Overcome Sin

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if there be any praise...think about these things.”  (Philippians 4:8)

There  is a great chance to commit sin if we are ignorant in the word of God. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.  There is a saying “an ounce of prevention is better than  a pound of cure.” What are the effective ways to fight sin:

I – Know and Depend Completely On God’s Word – By knowing and depending completely on God’s Word, we avoid the sin of ignorance and self-reliance.   “Study diligently the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.” ( John 5:39).  By  reading the Bible, we learn the truths and gain eternal life. To break God’s Word and to pronounce independence from God completely or partly is a sin.

II – Believe In God’s Goodness and His Generosity – “Taste and See that the Lord is Good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8).  God is not slack concerning His promise.  God’s goodness has been proven. Do not disobey God and you will see the pouring of His abundant blessings. We must bring the full tithe in God’s house. If we do that God will pay us in direct proportion...even bigger proportion!

III – Trust God’s Commands As Expressions Of Utmost Love – “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18). By trusting God’s commands, we avoid the sin of considering ourself wiser than God.   “ “Your statues are wonderful, therefore, I obey them.” (Psalm 119:129).  God is always right to forbid us to do unlawful deeds.

IV -  Do not Experiment With Sin – Don’t ever dare to experiment sin. Before

we know, the damage has been done.  We must not jump from the building down to the ground to prove the Law of Gravity. Avoid the sin of commission.

V – Follow God’s Warnings – The Bible is a book of warnings. “We should not test the Lord, as some of them were killed by snakes..these things happened to them as examples and were written as warnings...”  (1 Corinthians 10:9-11).  It’s just like following the warning in the medicine bottle like “warning:toxic or poisonous when taken in over dosage”. God warned Lot.  God warned Adam and Eve.

VI – Reject Every Temptation to be Independent From God – “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion ready to devour someone.” ( 1 Peter 5:8).  Sin’s mission is to take us out of God’s favor.  Do not use the formula of the devil in earning a living.  Sin is better prevented and easier to prevent than to cure.

(From Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon’s Sunday Worship Messages and  from Ed Lapiz’s Book Pitu-Pito)