Category Archives: Sin

Bible, Hard, Heart, Scripture, Sin, Stubbornness

STUBBORN AS A MULE

ROMANS 2:5

“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,” 

I’ve known some pretty stubborn people in my lifetime. I won’t name any names – you know who you are, lol. Being stubborn normally doesn’t get you what you want. It just makes everyone around you avoid you and go the other direction when they see you coming. We’ve all seen pictures of someone trying to move a donkey that has decided it was done with walking. That’s the picture of stubbornness.

The Greek word used by Paul here for “stubbornness” is only used right here in the whole New Testament. The word can mean hardness or callousness. Paul uses it here to portray a spiritual condition. You could say that these people were hard-hearted. I am reminded of Pharoah who hardened his heart against the Hebrew people. I know no one reading this devotional blog today wants to be like that.

APPLICATION

Psalm 95:8 gives us a similar thought. “Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness,” Remember that story? This is where the people were complaining about not having any water. It’s also the place where Moses struck the rock God had appointed instead of just speaking to it, as God had instructed. One person’s stubbornness can lead others to sin. Moses’ failure to do exactly as the Lord instructed cost him the Promised Land.

We also find hardness or stubbornness mentioned in Hebrews 3:13. This is not the same word used in Romans 2:5, but it comes from the same root word. “But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called ‘today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin can harden our hearts. Sin can make us stubborn and callous to correction.

Are you being stubborn right now about something the Lord has told you to confess? Maybe He has told you to do something, but you are bowing up to Him about it. You won’t find stubbornness listed anywhere as a fruit of the Spirit. Allow yourself to be molded into the shape God wants. Then you can be His useable vessel, not some hard, cracked pot.

Father God, help me shed any pride or stubbornness that keeps me from being all You want me to be.

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, Consequences, Damnation, Eternal Life, Eternity, Scripture, Sin

GIVEN UP

ROMANS 1:24

Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.”

There’s this funny video on Social Media in which a mother and her young son are debating whether her son should be allowed to take a spoonful of Hershey chocolate. Now, I’m not talking about cocoa for hot chocolate. I mean the kind you cook with which is very bitter. The boy insists he wants to try it. The mother has told him repeatedly he would not like it, but after constant begging, she “gives him up” to his own decision. Of course, you know the result. The boy takes a big spoonful and instantly regrets his decision.

That is exactly what God does to these unrepentant people Paul is describing. God will not force us to believe or follow His commands. The verb Paul uses here for “gave them up” is a common verb used 120 times in the New Testament. Paul uses it three times in verses 24-28 of Romans 1. Some definitions of this word are “to yield up, bring forth, cast, and deliver up.” The Greek word is paradídōmi from pará, (close-beside) and dídōmi, (give). This implies God had to be close beside to hand them over. Hmmm!

APPLICATION

One of the most powerful ways this word is used is in Romans 8:32 where Paul writes, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” The verb “delivered…over” is the same word we see in today’s verse. God did not spare His own Son, even for those who spurn the gift. These individuals could have changed course and come to God. I wonder if that happened to any those Paul is writing about.

God does not play games with us. If we won’t repent and turn to Him, the end is sure. Our sins will keep us out of heaven. Not everyone goes to heaven, contrary to popular belief. We can’t sit in judgment and know whether a person is saved or not. But we are able to see the fruit of their lives and know whether they are walking with Him daily. This is a hard truth and one many don’t want to hear.

Our choices have consequences – eternal consequences. This verse is for each of us today. We need to ponder a minute where we are with the Lord. I know that I know that I know that I am saved by the blood of the Lamb and will spend eternity with Him. How about you? Are you sure? You can be. God has a special place prepared for every believer. Is your reservation booked?

Lord God, I am thankful Your Holy Spirit did a work in my life and drew me to 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, Darkness, Foolishness, Heart, Scripture, Sin

DARK HEARTS

ROMANS 1:21

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.”

Almost every day we read headlines of another senseless murder. Yesterday, I read about a couple who were killed while on a hike with their two young daughters (thankfully, they were spared). As I write the killer is still at large. What a dark, dark heart, full of evil, to do such a thing. They not only took two innocent lives, but they also left two young girls without their parents. I only pray they did not witness the brutality.

Paul writes about these dark hearts in today’s verse. The word translated as “senseless” can also be translated as “wicked” or “without understanding.” And the word for “were darkened” is always used to refer to sin or judgment. It’s the word skotizó and refers to the absence of the light of Christ. Thanks be to God, we know how to rid the world of that darkness – the eternal light of God displayed through His Son, Jesus.

