Posted on 01/04/2021 10:25:24 AM PST by metmom
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).
Knowing and obeying God’s Word helps us walk worthy by protecting us from sin.
While we are discussing the importance of knowing right doctrine before right duty, let’s see one way knowing the Bible helps us to walk worthy: it protects us from sin. From time to time you might hear people who have a fatalistic attitude toward sin saying, “I couldn’t help myself” or “The Devil made me do it.” Such excuses are foolish for Christians to make since God has given us the means to resist temptation.
The psalmist said, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee” (Ps. 119:11). Without knowledge, we are defenseless and vulnerable. Knowing God’s truth—by study and by application—enables us to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. Anyone who puts his faith in Jesus Christ but who does not keep God’s Word constantly at the forefront of his mind will find himself entrapped in sin again and again.
Although we must know God’s Word to defend ourselves against sin and to obey God’s will, there is a danger. Once we know His truth, we are held accountable for what we know.
Second Peter 2:21 speaks of apostates, those who knew about Jesus Christ but returned to their former life without ever committing themselves to Him: “It would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.” James 4:17 says, “To one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
So not knowing is better than knowing and not obeying. What’s best, of course, is knowing the Word and obeying it, because it is our spiritual nourishment: “Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). For a Christian, neglecting the Word is spiritual starvation.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask forgiveness for times you have known the right thing to do but have not done it.
For Further Study
Read about a young man who gave in to temptation in Proverbs 7. Contrast him with Joseph in Genesis 39. What was the difference between them? Think about how Psalm 119:9 relates to them, and to you.
Studying God’s Word ping
Thanks!!
Bad thoughts may enter our brains like a bird may unexpectedly land on our head. Just don’t let it build a nest there.
I find this completely useless. He does not teach how to avoid sin or resist the thought.
Satan can only use lies. It is the knowing that you are hearing lies and one of those lies is that Satan is foreing you and you cannot resist. “Resist and he will flee” - it may take some time and effort but he will flee when you rebuke him in Jesus name.
He sure does.
Know God’s word, the Bible.
When you know what God’s commands are, then you can know if some action you are going to take is sin.
For example, lying is a sin. Stealing is a sin. So when something happens that tempts you to do one of those, then you can know if you do it, you will be sinning.
The only way to recognize Satan’s lies is to know the truth.
Read God’s word and memorize it.
There are alot of people that can recite the ten commandments that repeatedly sin.
Then their condemnation will be all the harder.
So?
He "doesn't teach" LOTS of stuff here; that in NO way makes it COMPLETELY useless to me.
That's TERRIBLE!!
I think I remember a bible passage about a young man that kept the law pretty well; and yet...
Matthew 19:16-21
Actually, he said he did not repeatedly sin, he kept the commandments.
I was referring to this one post not everything he has taught. He was talking of not to sin but there was no advice on how to do that.
Telling a child he must solve a math problem but not how to solve it does not help that child.
You assume that the child has had no math teaching previously.
Therefore...
...he didn’t sin at ALL; right?
yes he did, because he knew he should solve the problem.
I am in no position to say what he knew or not; it’s not recorded; but it seems that he surely had some doubts about the religion he was currently practicing.
To most of us Jesus said, “...and come follow Me.”
He doesn’t say, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.””
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