The 'want' to

[B-A-C]

There are things some Christians "want" to do. ... and some things we "don't want" to do.

But we do them anyway.

Rom 7:19; For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
Rom 7:20; But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

There are things we say we want to do, but sometimes we don't do them.

Matt 21:28; "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'
Matt 21:29; "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.
Matt 21:30; "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.
Matt 21:31; "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They *said, "The first." Jesus *said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

There are people who say Jesus is their Lord and Savior, but they don't do anything He says or teaches.

Luke 6:46; "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

Even after we are saved, we sometimes have sinful desires.

Gal 5:17; For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you want to.

Some churches teach that the Holy Spirit will make you "want" to stop sinning. But yet at the same time, they will tell you that you "can't" stop sinning
even if you "want" to. I disagree, the problem isn't that they want to... the problem is that they sin because they DO want to.
Nobody makes you sin. You sin.. because you "want" to. Plain and simple that's the reason you sin.

Now of course there is grace for our weaknesses and mistakes. God forgives.

If God makes us want to quit sinning, why do we still still sin? Are we more powerful than God?
It isn't a question of who is more powerful.. obviously God is. But He gives you free-will the ability to do what you want to do.
Even if... what you "want" to do is sin. We prove this every single time we sin.

Are you a Christian? Do you still sin sometimes? Why? Did God make you sin? If not God, then who? The devil made you do it?
Is the devil stronger than God? If not... why did you sin? Seriously.... stop and think about this. Answer this question.
You don't have to type an answer to reply to me here. But you need to know the answer for yourself.

We say things like ... "well you were REALLY a Christian you wouldn't do that". If you were REALLY a Christian you wouldn't be living that way.
If you were REALLY a Christian, you would quit doing that. We tend to point at "big" sins.
We consider things like abortion, murder, homosexuality to be "big" sins. We tell people God won't forgive you unless you quit those things.
(rightfully so, because it's true, the Bible says so).

But then we turn again, and we say the sins they we do... they are just "little" sins. God will forgive those things. The Holy Spirit makes you quit
doing "big" sins, but apparently He doesn't make you quit doing small sins. ..also apparently whatever sins I'm personally doing... are "small"
sins.

We do have at least one person here on TalkJesus who believes in something called "mortal" sins, versus what they call "venial" sins.
Basically the same thing... "big" sins, and "little" sins. People who believe in once saved always saved believe the same thing. Most will
deny it, but they will say something like this. I can't loose my salvation, because the Holy Spirit makes me "not want" to sin.
Then you ask them if they still sin. ... and they will say "yes". But I thought you said the Holy Spirit will make you not want to sin, so you
won't lose your salvation. Then the story changes slightly... well He doesn't make me stop doing all sins, just the "big" ones.

I'm not a murderer, or homosexual. I just do a little smoking, getting drunk, a little sexual promiscuity, take a few drugs... I cuss quite a bit,
sometimes I take God's name in vain. I get mad at people and call them "stupid" behind their backs. But I'm not a bad person.
I don't do any sins.. that are "big enough" to lose my salvation. I just do lots of "little" sins.

Really? How small or big do those sins need to be? Where do you draw the line on how big or small those sins are?

Jas 2:10; For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

If you've committed one single sin (and who can really say that?) you're just as guilty as if you committed all of them.
You're just as guilty as a homosexual, or murderer, or bigot, or hypocrite... or... any other sin.
There are no "big" sins, and "little" sins. Sin is sin. There is an unforgiveable sin, a sin which leads to death.
But all other sins are equally sin. God doesn't forgive any differently for big sins or small sins.

So the fact that you "want" to quit sinning, obviously doesn't keep you from sinning. At some point we have to take some of the responsibility
on ourselves. When we sin. It's OUR fault we sinned. Not God's fault. God doesn't make anybody sin. (to say so is blasphemy).

Jas 1:13; Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

 

[B-A-C]

In the story of the talents, ( Matt 25:14-30; ). There were two "good and faithful" servants. But there was one "wicked and lazy" servant.
Was it the master's fault that this servant failed? Was it God's fault?

In the story of the sheep and goats ( Matt 25:31-46; ) There were some who were sheep (who go to eternal life)
..and some who goats (who go to eternal punishment). Who's fault was it that some are goats? Who's fault is it that some are sheep.
Did God make them choose to do the things that make you a sheep or a goat? Of course not, they have the free will, and the ability to do these things.
Every single person had this ability. Some people just didn't "want" to.

