“God is not that difficult like you think,” responded Desmond. “He is a loving Father who understands our weaknesses. As long as you keep coming back to him, confessing your sins, He will keep forgiving you. It does not matter if you still repeat the same sin, whether intentionally or not, He will always forgive you.”
As good as that statement may sound; it is not a complete truth. There is something fundamentally wrong with such an ideology. Such ideology tends to paint God as One who does not have a standard, simply because He is a merciful God. It is a statement that takes the mercy of God for granted.
This is one form of deception that has kept a lot of believers in a state of spiritual paralysis. It’s a belief that says, “As long as God will always forgive me, then I don’t have to try to stop a particular sin.”
Thus, many do not see the need to put an end to sin or an ungodly habit that is keeping them in bondage. It is important to know that God's objective is not just forgiveness; rather He wishes to see us have a complete victory over sin. Thus, we are expected to resist sin even if it requires that we shed our blood. (Hebrews 12:4).
Almost every believer understands the concept of forgiveness. However, only a few understand the concept and importance of the word “repentance.” The ignorance of the latter is the reason why a lot of Christians do not see progress in their walk with God.
Yes, our God is a God that is full of mercy and loving-kindness. He does not wish that any should perish. He is ever willing to show His mercy to anyone who asks for it. The scripture says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
The mere act of confessing our sins from a sincere heart positions us to receive His forgiveness. Our God loves it when we come to Him with an honest heart; showing our helplessness.
However, as long as we keep coming to Him to receive mercy without a strong desire to turn a new leaf, we will never amount to anything in God’s hands. This is where repentance comes in. Genuine confession of sin must be coupled with a strong desire to repent of the sin. To repent implies that one feels regret and sorry about a sin (ungodly act) while he makes a decision not to do it again.
Repentance says, “I am not just coming to God to receive His forgiveness, but I am also making up my mind not to go back to my vomit.” Repentance entails a strong desire to change and turn a new leaf.
When confession of sin is coupled with genuine repentance, besides receiving forgiveness, the individual will also receive the empowerment to live above that particular sin.
Hence, one of the major reasons why a lot of believers find it difficult to live above a particular sin is because they’ve not repented of that sin. True repentance is reflected when we are remorseful for a particular sin.
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV
Sadly, many believers are still wallowing in sin, not because God is not willing to save them completely from the bondage of sin but because they are yet to make the decision to turn a new leaf. Such people want the mercy of God and yet they still love their sin. Nobody can amount to anything in God’s hands with such an attitude.
King David was different in this regard. When He was confronted by Prophet Nathan about his sin with Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah, David didn’t just ask God for mercy. He repented and never went back to commit the same sin again. He never slept with another man’s wife, and He never shed any innocent blood again till his death. That is a man who understood the concept of repentance.
Today, on a daily basis we have a lot of Christians who come to God pleading for His mercy and forgiveness for what they’ve done wrong. After receiving God’s forgiveness, they still go back to commit the same sin with the hope that God is a lovely Father who will always forgive them when they come back to ask Him for mercy. That is a mark of gross spiritual irresponsibility.
That is a dangerous ground to tread on. God cannot be mocked. God cannot be fooled. God cannot be deceived with deceitful tears for mercy without a heart that is willing to repent. I think we humans sometimes forget that we are dealing with an intelligent Being. God cannot be ridiculed.
4 MAJOR DANGERS OF NOT TURNING YOUR BACK ON SIN AS A CHRISTIAN
- Danger 1: Slave To Sin
A slave is at the mercy of his master. When a Christian refuses to turn his back on sin, he is invariably saying that he is okay with the chains of sin over his life. Such an attitude kills the willpower to break free from sin. Hence, such Christian will be kept perpetually under the bondage of such sin till he sincerely cries for help, and that is, after he might have realized what he has lost over time.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:16
- Danger 2: Gives Legal Ground To The Devil
Sin gives the devil legal ground to manipulate and destroy. The devil cannot use a child of God. However, when a believer brings himself under the bondage of a particular sin, he automatically enrols himself to be used by the devil whenever he wants anyone to perpetuate that particular sin.
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 6:13
- Danger 3: Hardness Of Heart
When an individual sets his mind to keep committing the same thing, his conscience becomes weak and incapacitated; unable to query or correct him. Thus, his heart will become hardened concerning that particular sin. This hardness of the heart will eventually lead to the destruction of such individuals.
He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Proverbs 29:1
- Danger 4: Disqualifies You From Being Used By God
It is a mark of unseriousness to keep intentionally falling into the same sin that one has been saved from. Mind you, God cannot work with unserious people. Thus, a believer’s unwillingness to turn away from his old ways will disqualify him from becoming a vessel in the Master’s hand.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Timothy 2:21
In conclusion,
Be aware that the salvation package that God has for us contains total freedom from the bondage of sin. He has made every necessary grace available for all His children to live above sin and that includes you.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:14
Many believers who have taken advantage of his grace are living victorious above sin. With the help of the Holy Spirit coupled with your willpower, you too can live victorious above that particular sin that has held you bond this many years.
You are free!
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