Friday, February 26, 2010

When We Sin

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
—1 John 1:8-9

It is a not of matter of if we are going to sin; it is a matter of when. The Bible says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). We all will sin. The question is, what are we going to do when we sin? Will we listen to the wrong voice and do the wrong thing? Or will we listen to the right voice and do the right thing?

Both Judas Iscariot and Peter betrayed Jesus in their own way. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Peter denied knowing Christ. But I believe that had Judas wanted it, he could have been forgiven by Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when he came to identify Jesus as the one the authorities were seeking, Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" (Matthew 26:50). He offered him a final act of forgiveness. Still, Judas betrayed Jesus. He later realized what he had done, but he never repented of his sin. He listened to the wrong voice and did the wrong thing.

Peter denied knowing Jesus not once, not twice, but three times. But then he went and wept bitterly afterward. Peter stayed with his Christian friends, he turned to Jesus, and he received forgiveness. Peter listened to the right voice and did the right thing.

The wrong voice, the devil, would drive us from Jesus, from church, from fellowship, from the Word of God, and from everything that could help us. But the right voice will take us to the Word of God, to church, to our Christian friends, to God in prayer, and to forgiveness and restoration in a relationship with Him. You have a choice. Which voice will you listen to?

Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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