In the story of the barren fig tree ( Luke 13:6-9; )
Why did the master come looking for fruit on this tree? Why would He even expect to find fruit on this tree?
He even watered, and fertilized, and striated the soil a bit. The master obviously wanted the tree to bear fruit.
But yet the tree didn't bear fruit. Was it the master's fault? Is it God's fault that you bear no fruit? Of course not.
Some trees, just don't "want" to.

 

[B-A-C]

The Bible says "all" have sinned. ( Rom 3:23; )
The Bible says there is none righteous, not anyone (but Jesus). ( Rom 3:10; )

So if we start saying, well I don't commit "big" sins. We there are plenty of non-believers/non-Christians out in the world
who aren't homosexuals, who have never murdered anyone... does this mean their sins aren't big enough to keep them out of heaven?
Does this mean they don't need Jesus? After all, they didn't commit any "big" sins.

Rom 7:7; What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
Rom 7:8; But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.

Have you ever coveted, that's not so bad is it? Have you ever lied? Stole anything that didn't belong to you? Cheated on your income taxes?
Have you ever lusted and entertained sexual thoughts in your mind?

All these things are sin. Doing any of these things makes you just as guilty as the murderer and homosexual.
..and simply not "wanting" to do these things, is not repentance. You actually have to do more than simply want to quit. You actually have to quit.
I'm not talking about being perfect or absolutely sinless here. I'm talking about people who willfully, knowingly sin. and make no attempt not to.
But they think they are saved.

Heb 10:26; For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

 

[newname]

It's not always something you want to do. There was a guy preaching on a forum about how we died with Christ and he didn't sin anymore. I said: okay. Help me out here. It's 8.15 pm and 8.30 pm the kids have to be w their dad. It's a 20 min bike ride. They're just out of the bath. They run around naked, having fun and have no intention of dressing. And I may not get unfriendly. He said: I wouldn't care less if my ex told me that. I'd just come later. So now whenever I am about to stress, I think about that. They have taken my kids from me though cause he complained to them, so it's the fear I have to battle to just stay calm. Some parents are nasty to their kids and they're like it's no sin, we're raising them or they even hit them. How do they do that w their conscience? My mom never got mad, but we walked all over her. I wish she had gotten mad when I needed it.

 

[B-A-C]

I wish she had gotten mad when I needed it.

What you're really talking about here is discipleship and discipline. You're right, we need to do thing that we don't always "want" to do.
There are many days, I don't feel like going to work. I just don't "want" to. But I've found, if I don't go, they don't pay me.
There are days, I don't feel like doing the chores around the house. I just don't "want" to. But I've found, it no one washes the dishes, or
does the laundry, or takes out the trash, or mows the grass... before too long I'm out of clean clothes to wear, clean dishes to eat on,
and the trash is filling up my kitchen.

We just have to have the discipline to do things, even when we don't "want" to.

 

[Brother-Paul]

We say things like ... "well you were REALLY a Christian you wouldn't do that". If you were REALLY a Christian you wouldn't be living that way.
If you were REALLY a Christian, you would quit doing that.

Isn't amazing brother that the none believers seem to know all these things...
You say you are a Christian and you do....
You say you are a Christian and you say...
You may not say you are a Christian, but they still see what is right or good in you (Jesus), most of the time, one wrong step and they love to let you know.
They know what is right, they know what is good, they know what should and should not be said, even though they don't do the things themselves.
:smile:

 

[Brother-Paul]

Greeting brother

I agree most people see sins as Big ones and small ones, even white lies, (It baffles me when they say White lies)

People tend to know of and accept some sins, usually the way that best suits them at the time, but they fail to see how God sees SIN.

I had a discussion once about sin, about how God sees sin.

If I take a glass of Spring water, the purest I can find and ask if anyone wants to drink it, unless someone has just has a drink most will say yes.

If I put a little cut in my finger and let a drop of my blood drip into the water, suddenly no one will want drink it. Just one drop and it is considered contaminated.

That is what sin is like in God's eyes, one sin has the same effect, in God's eyes SIN is vile.

SIN is SIN whether it is by word, by actions, by thought or by sight.

God knows out hearts, he knows what we are going to say before we say it, He knows what we are looking at, He knows what we are thinking.

He knows if we were thinking of stealing, He knows if we looked at the other person and had sexual thoughts, God knows.

Jesus says, Repent and sin no more, not big sins or little sins, He said Repent and sin no more.