APPLICATION

In Romans 11:10, Paul uses skotizó again when he quotes Psalm 69:23 to describe the darkening of the minds of Israel. “‘MAY THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS CONTINUALLY.’” Israel refused to see Jesus as their Messiah, but long before that they had darkened their eyes to the light of God. We see that even today in the nation of Israel. Many there are Jewish by birth but not in heart. They have become darkened to God.

I am not disrespecting the nation of Israel. America is no better. We have long proclaimed ourselves as a Christian nation, but many in our country have darkened their hearts to God. So, I am not pointing fingers at Israel. This is true for mankind in general. What’s the cure for this darkness? The light of Christ, as I said earlier.

How’s your heart today? Is it dark with the unconfessed sins of your past or is it full of light? You have heard it said, “Confession is good for the soul.” Well, confession also erases the darkness and allow the light of Christ to shine, not only in you but also on others. Let your light shine today.

Father, erase the darkness of my soul and fill me with Your inexhaustible light!

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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Aroma, Bible, Gifts, Offering, Pleasing, Scripture, Sin

THAT SMELLS GOOD

PHILIPPIANS 4:18

“But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

My wife cooked up a couple of batches of brownies last week to take to a family gathering. Don’t you just love the smell of fresh baked brownies? It took all I could do not to dig into those as I cut them and placed them in the containers to take on the trip. Scooping up those warm brownies was tempting. I could just envision a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of one of those. Ahhh, the smells and the tastes!

Paul isn’t writing about baked goods, but he is using that imagery to describe how he received the gift from the Philippians. Not only was it given to him, but it was also “an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Their gift wasn’t just given to Paul. It was given to God. And Paul said it smelled good to Him. It was “a fragrant aroma.” The Greek actually reads “an odor of a sweet smell.” That’s pretty descriptive, isn’t it?

APPLICATION

In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul uses the same word to describe how we smell to God. “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:” We are not just a smell. We are sweet smell. God likes how we smell. The smell of sin has been washed away by the blood of Christ.

This Greek word eudoia is used one more time in the New Testament in Ephesians 5:2. Let’s back up to verse 1 to see the full context. “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Here that word is describing Christ. Do we smell like Christ to God? Do our gifts to God smell like Christ? Hmmm!

This time of year, when I come in from mowing our lawn, my smell is not a sweet fragrance to my wife. On the contrary, she quickly points to the shower and holds her nose. Now, I don’t smell myself because the odor has gradually grown on me while I’ve been out working. But she can sure smell me. Don’t let the smell of sin creep up on you. Stay washed in the Word and in His Spirit. Be a sweet fragrance to your God.

O Lord, I want to always be a sweet odor in Your nostrils with no smell of sin on me.

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Bible, Consequences, Discipline, Scripture, Sin, WRONGS

GOD’S DISCIPLINE

COLOSSIANS 3:25

“For the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.”

I have to admit that I did not get caught for all the things I did wrong growing up. I started at an early age doing wrong things. Me and my best friend used to sneak our dads’ cigarettes and smoke them in the backyard. I have disobeyed numerous traffic laws. Don’t point your fingers at me, lol. If I was judged for all my wrongs, I would be in so much trouble.

Paul tells us pretty plainly today that we will receive consequences for our wrongs. We may not get caught when we do them, but they will all come out one day. Now, let me clarify something. All our sins before salvation are forgiven and forgotten. We are children of God now. But we will be held liable for the sins we willingly commit afterwards. They won’t negate our salvation, but we will face some discipline for them.

APPLICATION

I think the best way to explain this is to show Hebrews 12:5-11. Hang in there and read it all. In fact, read it a few times to make sure you understand it.

“5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE PUNISHED BY HIM; 6 FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE PUNISHES EVERY SON WHOM HE ACCEPTS.’ 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

I know that was a long passage, but I feel it explains today’s verse well. You may have heard it said that the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible. This is a good example. Take some time to meditate on these verses in Hebrews and evaluate how you are living your life. Then, if necessary, repent of those sins that you have been holding on to.

Lord, forgive me for holding on to some of my “pet” sins and not laying them at the cross.

