Open your bibles to I John, chapter 1, verse 8. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the 13th year of this ministry, and begin the 14th, then by going to the Table of The Lord and remembering Jesus. That’s the primary focus of this ministry, to put the Lord first, remembering Him, and what He’s provided for all sinners, including you and me.

I John 1: 8 reads,

So, is this verse referring to non-Christians only? No, it’s referring to Christians and non-Christians.

The previous verses said that if the truth is not in you then you are walking in darkness, not in the light. This message is for both sinners and sinners saved by grace.

Verse 10 also reads,

Some in the Christian community fall into this category: deceiving yourselves, thinking that you have no sin, or that you don’t sin any longer. All you’re doing is making Jesus a liar and the Word is not in you. This message focuses primarily on those of you who see the habitual sins of other Christians and condemn them, drawing the conclusion that if one is not willing to stop sinning, there is no way that they should call themselves a Christian.

Of course, I preach a different message:

And that’s whether you sin or don’t sin. Of course, their answer to all habitual sin (I won’t list the possible sins that are out there, you know what they are, and you know how that affects you individually) … is to just stop it — Just stop it!

Oh, if it were only that easy, from a spiritual sense. They will also go as far as to say that since you’re stuck in that habitual sin you have to start questioning whether you’re saved or not. I’m sure some of you who have come across folks like that; I’ve run into several. Unfortunately, there are some in the Christian community that say a whole lot of dumb things when it comes to the subject of sin.

Their purpose is to try to scare you into changing your behavior. They want to change your behavior. I don’t know where in the New Testament, or the Old, saints of God claimed to be sinless; even after they’ve ‘seen the light.’ Paul sure didn’t, and he wrote 2/3 of the New Testament. Whenever you talk to someone, if you get far enough into the conversation where they confide in you concerning the struggles they have, especially with habitual sins, you will find that they’re willing to stop these sins, but most of the time they just don’t know what to do. Unfortunately, being in the flesh, they’re trying to use willpower to achieve the goal of quitting their habitual sins. They’ll try all kinds of methods, all kinds of things, yet the outcome is usually the same — failure, nothing worked. You see, willingness is not the problem.

The answer to sinning, and habitual sins is not to just stop it; that’s not the solution. As I said, Paul wrote 2/3 of the New Testament and he struggled with it here in Romans 7:19,

Talk about a seesaw in his life, if you really think about it. Romans 7:22-24 says,

Of course, Paul’s answer is always that he needed Jesus Christ to do the changing in him. His willpower was not enough. I’m telling you my willpower and your willpower is not enough either. Paul talks about human effort in Galatians 3:3,

In other words, let God do the changing; that’s the message of the Potter’s House. God does the molding and changing. When we try to do it, it leads to failure. Stop listening to those ‘Are Ye So Foolish’ people.

“Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” No!

Paul dealt with this. Human effort fails, and he was getting on to these Galatians who were trying to live the Christian life in the flesh, by their human effort. So, if somebody has implanted in you the poisonous message that if you’re stuck with whatever sin or habitual sin you may have, that you should question whether or not you are saved — I’m telling you no, you should not question your salvation, or you make Jesus a liar.

No matter which translation of the bible you use (I prefer the King James), Romans 10:13 says,

You just have to recognize that you are a sinner, and whether you want to or not you are going to sin. However, our sins covered and removed by Christ daily. But that doesn’t stop you from sinning.

So, am I giving people a license to sin? No, I’m not saying that whatsoever. Go back to the Potter’s House, God will do the molding. If you believe certain sins are pressing you down, ask the Lord for help to overcome them. Stop trying to overcome them on your own. We are no match with the flesh without our comforter the Holy Spirit.

Ask God to forgive you. I know God forgives me, He doesn’t have to die on the cross daily. He did it once for all sin. Past, Present and Future. Am I remorseful? (I’ve covered that in the Change of Mind series.) Sure, when I recognize that sin. There are going to be times when I sin and not even realize it. I call it Unintentional Sin. That’s why I thank God for Jesus’s blood. That’s why we go to The Table of The Lord to thank him for His mercy, and His redemption work that was complete. I can’t rescue myself, and neither can you.

