No struggling or praying will enable you to stop doing certain things, and the penalty of sin is that you gradually get used to it, until you finally come to the place where you no longer even realize that it is sin… The deadliest attitude of the Pharisees that we exhibit today is not hypocrisy but that which comes from unconsciously living a lie. ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
Matthew 23:26 NASB
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
God is always ready to forgive –
but we must never become complacent about sin and think it doesn’t matter. Rather, we must do whatever we can to avoid temptation and deal with sin when it happens.
God does not want us to take a neutral attitude toward sin.
Though He loves the sinner, He does not love sin. It is sin that separates man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), yet He does not desire that any perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Therefore, He, in the New Testament, tells us what is wrong and what is right in His sight. To be right by God, we must avoid what God forbids as well as do what God says.
Drug abuse, illegitimate births, foul language, alcoholism, adultery, cohabitation out of wedlock,immodest dress, gambling, pornography, divorce, sexual immorality, violence, constantly hearing of or seeing these things, we fail to apply Paul’s warning to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:1-5), to our present time.
Although evil has existed throughout the “latter times,”
it sometimes seems that it is more rampant than ever before. What has happened is that sin is extolled much more than it used to be and, in the process, many have accepted a
“broad-minded” attitude of “live-and-let-live.”
What was once recognized as sin is now called such things as an “alternative lifestyle.” Thus, folks are no longer shocked by immoral and ungodly behavior,
and many have adopted practices which they at one time abhorred. They no longer think of sin as being a violation of the law of the Almighty God that will eternally separate precious souls from His love and power, or cause them to burn in a devil’s hell for eternity.
Is there any chance we are spiritually complacent today?
I pray not! If we are not sure, then it may be time for us to do our spiritual inventory. To look back at how well we are mastering the basics of the Christian walk.
How is our Prayer Life?
Is it continual throughout the day?
How well are we learning scripture and cherishing it in our hearts?
How often do we use our time, talents or treasures for the Lord’s cause?
Do we seek to listen when we read or hear about the Lord?
Are we making changes to conform to the likeness of Christ?
Are we seeking out other like-minded people to fellowship with?
Those who seek the Lord continuously with a pure and contrite heart do not allow themselves to become spiritually complacent.
My Loving Father,
Forgive me for my failures and sins. Do not allow me to get used to them or to be a hypocrite. Cleanse me from all of my sins that I can walk anew. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.