes their belief system and their value system.

They then act in an unrighteousness manner as a result. They also teach their children these lies and it is reflected in their books, art, and all electronic media.

Spiritual blindness is the foundation of their authority. Lies are how Satan leads them. Satan does not need to possess everyone or speak to unbelievers; spiritually blind people are easily fooled and led.

How wide is this rule and authority? Their rule and authority is worldwide - all over the world.

3. They are powerful rulers and authorities in the whole world of darkness, of sin and error in the hearts and minds of fallen man.

“Powers” means that they have the ability to dominate and direct. The sphere of their action and control is the “dark world.”

“This dark world” refers to unbelieving human beings who are in darkness, who are entrapped in sin and error. They are living out a life in rebellion against God based on a belief system that does not recognize the truth about God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Satan’s lies form the basis of the beliefs and values of unbelieving man and express themselves in their sinful attitudes, words, and actions.

The world or kingdom of darkness is not a place, but a group of beings, angelic and human who are in rebellion against God.

There are several NT passages that speak of the same truth.

In 1 Jn.5:19, John says that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

In Jn.12:31 and 14:30 Jesus speaks of the “ruler of this world.”

In Jn.16:11 and 2 Cor.4: 4 Satan is called the “god of this world.”

Again, “world” refers to unbelieving people, not land or territory.

4. They are evil spirits operating in the invisible spirit realm.

In v. 12 Paul says calls Satan and his demons “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

a. Satan and his demons dwell in the spirit realm below heaven and above the earth.

They are spirit beings who inhabit the spirit realm.

The term “heavenly realms” is a general word used in the NT of the spirit realm where all spirits (God, good angels, and evil angels) dwell.

In Eph.2:6 “heavenly realms’ is used of heaven where God and holy angels live.

Here, in Eph. 6:12 it is used of the realm where Satan and his demons live.

All spirits inhabit the spirit or heavenly realms.

The spirit realm can be divided into two major areas, which are

1) the realm of heaven where God and his holy angels dwell and 2) the realm above and next to the earth, called the domain of the air. This is where Satan and his demons dwell.

The domain of the air is the spirit region above the earth and next to the earth, but below heaven.

The spiritual kingdom of Satan and his demons is the spiritual realm below heaven just above the earth and around humans.

Paul calls Satan “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” in Eph.2:3.

According to Job 1:6-7, Satan and his demons have access to heaven by God’s permission, but they do not live there.

Satan and his demons were thrown out of heaven so that they can no longer dwell there. However, they are still able to enter and leave it as they go into the presence of God. This is probably the only time they may enter heaven.

From Eph. 6:12 and other Scriptures it appears that every demon has a sphere of authority; they are all rulers and all authorities under Satan. They each have a sphere of influence.

It is probably similar to how we will all be rulers during the millennium. We all reign with Christ according to Rev. 20:4.

However, there is no evidence of the whole earth being a giant battleground where holy angels and evil angels have encamped against each other.

Holy angels dwell in heaven. They do not dwell in the “domain of the air.” They enter and leave this area as they minister to Christians and fulfill God’s will.

Guardian angels regularly dwell in the presence of God; they don’t regularly dwell next to us.

In Matt.18:10, Jesus says, “Be careful so that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say to you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

Notice, their angels are in heaven. These are what have been popularly referred to as “guardian angels.” Their guardian angels dwell in heaven in the presence of God and are dispatched to earth when necessary.

G. Satan’s goal in this war is to destroy our testimony of Christlikeness and to prevent us from fulfilling the Great Commission, which is bearing fruit for Christ.

What goal does Satan have in attacking us as believers in Jesus Christ? Is he trying to take away our salvation? Or our testimony? Or our fruitfulness?

1. Satan cannot take away our salvation.

In Jn.10:27-29 Jesus says,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

In Rom.8:28 Jesus says,

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Notice, Paul says “neither angels, nor principalities” when he shares what cannot separate us from the love of God. He is purposely bringing in angelic beings.

Angels, holy or evil cannot separate us as Christians from God because we are united to Christ Jesus.

2. Satan cannot spiritually harm us.

1 Jn.5:18 says, “We know that whoever is born of God does not practice sin, but he that is begotten of God [Jesus] keeps him, and that the wicked one does not lay hold of him.”

John says that Jesus “keeps us safe” and the evil one “cannot lay hold of us.” “Keeps,” means “watch over, guard, keep, or preserve.”

Christ guards us both directly by his power and indirectly by his intercession. Jesus talks of this in his prayer to the Father in Jn.17:12, where he says, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name; those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Later, Jesus requested, “I pray not that you should take them out of this world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.” (Jn.17:15)

The verb “lay hold of” means “to grasp onto or fasten himself onto.” It has the idea of to lay hold of in order to harm.

According to the UBS commentary, the devil cannot “lay hold of” him is sometimes rendered analytically to harm/injure, “to do bad things to” or “to do something against.”

This is not talking about physical harm, but spiritual harm.