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Bible, Corpse, Death, Scripture, Sin

DIE TO THIS STUFF

COLOSSIANS 3:5

“Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

Did you know the Romans had a punishment where they would tie a corpse to a condemned man? No one was allowed to remove it. They were tied facing each other, limb to limb, face to face. To make it worse, they continued to feed the living person until the rotting flesh of the corpse totally corrupted the living person and both turn black. Horrible.

Paul says to “treat the parts of your earthly body as dead.” Stop carrying that stuff around. The things he names (sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed) are like that rotting flesh of that corpse. If they are not cut away, they will rot your body and your spirit.

APPLICATION

What are you carrying around? What are you still shackled to? Can you smell that rottenness? Don’t you want to cut it loose? You can! You don’t have to live that way. Jesus set you free from the curse of sin. We have power over sin. We do not have to yield to it. I hear people say, “Well, I just can’t help myself.” That’s a lie from the pit of hell. We choose sin over righteousness because it’s easier.

I want to ask you to take a moment and examine your life. Cut away that thing that is hindering your spiritual growth. It may not seem as vile as the things Paul named, but anything that hinders your walk with Jesus should be examined closely and put away.

The Greek states this more emphatically. It says to “put to death” these things. It’s written as a command that is to be done once, not repeatedly. In other words, drop it and never pick it up again. Can you do that? Jesus can give you the power. You just have to ask Him. Die to this stuff today and walk in victory.

Lord, I know I have no excuse for dragging that old, dead corpse with me. Cut it away right now. 

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Anger, Bible, Peace, Scripture, Sin

BE ANGRY?

EPHESIANS 4:26

“BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

I bet you never get angry. The water is different at your house. Right! We all get angry from time to time. The problem with anger is we normally let our emotions get the best of us and say or do things we normally would not. We get angry in traffic (confession time). We get angry at the weather, like that’s gonna help. We get angry at the alarm clock. Can I get an amen? Fortunately, we have some instructions in God’s Word about how to handle our anger.

Paul gives us some vital instructions in verses 26 and 27 (we will see that verse tomorrow). I felt the definition in HELPS Word studies was too good to not include the whole thing. The word for “be angry” is orgízō. It means to “be angry, as expressing a ‘fixed anger’ (settled opposition). Orgízo is positive when inspired by God – and always negative when arising from the flesh. “Sinful (unnecessary) anger’ focuses on punishing the offender rather than the moral content of the offense.”

APPLICATION

Wasn’t that good? Anger can be good or bad, depending on the source. We all know the story of Jesus getting angry in the Temple and overturning the money changers’ tables (Matthew 21:12). But listen, that does not give us the right to run in somewhere and start tearing things up. James 1:20 says, “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Just because Jesus did it, that does not mean we should act that way. Remember, He was (and still is) God.

I like verse 26 because I can easily follow this command. Well…the first two words, lol. But the verse does not stop there. Paul goes on to tell us, “And yet do not sin.” Did you know Paul was quoting Psalm 4:4? It says, “Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. Selah.” It’s not an exact quotation but obviously the same idea is there.

What gets you angry? Can you get angry and not sin? That’s a hard one, isn’t it? Paul closes this verse by telling us to make things right before we lay our heads down each night. I have to admit I haven’t always done that. That’s wrong. That’s not what God tells us to do here. Can you practice this verse today and then again tomorrow and the day after that? In the absence of anger peace arises.

O Lord, let me not get angry over things that are no importance to You. Help me keep my anger in check with all my loved ones.

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Battles, Bible, Choices, Failures, God's Will, Scripture, Sin

THROW OUT THE OLD

EPHESIANS 4:22

“that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,” 

One good thing about moving is the opportunity to get rid of some stuff, especially clothes which you haven’t worn or can’t wear any more. Why do we hang on to the old stuff? When my dad passed away, he left a shop and three outbuildings full of old sinks, toilets, light fixtures and pieces of wood and metal. He wouldn’t throw anything away. Guess what? Somebody has to, eventually.

In today’s verse, Paul tells us to “rid yourselves of the old self.” The verb here means to renounce, lay aside. In other words, take it off and don’t put it back on. That “old self” mentioned there is not talking about our personality or body. He is talking about that manner of life we lived before Christ. Don’t revert to your old ways. You have something new now. Don’t go back!