Jesus takes control of your life. Don’t let these Christian naysayers poison you with toxic information. You’re as safe as safe can be, my friend. Christians say dumb things. I’m sure some of them mean well, they really do. They know sin is bad, and it is, I’m not denying that. I think they know, and I think that we all know that God does not want us to sin, and he doesn’t. But these Christians are confused and put out some toxic information. We need to get past that limited understanding — they’re just not rightly dividing the Word of God whatsoever.

They forgot the nature of God’s forgiveness. And the truth of the matter is that God’s forgiveness just doesn’t run out. I believe that the only unpardonable sin is denying Jesus Christ, especially what He had done to rescue you. But if you have acknowledged the Lord and acknowledged your sins, you acknowledge your ways are not His ways and you need that change of mind about what He has provided. This is all over the Gospel message: He went to the cross, He came out of that grave, and He spread His precious blood on that heavenly mercy seat. All was fulfilled concerning your sins, including how and why they were removed. So, quit worrying about it!

And the things that bother you, whatever habitual sin that you are still ‘wrapped up’ in — take that to the Lord in constant prayer. Dwell in His word and ask Him to change you. If it bothers you that much, keep seeking Him continuously, daily. I guarantee you He’ll enter your life (He’s really already there), and He’ll work you over. Sometimes it’s immediate but believe me, sometimes it may take years. Why? Because the flesh still resists. Human willpower will not lead to changed lives. Grit your teeth all you want, it just won’t.

Also, in Romans 5, Paul says that when sin increases, grace increases all the more. Just on that verse alone, what Christ has provided is enough to celebrate and be rejoiceful this Anniversary Sunday morning, or whenever when we remember Him.

I’ve called this message ‘Do Not Call Jesus a Liar.’ That’s the message of I John. We cannot produce a clean heart. It’s also an Old Testament concept. The Law was just there to show you how we cannot live up to the standard of God. We can’t even come close to its requirements. It just shows us that we really are wretched individuals that need God’s grace.

Proverbs 20:9 reads,

                                                            

None of your efforts, or self-righteousness could ever come to the point where you can say this and believe it: that your heart is clean by your own efforts. That’s why we need a Savior.

And for those of you who may think that perhaps John didn’t get that right when he wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

— he repeats it in verse 10,

You’re going to sin without even knowing it. There will be some sins that you will know about, because you fall right into the trap; it’s like a black hole once it starts sucking you in. And there are sins that you haven’t even heard about, but the flesh knows about them. Satan sure knows about it, he lures individuals in the participation of these sins. Sin is everywhere, but so is the blood of Jesus, if your trust and confidence is in Him.

I’m also talking about the sins of ignorance. You have all types of offerings in the Old Testament: meal offering, peace offering, meat offering, trespass offering, and so forth. Go to Leviticus 5:14. All the sins that they did were temporarily covered by certain types of offerings. Then you get to the point in verse 14,

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul commits a trespass, and sin through ignorance… [You committed a sin that you didn’t even know was a sin; so, you weren’t even aware that you sinned.] If a soul commits a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.”

These are things that they did that involved the holy things of the Lord. If they sinned, without even knowing that they sinned, they had to present the offering I just cited.

Now, the New Testament doesn’t have these types of offerings. Christ was our offering for sin and trespasses, including the sins of ignorance. But that isn’t the only place, go to Numbers 15:24. This chapter concerns The Law about offerings.

“Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without knowledge of the congregation [or from the eyes of the ordinance], that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor unto the Lord, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner [or the ordinance], and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.”

It continues in verse 25,

If you want to return to the Law of the Old Testament, then follow the Law. Start sacrificing animals, start raising livestock, and expect monetary exchange. You’d also better have a farm because you’ll need one, as a lot of the offerings take place around the harvest. There were sins of ignorance back then; so, the point I’m trying to make is … “If you say that you have no sin” … I will tell you right now (and some of you may be offended), you’re an arrogant sinner and you don’t even know it. “If you say that you have no sin,” then you’re saying that you don’t have the sins of ignorance either. You sure are one unique individual, because nobody, including Paul has ever been able to say, “Look at me! I’m the perfect example of someone saved by grace, and from that point of my life when I was saved, I have no longer sinned!” The truth is not in you.

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar.” You’re not telling the truth, and to add insult to the conversation you’re calling Jesus a liar too; and His word is not in you.

