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Excuses for Sin

Excuse (def.) --suggests trying to justify a mistake or failure or to make it seem less serious, in order to escape being blamed or punished... something said to explain an offense or failure.

I keep wondering why we so often attempt to make excuses for sins in our lives. How is that though we say we love God, so often it is difficult to look at ourselves head-on and see the sin that God sees? How come it is so easy to make excuses to others, who often see us for what we are, and the sins we commit? Why is it that the sins we try to hide the most, are the ones that keep coming to light, until we finally say, "No more excuses"?

Hebrews 10:26 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"

Also Hebrews 10:10-24

There are so many excuses that people give for remaining in sin or denying that they are sinning. Over the years I've heard so many. One excuse often being used, that was close to home, was "my background". Other examples are "my home life" or "the way I was brought up" or ???

It took several years for me to understand that I had been using the fact that my dad had been an alcoholic and we were raised in an abusive home, as a reason to hold on to an incredibly destructive anger. I never recognized that it was even there for several years into our marriage. But God saw and knew what was needed to reveal this sin and what was needed for me to deal with it.

Some other "pet" excuses used by people are "it's my personality" or "God made me that way." I have to smile at these in a way, because I've heard those same excuses used by people that abhor psychology and the "personality" breakdowns. Many would recognize that referring to the "four personalities" as an excuse for behaving ungodly is sin. In fact, regardless of how unique God has made each of us, the Bible clearly states that all are to have evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. There are no verses that describe or let us make excuses for sin because of our personalities, backgrounds or circumstances. But there are many verses that say we are to change and put off sin. God expects that of us.

Ephesians 4:20-26 "But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil"

Ephesians 4:29-32 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away with you, with all malice: And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

The scriptures also speak of what happens to those that hang onto sin.

Romans 2 :5-9 "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; For there is no respect of persons with God."

We can often deceive ourselves with our excuses, and justify remaining in sin and committing more sins. This type of behavior can happen over and over. It depends on how sensitive we are to the leading of the Holy Spirit. As well, justifying and deceiving ourselves can make us believe that we are absolutely right in our behavior, and that thinking often leads to further sin.

Jeremiah 17:9 " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Proverbs 21:2 "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts."

Proverbs 28:25,26 " He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered."

Ephesians 4:17-20 "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ;"

Proverbs 21:23,24 " Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath."

Some have a perception that they are justified to sin because they feel others have hurt them or falsely accused them, whether it is true or not. Often that justification keeps a person from seeing the sin they are committing. Others feel that being a Christian and contending for the faith gives one license to use whatever words and attitudes they feel like using --all in the name of "righteousness". But failure to exhibit the things of Christ, or being a reflection of Him, means we have fallen into sin somewhere along the way. Or perhaps it could mean a person did not, or no longer, belongs to Christ.

We are admonished and warned to be aware of those that are not necessarily of God.

Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Colossians 3:12-17a "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another..." 

Colossians 3:5-10 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:"

2 Tim 3:1-7 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Proverbs 22:10-13 "Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea strife and reproach shall cease. He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor."

1 Timothy 6:3-6 " If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain."

And finally:

Luke 6:43-48 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

He is like a man which built an house, and digged it deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock." 

We need to be "fruit inspectors" and weigh carefully what is growing around us. We also need to check where we've built our "House" and we need to be sure that we're on the "Rock". 

All Scripture quotes from the Authorized King James Bible

Copyright . All articles are the sole property of SeekGod.ca and Vicky Dillen. All Scripture King James Version unless otherwise stated.

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