Practicing Sin, Not Following Christ

Are you practicing sin?  Is there sin you constantly practice?  Have you grown accustomed to accepting [“your” sin] as okay with God?   Are you okay with the practices of your life?

Scripture teaches us very clearly what is obviously …NOT following Christ.  In fact, we are warned that “that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  If that does not give you pause and great fear… then you most certainly are not “of Christ”, for those in Christ seek Him with all of their heart (Luke 10:27).

Those who make sin
a regular, accepted part of who they are
— are not truly saved.

There are two types of sinners found in the Bible: (1) The one who denies Christ, practicing sin; and, (2) the one who follows Christ and rejects sin – but sometimes is “faithless”.  Don’t confuse the two.  Know which type you are!  One is bound for eternal separation from God, whereas the other is bound for glory – forever to live and reign with Christ in the new life to come.

1. Those who practice sin.  The one who practices sin has set himself against God, and is not born again.   The “practice” (verse 21) reveals your heart.  Rejection of God results in what some have called, “high-handed” sinning.  That sinner lives in it, in rebellion against what God has clearly told us.  If you reject that which God has accepted, and accept that which God has rejected — then you are not following Him.

   the deeds of the flesh are evident…
   …and things like these,
   of which I forewarn you,
   just as I have forewarned you,
   that those who practice such things
   will not inherit the kingdom of God.
   – Galatians 5:16-21  

2. Those who reject sin, but fall.  Born again believers sin.  We all do.  However, they do not accept sin.  One is practice, the other is “entanglements“.  The one who is entangled or snared or falls into sin, is disobedient and struggling – as a believer.  If you are struggling with a “sin that easily besets you” [Hebrews 12:1], then that sin is not your “practice”, but rather – a part of your “old man” that all believers have to deal with on a daily basis.  We are told to lay it aside.

In this passage Timothy is distinguishing between two types of sinners:

¹¹ It is a trustworthy statement:

For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
¹² If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
¹³ If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
–2 Timothy 2:11-13

(Type 1)  Sinners who deny Christ and practice sin as chosen part of their life.  Their sins are not forgiven.  They are living under condemnation.  Christ “also will deny” them.

And

(Type 2)  Sinners who have been born again and are following Him, but struggle and are sometimes “faithless”.  But Christ does not reject them because of their sins.  Their sins are forgiven – past/present/future.  They have been born-again, forgiven, and are His own.  We “will also live with Him“, “will also reign with Him“, because “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.“

The Practice of Sin…

What following Christ is NOT
You are not following Christ if this is characteristic of you:

Galatians 5:16-21  ¹⁶ …carry out the desire of the flesh.
¹⁷ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
for these are in opposition to one another,
so that you may not do the things that you please.
¹⁸ … ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident,
which are:
immorality,
impurity,
sensuality,
²⁰ idolatry,
sorcery,
enmities,
strife,
jealousy,
outbursts of anger,
disputes,
dissensions,
factions,
²¹ envying,
drunkenness,
carousing,
and things like these,
of which I forewarn you,
just as I have forewarned you,
that those who practice such things
will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 4:17-22   ¹⁷ …just as the Gentiles also walk,
in the futility of their mind,
¹⁸ being darkened in their understanding,
excluded from the life of God
because of the ignorance that is in them,
because of the hardness of their heart;
¹⁹ and they, having become callous,
have given themselves over to sensuality
for the practice of
every kind of impurity
with greediness.

Ephesians 5:3-5   ^{3 …}immorality or
any impurity or
greed
…filthiness and silly talk,
or coarse jesting,
which are not fitting…
 ⁵ For this you know with certainty,
that no immoral or
impure person or
covetous man,
who is an idolater,
has an inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and God.

God will be the Only Judge on That Day.  Not you, not me.

FOR MORE:

Being 100% given over to Jesus

What sort of person are you?

Accepting What God Rejects

Following

Who Do You Think You Are

Being Christian