Sin is a battle that rages in our lives, and we struggle at times to overcome. What makes me different as a believer, is not that I am perfect, it hat because of the work of Jesus Christ, I am not longer accounted before God as a Sinner, I am accounted by God as a saint! I am different, not so much because of my behavior (although that should be changing also), I am different because of my relationship with God. As one who is declared a Sinner, I am in Adam, and therefore, separated from God. As one who is declared a Saint, I am in Christ, and therefore one who is reconciled to God. I am declared holy positionally, because of the work of Jesus Christ, and I am growing holy practically, until the day that I am perfected in holiness when I stand before Christ. I don’t deserve to be called holy, but I have been declared that way by the grace of God. Gratitude for God’s love then become the heart motive that drives me to manifest that relationship to the world. You see, my friends, we do what we do because of the spiritual relationship … READ MORE

Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This leads to the question, “Do I sin because I am a sinner, or am I sinner because I sin?” This is like the old question, “which came first the chicken or the egg?” If you believe the account of Genesis 1-2 the answer is obvious . . . . “the Chicken!” God created all the animals first, then came children. The problem is that God created man as sinless, and then he chose to sin! So it would seem that we are sinners because we sin, except for the clear teaching of the Word of God. David says in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” and in 1 Corinthians 15:22 we are told “In Adam all die.” The answer Biblically is we sin because we are sinners. Why is it important to understand this point? This answers the question of why death and destruction affects all humans, because we are conceived as a sinner, and therefore, are subject to the consequences and battle with sin from the beginning of our lives. We … READ MORE

Once we have chosen to forgive someone, how do we live in that forgiveness consistently? Allow me to suggest some steps: 1. It is wise to explain to the person who wronged you why you may have a difficult time moving forward initially. This gives them an understanding of the emotions that you have to work through as your heart catches up with your head. 2. Renounce sinful attitudes and expectations. Many withhold forgiveness because they believe the offender must earn or deserve our forgiveness, Remember forgiveness is passed on repentance not guarantees, once a person has expressed repentance for an action, we do not have the right to let our fears of the future delay our actions in the present. 3. Assess my contribution to the problem. In many situations, our sins may have contributed to a conflict (Matthew 7:3) Self evaluation is the key to understanding the circumstances and leads to an easier recon ciliation. As we remember our sins it is easier to forgive others of theirs. 4. Recognize that God is working for the good in my life (Romans 8:28-29) As we understand that the person who has sinned against us is being used as an … READ MORE