Category Archives: Sin

Lions and Rams football players collide during a nighttime game
Bible, Defeat, Hebrews, Promises, Scripture, Sin

COMING UP SHORT

HEBREWS 4:1

“Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.”

Anyone who is an American football fan knows what a goal line stand is. It’s when one team has the ball right at the goal line ready to score, but the opposing team digs end and stops them. They cause the other team to come up short. While the defensive team may celebrate this achievement, the offensive team that was trying to score, perhaps to win the game, is dejected. Instead of a victory, they experience a defeat.

The writer of Hebrews expresses a similar event spiritually. There is the real possibility that people will “come short” of entering God’s rest (heaven). The Greek word for “come short” is hysteréō. HELPS Word-studies defines it this way – “(from hýsteros, ‘last’) – properly, at ‘the end,’ i.e. coming behind (to ‘be posterior, late’); (figuratively) coming behind and therefore left out; left wanting (falling short).” It is in the Perfect tense which implies completed action in the past that has lasting results. In other words, this “coming short” is a permanent thing once the end comes.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

May I suggest that we have a Sin to avoid here. We should do all we can to avoid coming up short. Hysteréō is used in Romans 3:23 where it says we all “fall short of the glory of God. It’s also used in the story of the rich, young ruler in Mark 10:21 where Jesus says, “‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” He lacked or fell short of entering His rest because of his wealth.

Barnes gives four examples of who this verse relates to. “(1) Those who are professors of religion but who have never known anything of true piety. (2) those who are expecting to be saved by their own works and are looking forward to a world of rest on the ground of what their own hands can do. (3) those who defer attention to the subject from time to time until it becomes too late. They expect to reach heaven, but they are not ready to give their hearts to God ‘now,’ and the subject is deferred from one period to another, until death arrests them unprepared. (4) those who have been awakened to see their guilt and danger, and who have been almost but not quite ready to give up their hearts to God.”

We all know people who fall into one of those categories. Let’s do all we can to help them take that final step of trusting Jesus as their Savior and entering into His rest. I have family members who are in that situation. It is my prayer that I can say or do something to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus before they also “come short” of glory.

Lord, give us all the opportunities to share Your Gospel with those who are in this position of coming up short.

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Father sitting with two children on a patterned rug in a living room
Bible, Hebrews, Judgment, Numbers, Obedience, Scripture, Sin

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

HEBREWS 3:17

“And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?”

My dad didn’t mince words. What I mean by that is when he said something he meant it. If he told me and my siblings to do something, he expected us to do it. He taught us that early so when we got into those teenage years, we knew there was no reason to try to “negotiate.” When he said it, that was it. He had the final word on things.

God has the final word on everything. Today’s verse goes back to Numbers 14:28-30 when God laid down the law about His decision regarding those who rebelled against Him in the wilderness. It says, “28 ‘Say to them, “As I live,” declares the LORD, “just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; 29 your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all your numbered men according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30 By no means will you come into the land where I swore to settle you, except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.”’” And what He said came true. After 40 years, only Joshua and Caleb remained. Wow!

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Boy, if this isn’t a Command to Obey and a Promise to claim I am not sure what is. The command would be to obey what the Lord says. There is no need to question His word when it is clearly given. When God told Adam and Eve to not eat of the tree in the garden and they did, what did He do? Exactly what He said He would do. Death entered mankind. When God told the people of Israel to not worship other gods and they did, what did He do? Exactly what He said He would do. He judged them, often with an ungodly nation.

The promise He gives, though, is just as true. He promises us blessings if we obey. He promises us eternal life if we come to Him for salvation. He promises to care and watch over us if we follow His will. What are you going to do, rebel and suffer the consequences or follow the Lord in obedience? God is not going to change His mind. He stands for justice and truth. His integrity can never be challenged. Trust His word, whether to dispense justice or blessings.

I am reminded again of one of my favorite verses. It is found in Joshua 21:45. “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass.” Keep in mind this was written AFTER the Numbers passage. After He had judged them in the wilderness, He kept His promises which He had promised them. All of them. He does the same for us. Obey Him and reap the blessings of His promises.

