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This article will hit a vast majority of Christians and non-Christians alike. I warn you ahead of time that I will use a Bible verse from God that each and every one of us lives in daily. The Bible verse is Genesis 4:6-7: "Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.'" This verse proves that God is omniscient (He knows all things). God knew that Cain was upset with his brother Abel because Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God. Cain's sacrifice was not. Cain became jealous. Jealousy leads to hatred. Hatred leads to murder. That is basic carnal nature 101. God Himself came down and told Cain sin was crouching at his door. He knew that Cain's mind and heart (his spirit) was ready to lash out in a major sin (murder). Think about this for a minute. God came down from heaven to warn Cain and tell him that he must rule over it (overcome it). For you theologians of the Bible, think about this. God said you must rule over it, even before the blood of Christ was shed for us. We are now not only saved but filled with the Holy Spirit and our hearts are sanctified with purity. Because of this it is even easier for us to overcome sin. But Cain came face to face with God and was warned to make the right choice and not hate his brother. Cain instead tricked his brother and killed him. Cain would not even take God's advice. What a tragic end to Cain. He begged for mercy. God marked Cain as a marked person and shipped him out.
Today, we too all have free choice and we will not listen to God. You read the Bible and the Holy Spirit speaks to you, the preacher preaches and the Holy Spirit speaks to you, a Sunday School teacher reads to you right out of the Bible and the Holy Spirit speaks to you. But just like Cain who grieved God, we grieve the Holy Spirit and reject His advice. I cannot tell you how many people throughout 27 years plus in ministry have come to church because of some crisis in their life, because prevenient grace drew them into the church, or something as simple as a neighbor came and brought them because they cared about their eternal soul ending up in hell. Most of the people that come to church are sincere. All want to go to heaven, including you that reads this article. Here is where the discontentment comes from. They want me to preach, or they want their friends to teach, what they want to hear. As an ordained pastor, I am required to tell the truth. This is not just because of man's law, but more important because of God's law. God said no adultery, sexual immorality, fornication, homosexuality, and LGBTQ+. Before you start throwing stones, God loves these people and so should we. But sin will still keep them out of heaven. This is because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But wait, there is still more. God says we cannot bear false witness, cannot lie, cannot steal, cannot cuss, do not forsake the Sabbath day, and do not forsake the assembly. God says do not hate your enemy but to pray for him and love him, love your neighbor as yourself, not to carouse, do not look upon the wine when it moves in the glass, goes down smooth, stings like a bee, and makes your head swim (Proverbs). We try to justify drinking with 7 percent alcohol in the Bible with the comparison of 120 proof whiskey, 80 proof Vodka, and 25 proof cheap wine. Here is the ringer of all ringers. In the Lord's prayer and right after, Jesus says for us to pray.... forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive others their trespasses. After the prayer He says, if you don't forgive them, I won't forgive you!!
If I were to preach you are allowed to have sexual immorality, swearing, drinking, gossiping, slandering, hating, discord, etc., and tell you all of it was ok to do, that you are were still going to heaven, the church would be full. But so would hell. You can find most of what I have just written in two small chapters of the Bible in Exodus 20 (Ten Commandments) and Galatians 5. At the end of chapter 5, it tells us we won't inherit the kingdom of God if we act like this.
There is hope. Romans 6:12-14 says, for sin shall not have dominion over you. It is true we have grace, but we never continue in willful sin (v. 15). Jesus said we are allowed to check their fruit, which is also in ch. 5, v. 22-26. It says we have crucified the flesh, and we live in the Spirit. Pastors, teachers, don't preach failure, preach deliverance. Parishioners, and you that get mad and walk out of the church, saying this is what I believe, you are a modern-day Cain telling God you don't care what He thinks. You don't care what the Bible says, and you don't care what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you. The truth is the truth, even if you walk out the church door. God will never allow you in heaven with a deliberate sinful life. Genesis says sin is crouching at your door and you must overcome it.
Dr. Brian Brown
Lisbon Church of the Nazarene