This is revealing two truths. The first is that Satan has no power or control over us. He cannot spiritually lay hold of us and force us to do anything against our wills.

He cannot possess us. Christians cannot be demon-possessed. He cannot influence us in a way that we cannot simply choose resist. He can only tempt us through his lies and try to deceive us.

He cannot force us to turn away from Christ, toward unbelief and an unbelieving lifestyle.

Paul says the same thing in 2 Thess.3:3-5.

This is why John can also say that we have overcome the demonic spirits who spread lies about Christ.

In 1 Jn.4:1-4, John says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Here is how you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; this is that spirit of antichrist, of which you have heard that it should come; and even now already is in the world.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He that knows God hears us; he that is not of God does not hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

There are “spirits” behind the false prophets (those who claim to speak direct revelation from God, but don’t) teaching falsehood about Christ.

See Titus Institute article called “How Satan Dominates The World.”

This is talking about the lies of Satan regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, we overcome Satan and his demonic spirits behind false religion because we now and will always believe the salvation truth about Christ. We can no longer be deceived about the true identity of the Son of God.

3. Satan wants to destroy our fruitfulness for Christ.

In Matt.6, Jesus said to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.

Seeking his kingdom means to focus our energy on fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples. We make disciples by going into to the world with the gospel, then baptizing them when they accept Christ, then teaching them so they might grow in Christ.

God has given each Christian a part in the Great Commission according to the gifts he has given us.

Satan doesn’t care about stopping us as people or just ruining our lives, but stopping us as Christians from bearing fruit for the kingdom.

That is his goal.

In Matt.5:13-16, Jesus says,

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall it be salty? It is from then on good for nothing, except to be cast out, and to be trampled under the feet of men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

In Jn.15:16 Jesus says,

“You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

In Matt.28:19-20 Jesus said,

“Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age. “

Satan is trying to prevent us from fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission command.

HOW CAN I BE AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS FOR CHRIST IN A LOST WORLD?

 A "witness" is someone who attests to a fact, so in order to be an effective witness for Christ, one must have first-hand knowledge of Him. John the Apostle speaks of this in 1 John 1:1-3, when he says, "That . . . which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at, and our hands have touched"this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life." Today, we who have experienced new life in Christ give an account of His love and forgiveness, both verbally and in the way we live our lives. This is witnessing. To be effective in our witness, we should remember several basic things:

1) the THEME of our witness is Jesus Christ. Paul defined the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). If we aren't explaining the sacrifice of Christ, then we"re not really sharing the gospel. (See also 1 Corinthians 2:2 and Romans 10:9-10.) An important part of this theme is the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, not just one of many ways. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6, emphasis added). 

2) the POWER of our witness is the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who transforms a life (Titus 3:5), and a transformed life is evident to all. As we witness, we should spend much time in prayer, appropriating the Spirit's power so that we are enabled to let our light shine in such a way that others will recognize the power of God in us (Matthew 5:16).

3) the VALIDITY of our witness will be shown in how we live our lives. Philippians 2:15 sets this goal for us: "that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." The effective Christian witness will live his/her life above reproach in the power of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit we exhibit when we remain in Christ (John 15:1-8; Galatians 5:22-23).

Perhaps most importantly, we must be familiar enough with the Scriptures to be able to accurately and coherently present the gospel to others. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). Always being prepared means diligent Bible study, memorizing Scripture, and praying for "divine appointments""God-given opportunities to share with those whose hearts have been prepared by the Lord to hear His message of salvation.

HOW BAD CAN A CHRISTIAN SIN?

Christians continue to sin after they are saved “ we will not be completely free from sin until we die or Jesus comes back. However, becoming a Christian results in a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17). A person will go from producing the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) to displaying the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), as the indwelling Holy Spirit has more and more control over his life. This change does not happen instantly, but it does happen over time. If a person does not demonstrate a changed life, he/she is likely not a genuine believer. Christians can commit grievous sins. History is filled with Christians (or those who claim to be Christians) committing terrible crimes. Jesus died for these sins as well. All the more reason not to commit them!

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, the Apostle Paul describes the kind of sinful lifestyles believers are saved from. Verse 11 says, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Notice the word “were.” Believers used to be like the things listed in verses 9-10, but they are not like that any longer. Can a person who is an adulterer, drunkard, or homosexual, child abuser, etc. be saved? Yes. Is a person who lives a life of continual sin a believer? No. When we become Christians, our lives will change. Anyone who is living a sinful lifestyle and claims to be a Christian is either lying, is self-deceived, or really is a believer who is going to experience God’s judgment and discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11).

The difference between a sinning unbeliever and a sinning believer is that one loves his sin while the other hates it. The believer who stumbles in his walk with the Lord regrets it, confesses it, wishes to never do it again and seeks to appropriate God’s power and grace to avoid it. He doesn’t consider how much he can sin and still be considered a Christian. Rather, he considers how he can avoid even the appearance of sin in the future.