Thank You, Lord, for holding me accountable and also for blessing me as I obey You.

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Hiker with backpack walking along a mountain ridge trail
Bible, Disobedience, Hebrews, Old Self, Scripture, Sin, Straying

GOING ASTRAY

HEBREWS 3:10

“THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’;”

There is a spot where I go hunting on a friend’s lease that requires me to know exactly where I am going. Once I took what I thought was a shorter route to the tree stand only to wind up right in the middle of a thicket that was full of downed timber. It was practically impossible to walk through without crawling over logs and through some horrible thorny vines. Needless to say, I learned my lesson about taking my eyes off the path.

It is so easy to go astray if we take our eyes off the One Who is guiding us. The writer of Hebrews quotes verse 10 of Psalm 95 here which says, “‘For forty years I was disgusted with that generation, and said they are a people who err in their heart,

and they do not know My ways.’” These Hebrew children erred time and time again and strayed from God’s commands. But we are the same. We think we know best, right?

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

We can see an Application to make here. God is telling us to stay on the path, do not stray. The Greek word for “astray” is planáō which means “go astray, get off-course; to deviate from the correct path (circuit, course), roaming into error, wandering; (passive) be misled. Planáō is the root of the English term, planet (‘wandering body’). This term nearly always conveys the sin of roaming.” (HELPS Word-studies)

planáō which means “go astray, get off-course; to deviate from the correct path (circuit, course), roaming into error, wandering; (passive) be misled. Planáō is the root of the English term, planet (‘wandering body’). This term nearly always conveys the sin of roaming.” (HELPS Word-studies)

In Mark 12:27 we see this word used when Jesus says, “‘He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.’” The word “mistaken” is planáō. Sometimes we go astray when we are misled by others. We may receive wrong teaching that confuses the truth. I know those teachers will receive a greater judgment.

However, often our straying is of our own doing. In James 1:14-16 we see this clearly. “14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters.” The word “deceived” is planáō. Our own sins will cause us to stray.

So, how do we combat that? Stay in the Word. Stay in prayer. Live holy lives. Confess quickly and often. Do not give the devil an inch. You know he will take a mile. Stay on the path you know – the path of righteousness.

Father God, lead me on Your path of righteousness and keep me from going astray.

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Bible, Hebrews, Perfection, Scripture, Sin, Suffering, Temptations

TEMPTATIONS

HEBREWS 2:18

“For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

I once had a friend who was discipler of men until the day he passed into Glory. I will never forget we were in a meeting with some other men and were discussing purity and the temptations of the flesh. At the time, my friend was 86 or 87 years old. Someone asked him, “Does this ever end?” He humbly and gently said, “Men, the temptations of the flesh never end, but we do learn how to resist them better each day we surrender.” I have shared that story several times with men who thought they could forever quash those temptations.

Today’s verse is similar to Hebrews 4:15 which says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.” The Greek word “tempted” is the same in both verses. It means to be tried or tested. It can be in a negative way (which the Lord would never do) or a positive way (which the Lord often uses to grow us).

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

In this verse we have a Promise to claim, a Sin to avoid, an Application to make, and Something new about God. The Promise to claim is that Jesus will come to our aid in our temptations. But we have to call on Him. We can’t choose to sin and then cry that He didn’t help us. This is a proactive decision. Before you sin, when you are tempted cry out to Him and He promises to deliver.

A Sin to avoid is obvious. Don’t yield to temptation. Jesus has shown us through His sinless life that it is possible. Think of the suffering He endured and yet He did not yield to the temptation to react. Do you remember the temptations He faced in the wilderness by Satan himself? Who was going to know? He was all by Himself out there. Is that an excuse you have used?

An Application to make is given us by showing us the possibility of refraining from temptation. If you are like me, you are faced with temptations every day. It may be in how you talk to your spouse or children. It may be in refraining from talking badly about someone. We can apply this verse to our life every day.

Something new about God is a reminder of the fact that our God, our Savior is sinless perfection. There is not a shred of sin in His life, never has been and never will be. We will not reach sinless perfection in this lifetime. We will be able to experience that in heaven one day.

