There are times when it is a convenient copout to ‘plead ignorance’ to get you out of a jam. “I just didn’t know”, we tell them. There are those who live by that mantra of ‘ignorance is bliss’. And I think many of us understand that.

The problem is though, it no longer works with God. Paul was pretty clear there when he was addressing the folks down in Athens who had quite the collection of ‘gods’ they were worshiping, pointing out one altar dedicated to ‘the Unknown God’. (Acts 17:23). He was there to ‘enlighten’ them. I mean, that is what we as believers are called to do, is it not...to ‘go out into all the world and ‘enlighten’ those who still walk in darkness? (Matt. 28:19)

Yet a rather glaring problem exists within the ‘church world’ today and that is many sincere believers will be the first to tell you they continue to ‘sin, stumble, fall, mess up’ on a regular, ongoing basis. What is tragic with that admission is most of us have been taught that this is ‘normal’ for us ‘believers’. On one hand, the only difference we can offer up to compare ourselves with those ‘lost folks’ is that since we claim to believe in Jesus, then our sins are no longer held against us given that Jesus died and ‘paid for all past, present, and future’ sins.

So we make up these clever quotes that make us feel better about ourselves, reminding everyone that ‘Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven’. The one that always gets to me is that claim I’ve heard people say: “I’m just a saint who sins”. How does that one line up with 1 John 2:6, 3:6,9; and 5:19?

Paul even went to lengths to remind those at Ephesus in his letter to them, after listing just a handful of traits or ‘sins’ and behavior that ‘should not even be named among the saints’ (5:3-4) that we better let no one deceive us with ‘empty words’ because the ‘wrath of God will come upon the children of disobedience’. (5:6)

“Saints of God” no longer live that way. They may have ‘formerly walked’ in such a manner as did we all, but we are not supposed to be walking in darkness anymore. People who walk in darkness don’t know there they are going. (John 12:35). People who continue to ‘sin’ are breaking God’s commandments. (1 John 3:4). And if we continue to sin, then we are not abiding in Him. (1 John 3:6). We are not walking in the light as He is in the light, and therefore we are not being’ cleansed by His blood’ as we so love to passionately sing about in our church services. (1 John 1:7)

And here’s where this becomes problematic: If you, like many others have continued to sin, by your own admission, then overtime, one of the ‘side effects’ of sin is its tendency to ‘harden or dull our hearts’. (Heb. 3:12-13; Matt. 24:12). This is no small thing. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about here.

Take your TV viewing habits or however you watch shows and movies anymore. Do you recall back in those early days when your heart was so ‘on fire’ for Jesus as you were experiencing the newness of His presence in your life? And something came across the show or movie you were watching and immediately something just shuddered within you when you heard certain language, saw inappropriate actions, maybe ‘too much skin and passion’ was heating up that screen. You immediately turned the TV off knowing there was something wrong with what your eyes and heart had just taken in. As you wrestled with what you had just experienced and the near immediate sense of the Holy Spirit’s departure from that room, you might have even muttered something about not watching that ‘show’ anymore or things similar.

But then there you were again, the following week. And this time, as you wrestled with what was coming out of that screen, you were not so quick to turn it off. Maybe at some point you mase some ‘vow to God’ assuring Him you would avoid watching those ‘R’ rated movies, but the PG-13’s...those were safe, right? I have memories from years ago when the girls were younger and we would be watching a movie or something and at some point, we would redirect the girls to other activities or bed so we could finish watching the movie. Some of this was just not ‘appropriate’ for them to watch. And I remember the Holy Spirit whispering oh so softly to me asking me: “IF this is not acceptable for your children to take in, how is it decent enough for you to feed on?” Ouch!

We don’t even realize how over time, sin simply dulls our hearts as we ‘drift’ further away from that path of light and peace we were called to walk in. And the truth of the matter here is, if we are honest with ourselves, there just some things about the ‘darkness’ we still love. (john 3:19). Then when someone points out similar thoughts as what I am writing out here, we are easily offended or bristle inside, maybe even get irritated and want to ask “who are you to judge?”