Remember these words, remember this message if you are ever approached by someone twisting the word of God, (no matter how well intentioned they might be with concern about you) and preaching something else that really just puts a curse on you. That self-made, man-made curse will work your mindset over and over, which will always lead to failure. Willpower (the flesh) cannot accomplish what someone who’s spirit-controlled by his Savior, can. Those aren’t just words – He died for you. Can you imagine what He can do through The Comforter?

I John continues in verse 9,

“If we confess our sins [a better translation is to acknowledge], he is faithful and just to forgive … [Write in your margins send away. What he does is separate you from those sins.] … and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We can’t do the cleaning, He does the cleaning. Your cleaning and my cleaning will only leave spots. Nasty spots. No matter how much you scrub away, they’re still there.

Did you ever get a stain on something, whether it’s a piece of clothing, or on a surface like a counter? And it’s one of those stains that digs in deep into that surface and you scrub and scrub, and try all kinds of different chemicals, all different kinds of cleaning detergents? You listen to everybody’s silly suggestions on how to remove stains. You do everything you possibly can, but the stain is still there. That’s what happens to us when we try, in our willpower; the flesh takes over, and no matter how much scrubbing you do that stain is still there.  I’ve tackled some tough stains in my lifetime, and after using everything under the sun to try to remove them, it seems to just get worse. Some of you may have dealt with stains like that.

Well, let me tell you about the one that can clean any stain created by sin… and that is Jesus The Christ, my Savior and Lord.

I John, chapter 2:1,

“My little children, these things I write unto you that ye sin not… [but that’s not where the verse stops, it continues by saying] … If any man sin, we have an advocate… [Circle that word advocate; what it means is one called upon to help] …we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ The Righteous. [Not one of the righteous – The Righteous]. … and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’

The whole world! That’s the kind of Savior we have. That’s the kind of God the Father we have. He sent His only begotten son because of the love that He had for us, even after we sinned, even after Adam fell, even after being born into sin, He loved us.

If He can love us that much before we acknowledge His only begotten son, how much more will He love us afterwards! That’s why I refuse, in my presence, anyone condemning anyone else if they’re in Christ Jesus. That’s why we go to the Table of The Lord. And that’s why I say: Remember Him continuously.

I’m on a mission to stop this idea, this mindset, that you only go to the Table of The Lord once a month, once a quarter, once every 6 months, only on Sundays, or only on Saturdays — whatever your religious affiliation is and how they practice remembering Jesus. I’m saying it’s another dumb thing that was created by dumb flesh: coming up with a formula that is anti-Jesus’s instruction. He said, ‘Do this in remembrance of Me!’ Are you only remembering Jesus once a quarter? Once a week? Once whenever? We are to remember Jesus continuously; that’s what he said, ‘As often as you eat and drink, do this in remembrance of me.’

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, how long can you go without drinking or eating? Not very long, can you? (Especially drinking water.) Well, remember who provided the living water, the living bread. Jesus came out of that tomb, He’s alive and well. And He says: remember me, while you’re still on this planet, and someday I’m coming back for you, one way or another, and we’ll be together for eternity.

Again, I can’t think of a better way to end this 13th year and start the 14th then by saying, “Jesus, we haven’t forgotten you, and as we press forward in this coming year, we’re going to remember you more and more, not just on an occasion.” A great practice to get into is doing what Jesus said, “As oft as you eat and drink, remember Me.” That’s what we are doing tonight. Don’t let anyone condemn you, because Jesus does not, if you put your trust and confidence in Him.

And if you haven’t, I urge you right now to take a second look at Jesus. Find yourself a teaching Pastor that rightly divides the Word of God about our Savior. Start following Jesus and put your trust and confidence in Him. As you travel on your journey as a disciple, remember him always and often throughout your days, weeks months and years. Thank him for His wonderful Grace and Mercy that He has provided for us. He has made us clean!

Thank you, Jesus! Take the bread and the wine.

Copyright 2019 Faith Cometh By Hearing

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In 2 Corinthians 9:7 it reads, “God loveth a cheerful giver.” The Greek word for cheerful is Hilaros which means when someone is prompt to do something, they are ready in mind, with a joyful heart. In the Septuagint it also means to cause to shine. Today I am looking for Hilaros Givers who are ready and full of joy for the opportunity to cause others to shine by hearing, learning, and growing in God’s Word.

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