Sin is deceitful, it carries a heavy cost.
God warned Adam not to eat the fruit of a specific tree because the fruit of that tree would cause death. But Satan deceived Eve into believing that God was a liar. Genesis 3:4-5
Today we have commandments from God meant for our good, but just as Satan did in the Garden of Eden so he is convincing the world that God is a liar and doesn’t want us to have any fun.
The truth is that God is not a kill-joy. His commandments have a loving purpose. He tells us not to commit certain actions, not because He dislikes us, but quite the opposite. God is wise, He knows the consequences that actions will have, and His commandments for us are meant for our good.
Satan has power in this world and he uses it to deceive. We see the pleasures of sin on television, but rarely are shown the consequences. Advertising shows us the pleasures of alcohol, but not the consequences of alcoholism. Magazines picture the pleasures of promiscuous sex, but not the consequences of disease. Movies portray prideful arrogance, but not the consequences of disrespecting authority. We are bombarded with images of the pleasures of wealth but not the health robbing consequences of greed.
Our creator is a loving God, but Satan’s lies have deceived us to ignore our God and live in sin. Over time the consequences of that deception takes a heavy toll.
Fortunately our creator God has good news for us who have fallen under the deception of sin. Jesus through His word speaks to us today…
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus has the power to give us rest from sin because He paid the penalty of our sin for us. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus never sinned, so He did not owe His life for sin, but took upon Himself the penalty of our sin and paid the consequences of death for us. He then overcame those consequences by His resurrection from the dead. Death could not contain Him.
By His victory over sin and death He now has the power to save us both from the eternal consequences of death as well as being able to give us victory over the power of sin in our daily lives. His Word the bible calls upon us to see if this is true…
Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The truth is that God has a plan for each of our lives and He has made us in such a way that we find the greatest happiness when we choose to walk in His plan...
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
So He is definitely not a kill joy. He made us so that when we walk in His plan and delight in Him, that is when we find the desires of our heart are fulfilled.
All of us have suffered the consequences of sin, but some of us have tasted and seen that Jesus has power to heal. If sin has taken a toll in your life we invite you to come and let us teach you the things that we have learned about Him from His Word the bible.
For further reading about the salvation that brings rest from the burdens of sin check the salvation page. more
If sin has brought specific consequences in your life and you are in need of knowing how God can help you, our Pastoral staff invites you to communicate with us. Fill in the form below with as much info as you desire and your info will be directed to the Pastors at New Hope.