Nobody is perfect, right? And as long as you have that ‘golden ticket of salvation’ tucked safely away that you received when you ‘walked an aisle and made a profession of faith’, what’s the big deal, right? Well, for starters, the reason this is a big deal is because if you claim to have fellowship with Him, or that you ‘know Him’, and continue to walk in darkness, you are a liar. (Yesterday’s post – 1 John 1:6; 2:4)

I’m not telling you this because they are my opinions. I am merely pointing out His words, not mine. And many, many sincere believers have been duped and deceived which is why God is trying to awaken a sleeping church that has ‘lost its first love’. (Rev. 2:4). Some of you may be reading many of the passages I list and have an alarming awareness that you are seeing them for the ‘first time’. Better late than never, right? And like I said at the start here today, ‘ignorance’ no longer gives us a ‘pass’ with God. That comes from that statement Paul told the Athenians that maybe in times past God was more lenient, but now, He ‘no longer winks at ignorance but commands all men...everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

To ‘repent’ means we turn...and no longer ‘walk in darkness’ now that He has given us light to walk in. And you don’t have to do it alone since we are exhorted to ‘walk in the light as He is in the light’. (1 John 1:7). That is what it means to abide in Him and one of the great benefits of this is we find cleansing and redemption in His blood that was shed for all of humanity. (1 John 1:7). And some of the fruit or evidence of us doing this, waking in the light as He is in the light, is we no longer continue to sin. That’s because we are now walking as He walked. (1 John 3:6; 2:6). His words, not mine.

Care to hear more as to why this ‘repenting’ thing is so serious? Jesus said if we didn’t, we would perish. (Luke 13:3,5). John began his ministry reminding church folks that ‘wrath was coming and the ax was already laid at the root of the trees and if we did not bring forth ‘fruits of repentance’ that we’d all be cut down and tossed in to some ‘fire’. (Matt. 3:7-12)

I don’t know who this is for, but if you are reading here today and all you are ‘hearing’ is a message screaming out that “You better get right or God is sending you to hell”, then you are not hearing what God is trying to communicate to us. Please stop and pray and simply ask God to help you understand what He so lovingly is want to convey to. ‘whoever has ears to hear’.

In my post yesterday I had been talking about how God gives us little increments of light to show us the path we need to walk in, which usually includes turning from (repenting) of certain sins and such. I used the example of grumbling and complaining, you know, that tendency we all seem to have to some degree to ‘find fault’ and then air it out there for all the world to hear. Where we have got tripped up in the past is we can experience some ‘conviction’ when we hear such teaching, feel bad and vow to ‘do better’ or even promise to ‘never do it again’. But then...give it some time and we fall back in to our old ‘habits’. (That sounds better than using the word ‘sin’, does it not?)

So let me use an illustration here to help process what is happening within you. Let’s say that compulsion you have to complain, or burst out in anger at people you love, or yield to any number of fleshly appetites, are really ‘unclean spirits’ that reside within you. You know, sort of like how even though God was leading the Israelites into Canaan land where He was going to bless them...but what was still ‘on the land’? A host of wicked nations. God was not bothered by their presence because in due time, He was going to remove them ‘one by one’. But it would be imperative that the people listen and follow His leading. In other words, ‘do what He says’.

When God points out an area in your life that you need to repent of, assuming there is a ‘spiritual component’ working here within you, (Eph. 2:1-3;6:12) He then wants to remove that ‘spiritual influence’. I mean, that is what He came to do, is it not? Set captives free? (Luke 4:18 Acts 10:38). So when you confess this sin to Him and turn and come to Him with all your heart, asking for His mercy, grace, and forgiveness, guess what He does? He actually removes that ‘spirit of grumbling’ or ‘depression’ or ‘anger’ or ‘lusts’, etc. And it does not involve some Hollywood version of ‘exorcism’ either. They just go. Boom. You just repented, turned to Jesus, found cleansing in the power of His blood and they have to go. It’s not even a choice or up for debate with them.

But it’s not over with that. Go revisit Matt. 12:43-45. You will be tested. (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4). And can I just tell you now that it really is much easier dealing with ‘them’ once they are on the ‘outside’ even if...they seek to ‘re-enter’. That is where the ‘resist the devil’ comes in to play. But due to a lack of teaching, we’ve been ignorant of much of this. But no more. Join me tomorrow?