Sin comes from your heart

How does God feel about the following statements?

·        I didn’t mean to say it … do it.

·        I wasn’t thinking.

·        It just came out of my mouth.

·        It wasn’t that bad.

·        I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

·        I was just standing up for myself.

·        He/She made me angry.

·        It’s all his fault.

Have you ever excused your behavior by saying that God understands your heart? I have heard others say something like this, “God understands what I am going through.” Does God ever O.K. sin in our life? Sin is disobedience to God. Can we sin with a good heart? We often compare ourselves with others, then justify our own sinful behavior. We think our own heart is clean when it is very dirty. Our sinful behavior flows out of a sinful heart and mind. We think it before we do it. Our sinful heart produces sinful habits that turn into sinful addictions.

Can we ever think that sin is anything other than rebellious disobedience to God? This flows out of a rebellious heart and mind. Every person is born with a rebellious, sinful nature.

There is a tendency to blame our sinful decisions on our circumstances or on others, but the Bible teaches us that the blame squarely rests upon us for the decisions that we have made. The reason that this is so important is that until you take responsibility for making the decisions that got you into addiction, you cannot make the decisions necessary to get you out of addiction. We often sin because we have been filling our hearts and minds with selfishness, wrong hopes and desires, and evil imaginations.

The blame game must stop, and we must take responsibility for our lives. Jesus was very clear in His teaching about where the problem is: It comes from our heart.

Matthew 15:18-20a But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: …

Sin doesn’t just happen. It comes out of an undisciplined heart and mind. We must prepare our heart and mind to do the right things. We must with purpose, discipline and initiative give our hearts to God for His cleansing and use. The Holy Spirit, along with the fruits of the Spirit, will flow out of you heart and mind. We must replace evil imaginations with godly mediations.

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

If we have not prepared our hearts for the things of God before we start our day, how can we think that we will respond in a godly manner to the negative circumstances of life? We must set our affections on God. We desire God’s will to be accomplished through us. We must start our day with God’s Word and prayer.

We must be in fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Matthew 6:9-10 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

If God cleanses your heart in the morning, and you fill it with the things of God, desiring His will to be accomplished through you, does that mean you won’t sin? No, but we will be more prepared to not sin. We still have a sinful nature. Pride keeps raising its ugly head. But if we are walking with God we will be in a stronger position to do right.

·        We will be able to minister to those who offend us.

·        We will trust instead of worry.

·        We will see adversities as opportunities of ministry.

·        We will replace lying, anger, theft, evil speaking, with truthfulness, peace, labor (giving) and edifying speech.

·        Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

·        Where do bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking lie? They lie in your heart.

o  Put them away

o  Get rid of them.

o  Replace those things with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.