Today, give thanks to the Lord for His sinless perfection in the midst of suffering and for His example to us of how to live our lives daily.

O Lord, You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words because You are perfectly sinless.

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Group of wild boars standing in a wooden enclosure surrounded by trees
Bible, Caught, Disobedience, Enslavement, Mercy, Romans, Scripture, Sin

ENCLOSED IN SIN

ROMANS 11:32

“For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.”

I love to hunt, as you probably know if you follow this blog. And I love to watch hunting videos. There are thousands of those out there. You can watch videos about deer, turkey, bear, geese, ducks and wild pigs. That last group is a destructive bunch. They can destroy a crop in the field overnight. Some farmers have resorted to catching them by luring them into a pen which automatically shuts. I love watching a huge herd of them enter and get caught. They go wild at first and then they just settle in and keep eating that bait.

Why in the world am I talking about catching pigs? Because there is a word that is used in today’s verse which can be illustrated by that story I just told. Paul uses the Greek word sugkleió, which means to conclude, enclose or shut up. This verse is the concluding verse of the subject about the Jews and the Gentiles that Paul has been writing about for a quite a while. The remainder of chapter 11 is an eruption of praise. I can’t wait for those verses.

APPLICATION

“The verb (sugkleió) carries the idea of shutting in together, hemming in on every side, or confining within fixed limits. In biblical usage the confinement can be either literal (fish in a net) or metaphorical (humanity under sin or the Law). Each occurrence portrays an intentional act of God that precedes a gracious purpose.” (Topical Lexicon) We see this word used in Luke 5:6 where we read, “And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear;” The word “caught” is sugkleió.

The word is used again in Galatians 3:22. “But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” I am reminded of Romans 3:23 here, as it relates to this verse. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We have all been shut up into sin. Why did God allow that? To show us mercy. To show us our need for a Savior.

Much like those pigs who went crazy at first and then settled down and kept eating the bait, we too act the same. We may initially try to get out of the sin that has shut us up. But if we do not turn to the One who can release us, we will settle in and continue to eat the bait of sin. I prefer freedom in Christ. Hallelujah, I have been set free from the bonds of sin. How about you?

Father God, thank You for setting me free from the pigpen of sin I had entered.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Man in dirty work clothes and gloves carrying a bag entering a home through the front door
Bible, Forgiveness, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Romans, Sacrifice, Scripture, Sin

THE REMOVAL OF SIN

ROMANS 11:27

“‘THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.’”

When I was young, I worked in my uncle’s and my cousin’s tobacco fields. That was hot, hard work. But it was also dirty work. I would come home at the end of a long day completely filthy. The tar from those tobacco leaves stains your hands and ruins your clothes. I found that green tomatoes could cut the grim from my hands. Getting clean from a day’s work was work in itself. I am so glad I am not responsible for getting myself clean spiritually. That’s God’s job.

Paul reflects on God’s covenant with His chosen nation today and seems to allude to Jeremiah31:33-34. What he writes in verse 27 of Romans 11 is more of a paraphrase than a direct quote. Those verses say, “33 ‘For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD: ‘I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 35 They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.’”

APPLICATION

What great words from the Lord to His people. Paul reminds us that God is a covenant-keeping God. He will never leave His children wanting. He still pursues the Jewish nation today. One day every knee will bow to Jesus, even those who are a part of the Jewish nation. He cleansed them once through the blood sacrifices and cleanses them today through the blood of His Lamb, Jesus Christ.

The same Greek word for “take away” is used in Hebrews 10:4 and is a reminder of the futility of those old blood sacrifices. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The word means to cut off take away. Isaiah 43:25 goes even further in this description of the removal of our sins. “‘I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.’” He removes them and remembers them no more. Wow!

Give the Lord praise today for this wonderful gift. You can probably remember your sins, can’t you? But God chooses to remember them no more. Once you come to Jesus, all He sees is His blood covering you. Can I encourage you to look at other’s sins the same way? Pray for them. Forgive them if they have harmed you. Place them in God’s hands. Only He can remove the stain of those sins, but we can move past them through His power.

