“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11 KJV). Perfect sentiment. Not just rule keeping — Thou shalt, Thou shalt not — but maintaining our sacred relationship with God. We often confuse rote memory of Scripture with hiding God’s Word in our heart because it helped us to encourage our children to memorize Scripture — which is still important. But, we always knew hiding God’s Word in our heart meant more. Our relationship to the person of God is our relationship with the Word of God. A physical Bible is not our relationship. An intellectual Bible is not the goal. A living relationship with the One Who Is the Word is our quest (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13). Only then can we achieve the Psalmist’s goal — “that I might not sin against Thee” (119:11). Sin prevention is only possible through absolute dependence upon God Himself. “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Father, You are worthy of our deepest love, for You care for us. You gave us Your Son. You know our relationship to You must be protected from the corrosiveness of sin. May we learn to cling to You harder than any abstract attempt of memorizing Scripture, hoping that will be enough to prevent sin. Break through the false assumptions of sin prevention by merely reading or memorizing Scripture. Cause us to have a living, vibrant relationship with You that prevents the presence of sin. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.
Not Sinning
Conscience: God Speaking in Our Thoughts
Conscience is God communicating with everyone’s thoughts. Of course, we can stifle and overrule conscience, but not without injuring ourselves and becoming less able to hear God. Perhaps the best way to understand the voice of God speaking to us is the promised Holy Spirit quickening our conscience. “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:8-11 KJV). The Holy Spirit admonishes us about sin, righteousness, and judgment through our thoughts. Because we are loath to admit ourselves to be of so tender conscience, we resist. Thus, ourselves, our families, our churches, and society become hardened and jaded to our own hurt.
Only Those Who Abide in Obedience Have a Right to Claim They Know Him
Only those who abide in obedience have a right to claim they know Him. “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1John 2:3-4). If human nature was naturally sinful, then how could anyone rightly claim to walk in obedience? A naturally sinful nature is only an excuse for sinning, not a good explanation. “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth [Greek, hamartanei, sins or is sinning, present tense] hath not seen Him, neither known Him” (1John 3:6 KJV). Whoever is abiding in Christ is not sinning. Whoever is not abiding in Christ is sinning. Whoever is sinning is supernaturally assured in the most forceful language, that person “hath not seen Him, neither known Him” (3:6). God supernaturally chooses not to be known by us, when we are presently sinning. That withholds assurance of salvation from us, while we are in rebellion against Him. The language of the First Epistle of John requires the Holy Spirit to supernaturally teach, interpret, and understand. “But the anointing [Holy Spirit] which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (1John 2:27 KJV). May Christ bless all the disciples of His supernatural religion! “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love” (John 15:10 KJV).
Like Jesus
Growing up as a teenaged, American youth in the late 1960s to early 1970s, I witnessed from a Middle America, Southern California perspective, the counterculture’s effect upon mainline, evangelical Christianity. Pianos and organs of traditional Christian music were introduced to guitars and drums of popular music. White shirts and ties gave way to leisure suits. Hal Lindsey’s “Late, Great Planet Earth” (1970) was preparing for the Rapture. The Charismatic Movement was promoting the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in both Protestant and Roman Catholic circles. Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel movement was making headway in emphasizing personal evangelism, planting local churches, and promoting Bible study. Fundamentalists were resisting the tides of change. The Crossroads Church of Christ (FL) — later the ICOC — was emphasizing the necessity of baptism to be saved, partly responding to an emphasis on Easy Believism Salvation. Anti-war (Vietnam), drugs, sex, and rebellion were responses not only to society’s morality, but the Professed Church’s failure. Not all change was bad; and, upon reflection, the Jesus People (sometimes called Jesus Freaks) seemed to best epitomize that period’s struggle to return to a more primitive Christianity. “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also” (Acts 17:6 KJV).
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We Need A Miracle 