 

[newname]

Isn't amazing brother that the none believers seem to know all these things...
You say you are a Christian and you do....
You say you are a Christian and you say...
You may not say you are a Christian, but they still see what is right or good in you (Jesus), most of the time, one wrong step and they love to let you know.
They know what is right, they know what is good, they know what should and should not be said, even though they don't do the things themselves.
:smile:

I once said to such a person: okay you know what? You accept Jesus in your heart now and then tomorrow show me how perfect you are, so you can teach me.

 

[Dave M]

Preach it brother this is the type of stuff that is lacking on most pulpits today, thank you for sharing !!

The lord has done some some heavy work on me, for instance I used to shoot a pellet gun in my back yard, well no one would ever know, except God and guess what it against the law so we as Christians are suppose to follow the law, so now I no longer shoot a pellet gun in my back yard. Now a few years ago this would not have bothered me one bit.

I was on a Christian forumn dedicated for workers in my profession recently and we were talking about taxes, now anyone on that forum is thought to be a christian and follower of Christ, and one guy was bragging how he cheats on his taxes, I am not judging the individual and I said nothing, I did post some scripture that I interpret as saying we better be paying our taxes if we are going to keep Jesus word. The fellow got a little defensive, but the subject dropped since I did not respond after showing scripture to support paying taxes weather we like it or not. But he honestly did not see it as wrong.

I think the key to maturing as a Christian starts with the little things in obedience

.

 

[Brother-Paul]

Preach it brother this is the type of stuff that is lacking on most pulpits today, thank you for sharing !!

The lord has done some some heavy work on me, for instance I used to shoot a pellet gun in my back yard, well no one would ever know, except God and guess what it against the law so we as Christians are suppose to follow the law, so now I no longer shoot a pellet gun in my back yard. Now a few years ago this would not have bothered me one bit.

I was on a Christian forumn dedicated for workers in my profession recently and we were talking about taxes, now anyone on that forum is thought to be a christian and follower of Christ, and one guy was bragging how he cheats on his taxes, I am not judging the individual and I said nothing, I did post some scripture that I interpret as saying we better be paying our taxes if we are going to keep Jesus word. The fellow got a little defensive, but the subject dropped since I did not respond after showing scripture to support paying taxes weather we like it or not. But he honestly did not see it as wrong.

I think the key to maturing as a Christian starts with the little things in obedience
.

Greetings brother.

I think you hit the nail on the head Dave, now anyone on that forum is thought to be a christian and follower of Christ,

The guy probably thought he was a Christian, he was probably a head Christian, although as we know, saved Christians can also be tempted and blinded from the Truth due to our sins.

I have shared a few things about my, not very nice past, as you will have seen, more that I thought I ever would, but the can of worms keeps coming up and catching me out. Over the last few days another situation came to my mind, again I am not proud of it, but later in life I learned from it. Your comment on the pellet gun raises the thoughts again.

I was in my teens, not where I lived but at a mates, we sat just inside the kitchen door, taking it in turn and counting the score. What were we doing you may ask? We were throwing bread out for the birds, so that when they came down for the bread we could pop them off one by one with the air rifle. They didn't stand a chance.

Later in life after accepting the Lord and repenting of all my sins, bringing them to mind over time to repent of each on there own, not just All my sins being forgiven. One day I was doing just that, and a picture came to mind, I was doing in my teens with the air rifle what the devil does to us every day he gets chance.

I was throwing bread to the birds, satan throws temptation in our path, I was killing the birds, I thought it was fun, the devil's aim is to make sure we remain dead, that we do not accept Christ and if that means killing us he will see it. Alcohol, drugs, speed, etc, etc, etc.

You may remember me telling you of the time I almost died to a prescribed drug overdose. It started with an accident at work, a silly situation I explained last time I wrote abut it. I hurt my back and coccyx, my coccyx hitting the corner of a radiator, the pain was excruciating, they gave me pain killers and anti inflammatory, the pain didn't ease so they doubled the dose of the pain killer, there were then issues, they quickly said I had an allergic reaction to the drugs so they give me different ones, then others, then others etc. 3 doctors prescribed 13 different drugs, one prescribed 10 of them. I was going to go back to the doctor again when my doorbell rang, the lady doctor came in, I showed her all 13 drugs lined up, she asked to examine me, then said could I get my wife she wanted me to go to the hospital for tests.

My wife returned home, we packed my items, expecting a few days in the hospital whilst they did the tests. We arrived, it was an isolation unit, I was admitted as they do, then the questions started to flow. The doctor had not told them of the drugs prescribed, she told them I may have been abroad and caught something! She also told them I was a building surveyor and that rats carry a disease that can be caught from drains from rats. I had not dealt with drains, I had not been abroad.