O Lord, there are no words to express my gratitude for the forgiveness of my sins.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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A man carrying a glowing, magical orb with constellations and runes on his back while walking on a mountain path
Awe, Bible, Bowing, Isaiah, Romans, Scripture, Sin, Worship

BOWED BACKS

ROMANS 11:10

“‘MAY THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT AND BEND THEIR BACKS CONTINUALLY.’”

When I was growing up in rural Southwest Georgia, I worked for Walter Pollock and Sons. Mr. Walter was a farmer and businessman. One of his operations was a Feed and Seed store. We also sold fertilizer and other crop products. During peanut season I would often get sent out to the warehouse to load land plaster which the farmers used to dust their peanuts. Those bags were about the size of concrete bags and weighed about 80 pounds each. We would load two or three bags on our shoulders and carry them onto awaiting trucks, usually ten to fifteen tons. That will bow your back after a full day.

The imagery Paul uses in today’s verse is of the Jews who would suffer hardships due to their refusal to follow the Lord. We know that during Paul’s day he saw many Jews suffering under Roman rule. Some of those Jews were forced into servitude in mines or building roads. Their backs were bent from this work. Hardships often follow disobedience. You’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it.

APPLICATION

Paul isn’t referring to bowed backs due to just hard work. There’s nothing wrong with hard work. But when our disobedience causes extra burdens to bear, that’s when God’s judgment can come into play. Are you hearing me? Are you under a heaven burden right now of your own making? Take a step back and do a little observation. What is the Lord trying to steer you away from? What is He asking you to change about your life?

The Topical Lexicon explains the word used by Paul for “bend.” It is the word sunkamptō and appears once in the New Testament here in today’s verse. “Paul quotes Psalm 69 to portray divine judgment that leaves the unrepentant with ‘backs … bent forever’ (Berean Standard Bible). The verb pictures a forced, continuous bowing that contrasts sharply with the joyful, voluntary bending of worship.”

So, tell me what you would rather do – bend your backs in servitude to the sins that weigh you down or bend your knees in worship? I know what I prefer. Bowing before a holy God in reverence is a good bending. It is a sign of humility and awe. Try that today. Bend your knees and your back before Him. He will lift you up. I guarantee you the devil won’t pick you up. He’ll keep putting more weight on your shoulders.

Thank You, Lord, for lifting my burdens on Calvary. I bow before You now is reverence to Your name.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Flesh, Glory, Heaven, Romans, Scripture, Sin

HARD WORDS TO HEAR

ROMANS 8:20

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope”

Do you remember as a child when your parents said, “This is for your own good”? Usually, that involved a spanking or some type of discipline for you to learn by. I never understood (or believed) that until I had children of my own and found myself saying the same thing. Sometimes the only way we can learn valuable lessons is go through a trial or perhaps even discipline. (Hebrews 12:11)

Today’s verse is a little difficult to comprehend at first glance. Can I boil it down for you? As followers of Christ, we are subjected to sin and all the consequences of it. God could have chosen to save us and then take us directly to heaven. Instead, He left us here on earth for a reason. Why would He do that? Didn’t He know it would be difficult for us? Didn’t He know we would fail and lapse into sin from time to time? Didn’t He know we would face discouragement in the midst of these trials?

APPLICATION

You know I reference Albert Barnes a lot in my blogs. Well, he gives some good reasons why God allows us to remain here and to be subjected to sin after we are saved. Look at these examples he gives: “1. Christians are subjected to this state to do good to their fellow sinners. 2. By their remaining here the power of the gospel is shown in overcoming their sin; in meeting their temptations; in sustaining them in trial; and in thus furnishing living evidence to the world of the power and excellency of that gospel. 3. It furnishes occasion for some interesting exhibitions of character – for hope, and faith, and love, and for increasing and progressive excellence. 4. It is a proper training for heaven. 5. It is fit and proper that he should engage here in the service of Him who has redeemed him.”

Now, these examples Barnes gives are not straight from Scripture, but each could be shown true in Scripture. For whatever reason God has chosen to leave us here, it is good because He is good and all that He does is good. We may not understand it now, but we can trust in His goodness. God is preparing us all for a future glory. Doesn’t that give you hope?

