Dec 15, 2020 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Is Sinning Your Destiny?

(Part one)

I have been writing about forgiveness and the need for repentance for quite a while. Forgiveness from your sin is one thing and forgiveness from your iniquity is another and last of all there is forgiveness that removes your heart and spirit from ‘wanting & desiring’ to commit sin.

Sin has pleasure, and it is the pleasure of sin that drives one to ‘keep sinning’ even after forgiveness from sin has taken place in your life. We see this taking place much too often in our culture and church body today. This is why Jesus talked about a new heart and mind. It is the Holy Spirit that creates a new heart, mind, spirit, and personal strength, which is a requirement for all Christians who will be called by the name of Jesus. (King David wrote often in Psalms asking God to create ‘a clean heart and a right spirit’ within him.

To find forgiveness is easy (which is often not easy and requires time, prayer, and crying) as compared to the forgiveness from iniquities (the consequences and destructive power of your sin on others), which often takes considerable time. These two processes seem to go on for days and weeks (note: the Apostle Paul spent two years before his ministry began acquiring forgiveness for his sins and iniquities).

When total forgiveness takes over in one’s life creating a new heart, our heart no longer looks for sin to enjoy and commit. This process of ‘total forgiveness’ doesn’t just require a ‘one-time bath or a single washing of water’ but probably a series of continual washings of spiritual water. A good example of this is the ‘seven times’ dipping oneself into the river Jordan as did Naaman. “So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child (2 Kings 5:14). (Note: as healings sometimes take time and effort on our part so does victory over sinful nature in our lives.)

John the Baptist baptized with water, but it is Jesus that baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that continually washes us with spiritual water and ‘creates & makes’ all things new in our lives. As stated in Joel chapter 3:18, “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias.” As is stated in Revelations about a river flowing from the throne of God. The ‘washing of water’ by the Spirit of God is what prepares us to receive the righteousness and judgment of God. As the baptism of John in the River Jordon prepared the way for Christ and the Kingdom of God so does the working of repentance and forgiveness today gets us ready to do the righteousness of Godly works—"the Kingdom of God is righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

It is time for all Christians to ask for, seek, and take a stance against sinful nature in our lives that is driving us back to the sin we once enjoyed and experienced often. God wants all our sinful nature (our desires to keep sinning) to be removed from our lives. Let’s get rid of everything in our lives that drives us back to sins that “so easily overcome us” as Paul states in the Epistles.

Your judgmental attitude, desire to be noticed, sexual lusts, lying, stealing, being easily angered, the hatred of people stopping you from your desires, comparing oneself to others, talking more than listening & coming to quick overbearing decisions, and the list goes on and on. What is the sin in your life that you are always asking and having God forgive you of? It is time for our hearts to change! It is only the Holy Spirit that can change our hearts, forgive us of our sins, and make things right that we made so wrong.

Jesus gave us a list of commandments in the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ affirms that it is impossible to be forever with God without keeping these commandments. This is only possible when our sinful nature is taken away and our desire for sinning is removed from our life. (This does not mean that we won’t make mistakes now and then or even each day [just as the Apostle Paul stated what was taking place in his life], but the desire and looking to commit sin is now gone.)

So, let’s get started—a journey of complete wholeness, complete forgiveness, and a complete and total new nature—a new person in Christ! No more sin, no more iniquities, and no more corrupt human nature that desires to commit sin.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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