Monday, April 25, 2011

Hidden Sins Part I

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
   but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
  Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
   but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble”.    Prov. 28:13-14 NIV
The Easter Story is God taking a life which was being spent on self, the pleasures of this world, blinded by deception and turning it around to achieve all of His good purposes.
The “New Creation” is living as a new man in Christ which enables you to live a life with real meaning.  The greatest tragedy in life is not death, it is to go through your entire life without knowing and living out your purpose for which God created you.
Many Pharisees in Jesus’ day performed the external actions of religion without a true inner devotion to God.  Seven times in Matthew twenty-three, Jesus pronounced ‘woe’ (a curse) on the scribes and Pharisees because they were hypocrites, leading people astray.
Sadly, there are preachers, televangelists, and people holding Christian positions, as well as people sitting in the pews each week, professing to be Christians who do not know Jesus.  They have a head knowledge but have never been born again and do not have a heart knowledge of who Jesus is.
II Tim. 2:19 says, “The Lord knows these who are His and everyone who confesses the Name of the Lord must turn from wickedness.”  Peter wrote, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all….hypocrisy”.  (I Peter 2:1)    Jesus said the place assigned for hypocrites is in hell.  (Matt. 24:51)
Hypocrites play at religion when people can see them in church; but they live, talk and act much differently outside the church doors.
They continue to commit the same sins, deceive and have bad behavior and attitudes as others of the world when outside of their ‘religious’ setting.
Hidden sin involves the compounding sin of hypocrisy!
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God”.   2 Cor. 7:1  NIV

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