APPLICATION

The same verb is used several other times in the New Testament, almost always talking about getting rid of the bad stuff. Look over in Colossians 3:8 where Paul said, “But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.” How about that verse that is so often quoted from Hebrews 12:1? “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

What are you still hanging on to that you need to let go? I am not talking about clothes or books. I am talking about habits or sins. I was talking to a guy recently who wants to get rid of his nicotine habit. He stopped smoking but is still using nicotine patches. He knows it is not good for him. He is asking the Lord to take away that addiction. Praise the Lord.

Can I give you some advice? If you have something (and we all do) that you need to lay aside, put it out of your reach. Don’t leave it laying somewhere that is easily accessible. If it’s around, you will more easily stumble. Throw it away. Dispose of it. Put it out of reach. And God will give you the strength and fortitude to live without it. I promise He is able.

Thank You, Father, for delivering me from those things that so easily entangle me.

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Bible, Law, Power, Scripture, Sin

THROWN IN NEUTRAL

EPHESIANS 2:15

“by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace;”

Have you ever driven a manual transmission vehicle? You know, a stick shift. I grew up driving my dad’s three-on-the-column manual transmission pickup. I loved that truck and wanted to buy it from him, but he sold it to someone else. Occasionally that truck would get stuck in neutral. You’d be driving down the road and shift from first to second or from third to second and the mechanism that control the shift would get stuck in neutral. All you could do is coast to the side of the road, get out, raise the hood, yank on the mechanism to loosen it and then start off again. Vehicles in neutral won’t go anywhere. They have been made idle.

The Greek word translated as “abolished” is katargeó, which means to “idle down, rendering something inert (‘completely inoperative’); i.e. being of no effect (totally without force, completely brought down)” (HELPS Word Studies). When Christ came, He rendered the law as powerless. The source of all the hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles now had no power to cause that enmity. They were now one in Christ.

APPLICATION

Over in Romans 6:6, Paul tells us the same thing happens to our sin nature. “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” When will we realize that sin has no power over us any longer? We can’t use the excuse that we just couldn’t help ourselves. Yes, we can.

1 Corinthians 15:26 says that death will be neutralized one day. “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” One day there will be no more death. Christ will rule and reign in a New Kingdom here on earth. As believers in Christ, we will be right there with Him. There is no fear in physical death for a believer because we know that our life is really in the hands of the Master.

I am not saying we should sit around in neutral. No! We have work to do until He comes. There are souls to save. There is kingdom work to do. But don’t let the law, don’t let sin rule and reign over you. They are powerless. Christ has rendered both neutral. Now just shift gears with Jesus.

I am thankful that my power does not come from anywhere but You, Lord. 

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Bible, Choices, Death, Decisions, Eternal Life, Eternity, Gospel, Offenses, Scripture, Sin

YOU WERE DEAD

Ephesians 2:1

“And you were dead in your offenses and sins,” 

Let me let you in on a little secret – dead means dead. I have attended a lot of funerals and burials and have never once met someone who came back from that event. I am not trying to be hurtful or disrespectful if you have gone through that recently. I just know that death is the final act of this earthly body. Unless you are lucky enough to have been brought back medically, everyone who is reading this has never experienced death – yet.

Paul kind of slaps the Ephesians in the face with today’s verse. “You were dead! D-E-A-D, Dead!” Why? Because of their offenses and sins. Remember Romans 6:23? “For the wages of sin is death,…” The result of the fall of man in the garden was death – physical and spiritual death. Without an intervention by God, man would die spiritually because of their sins. Paul wants the Ephesians to remember that.

APPLICATION

You are probably thinking Well, thanks for the good news, Carl. That really made my day! You have to hang on. The first three verses of chapter 2 are all about showing us what we were BEFORE Jesus. In verse four we will see the good news. So, just hang in there. Keep coming back each day to get the full picture. This may feel like a cliffhanger, but I promise there is a bridge in sight.

Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—” It all sounds so hopeless, doesn’t it? We have all been infected by this germ called “sin.” It is highly contagious. In fact, we were all born with it. Now hang on, Carl. You can’t tell me those precious little babies are sin filled. According to Scripture, yep! I don’t believe a baby or child will be held accountable for that until they are able to hear and comprehend the Gospel (but that’s a whole other discussion for another day).

I love 1 John and how John shows when we have left this sin-filled life and chosen to live our lives for Jesus. He says this in 1 John 3:14. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.” This is how we apply this verse. First, we accept Jesus, and then we show the world. Can you live today in that manner? Through Christ, you can.

O Lord, You have given me a new life. Help me live it honoring You.

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