They stopped all drugs and my body was on fire. They had fans all sides of the bed running 24/7, they would coat me in calamine lotion to cool me down, but here is the scary bit, the entered in white plastic over their uniforms, all with face masks, it was something from a sci-fi movie. They would not let my wife or children in, I was in isolation.

Several days had passed,always the same questions, have you been abroad, are you sure, have you worked on drains recently, are you sure. I didn't do the work, I specified it, tendered it, supervised it, but they wouldn't listen. Then my wife and children were told they were allowed in to see me but must not touch me, as they entered the room I was in my body gave way, both ends at the same time through out their dis-pleasures.

Eventually they found a steroid that stabilised me, but it was to be a long healing process. Always being a fighter I was back to work in months, doing the job I loved.

Now when did all this happen? You are aware of the spiritual battle and how intense it was when I suddenly became 'not the man my wife had married. All this happened in the first twelve months of coming to Jesus. You may remember things were so bad at home I had to stop going to church, but the Lord provided in an incredible way, a retired Pentecostal Pastor I had never met in my life. He taught me to love my wife and kids, he taught me about spiritual warfare, he taught me to pray in Jesus names for the chains to be broken, he told me, the devil wanted me dead, my faith was to strong he was out to break me and the prescribed drugs overdose was not coincidence.

Later I saw the truth in it, the devil had been throwing bread (drugs) out for me, I had taken his bait, he wanted to pop me off, he wanted me dead! But Jesus is my Lord, the devil was rebuked in Jesus Name, it took time, it wasn't easy, I didn't say it then, but can say it now, Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Rom 8:37.

Thanks be to God, to Him be the Glory in Jesus mighty and most precious Name. Amen

 

[Dave M]

thanks for sharing brother Paul, and praise the Lord !!! I have read that pellet guns are a huge paste time over there in the UK?

 

[Brother-Paul]

Not sure Dave, for me it was around age of 14.

Guns were designed for killing, as we know to well nowadays. I helped a builder to get away from issues, Pete could sneak up an rabbits and shoot with a .22 air rifle. My situation above was after that.

Look at the situation now Dave, USA with guns and killing, UK with knives and killing. It is increasing and not just in the countries we live.

O come Lord Jesus, yet not our will but thine.

 

[B-A-C]

If I take a glass of Spring water, the purest I can find and ask if anyone wants to drink it, unless someone has just has a drink most will say yes.

If I put a little cut in my finger and let a drop of my blood drip into the water, suddenly no one will want drink it. Just one drop and it is considered contaminated.

I've heard this illustration several times, sometimes slightly different, I guess the one I remember is the brownies.
But I only sinned "just a little".

The story goes.. someone made some brownies, and set the plate in the middle of the table and asked "who wants a brownie"?
Everyone in the house came running towards the table. But the cook said, hold on a minute, I need to tell you something first.
I put a little dog poop in the brownie mix. But don't worry.. it was "just a little".

I am reminded on a father and son playing frisbee in the park. The father threw the frisbee a little high, and the boy was looking up to see where it was going.
Just then a bird flew over and dropped a little present right in the boys eyes. (I know this is a little gross, but bear with me)
They forgot all about the frisbee (left it on the grass) and everything else, and the son started crying. He wasn't in any pain really, but he was afraid and "grossed out".
I remember the son saying "Daddy, daddy, get this bird-poop off of me. Get it off now!!" If took them a few minutes to find a water fountain, and the boy
was crying the entire time. But finally, they did manage to get it cleaned off of the boy.

This is how we should be about sin. Daddy, daddy get it off of me NOW!! But all too often, we are willing to roll in the mud just a little longer.

2 Pet 2:22; It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire." ( Prov 26:11; )

 

[Brother-Paul]

Thank you brother B-A-C

Each example puts the ball in the back of the net, they each push the message home.

I like the brownie example (but I don't want a brownie) :happy:

I like the bird poo example, some people say it is lucky if a bird poos on your head, I think it lucky if they miss. :grin:

For me, I prefer the water and blood example, as water and blood are two of the most important items in scripture.

From Genesis to Revelation water is mentioned, It starts in Eden, it concludes in the New Jerusalem.

From Genesis to Revelation blood runs through every vein of every page, killing, sacrifice, washing.
- To the lost soul blood is vile.
- To the saved soul, we are redeemed, forgiven, justified and sanctified, by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bless you