Sin

Controlling sin is so difficult; such a struggle.  I think it is safe for me to say that we all struggle mightily with it....if we struggle at all.  Some don't fight it all and just go with doing whatever they want.  But to serve God, to try to be a true Christian, is a challenge in our day and in our world.

Sin started with the first people, Adam and Eve.  The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve and ultimately Adam.  They were told by God not to eat of the one tree; and so, what do they end up doing?  Eating of the one tree.  They knew better; they had been carefully instructed better; but they did it anyway.  Thus, sin entered the world.  And now we get to wrestle with it.

Temptation is inevitable.  Jesus faced it for 40 days and nights.  And at the conclusion of that, the devil only relented for a time.  He promised to be back.  And the devil always comes back for us, at our weakest point.  He is real, and he is ever present.

Paul showed his difficulty with sin in his writing to the Romans in chapter 3:  "For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do.....For the good that I will to do, I do not do;  but the evil I will not to do, that I practice."

And to be sure, we all face the challenge to overcome sin.  In Romans chapter 3, Paul said, "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."   And in 1 John 1:8 it says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

But also note the following statement:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  And Romans 3 says this same thought:  "....being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

We can be sure that we have all sinned....and we all will sin.  But there is a difference in living in sin, giving into it...and fighting the good fight, and going to God for forgiveness.  We must strive to live right and to please God, even if we know that we will sometimes fail.

Thanks for reading.  Have a great week!