As you go through your own life lessons, lean on the truth of God’s Word. He has given us freedom from the penalty of sin and the power to refrain from it. He has not saved us to make us suffer here in our sinful, fleshy bodies. No, He has saved us to be a shining example of His power through fallen man. Trust in His power, not your own, to overcome the sinful desires in your life. He is able!

Lord, I so desire to be with You in glory but use me while I am here to show Your glory to others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Flesh, Pleasing, Romans, Scripture, Sin

SHORT AND SWEET

ROMANS 8:8

“and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I like keeping things short and sweet. I used to teach Houseparents in the Children’s Homes where I worked how to deescalate an unruly child. One of the best ways is to give them clear and concise instructions. You know, the K.I.S.S. philosophy – Keep It Simple Stupid. That probably sounds rude, but that method works with kids. Keep our rules and expectations short and sweet. Why do you think God gave us the ten commandments and not one hundred?

Paul says it very concisely in verse 8 of Romans 8. If you are in the flesh, you cannot please God. The word for “please” is areskó which carries with it the idea of “winning someone’s favor because you are meeting their expectation.” (HELPS Word-studies) The word is used 17 times in the New Testament in reference to pleasing God or pleasing men. One of those should be our priority, right?

APPLICATION

Paul talks about this battle between pleasing God and pleasing men in Galatians 1:10. “For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  Paul was not concerned with trying to please people. His sole devotion was to pleasing God, even to the point of imprisonment and death.

In Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 he says, “Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel even more.” Pleasing the Lord should be part of our daily walk, not just on special occasions. I cannot please my wife just on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. It has to be a daily choice. The same holds true with God.

You have to remember that God knows our very thoughts. He knows our motivations for pleasing Him long before we do or say anything. Pleasing God is a heart decision. That’s why Paul tells us that if we are pleasing the flesh, we will never please God. So, the question is before us. Do we seek to please ourselves, others or God? We have to make a choice. But choose wisely. Don’t try to ride the fence with this decision. Please the One who loves you unconditionally and with an everlasting love.

Father in heaven, forgive me for the times I have sought to please myself or others before You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Romans, Scripture, Sin, Struggles

CALLOUSES

ROMANS 7:24

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

Have you ever developed a callous on your hands from excessive use of them without protection? There have been times in my life when I was working more with my hands that I developed some. I am sure you’ve seen pictures or you may know someone with tough calloused hands or even feet. The initial pain of those callouses lessens the tougher they get, but damage has been done to the skin that will take months, if not years, to heal.

Paul uses a word in today’s verse that is translated as “wretched” that has the idea of callouses. It’s the word talaipóros which comes from two Greek words, talaō, “to bear, undergo” and pōros, “a callous.” HELPS Word-studies says this word is “describing a person with severe side-effects from great, ongoing strain (significant hardships).” Paul has been describing this in the past several verses as he strains between feeding the flesh (sin) and feeding the spirit (righteousness). He exclaims, “Oh how calloused I have become! Who will help me?” Can you relate?

APPLICATION

We are told in the Topical Lexicon, “The term serves as Scripture’s searching spotlight, revealing the misery of sin and the futility of self-reliance. Whether voiced by an apostle wrestling with the flesh or by the risen Christ confronting a complacent church, it presses every hearer to embrace the only effective remedy—grace through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The only other time it used in the New Testament is in Revelation 3:17 describing the church at Laodicea. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,’ and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,…” The church had become calloused to its condition, just as we can become. Without the tender Spirit of God working in our lives, we can become numb to the sting of sin.

Is there a sin right now in your life that you no longer feel guilty of? Maybe you have battled with this for so long you can’t feel the sting of the sin in your life. The damage has been done, and you no longer feel the need to confess it. I read about a famous Christian leader who just confessed to an eight year affair he had been having. I have to believe that that sin had become calloused. Praise God he finally was moved to confession. Sadly, damage has already been done in multiple relationships because of it. Don’t let your callousness to sin cause damage in your relationship to our Lord.

Keep me tender, Lord, to the sting of sin in my life so I can confess it quickly and receive healing.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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