...really? Not so!!
Satan wants us to think that if we think evil or lustful thoughts, that we have sinned already in our minds...but that is only the first step of temptation...and it comes from our "sinful nature."
Temptation is not a sin...but where we decide to take that temptation is an entirely whole new ballgame! We have a choice...at this point of temptation, to decide whether we are going to act according to what our sinful nature would desire us to do...or according to what our "Christ-like" nature would have us to do.
One can either choose to sin, or choose not to sin...and anyone that says it is impossible for you not to sin is a liar, and the truth is not in him...period.
IF you truly are a child of God and the Spirit of Christ dwells within you...THEN...all you have to do is choose not to sin...it's as easy as that...for the believer who walks in faith in Jesus Christ...they will choose life.
However...IF you are truly not a born-again child of God, filled with the Spirit of Christ...THEN...you will not choose not to sin...it's as clear cut as that...for the one who walks not in faith, in Jesus Christ...they will choose death.
By the fruit of your words and deeds...they will know of what type of tree you are.
I chose life...again!!!...
...21 years ago I confessed Jesus as my Lord and Savior...21 years ago...and it was prophetically declared to me on that day, that if I would walk in the way of the Lord, and follow Him, that He would bless my daughter...21 years ago...
21 years of:
ridicule...rejection...failure...despair...pain... trauma...
darkness...depression...testing...testing...testin g...trials...
trials...trials...temptations, one right after the other...choices...mostly bad...very few right...tears...more tears...and even more tears...false teachings...confusion...searching...seeking for truth...21 years...
Last night my beautiful daughter Dawn and I sat here in front of my desk, while my precious little baby grand-daughter slept in the crib just 5 yards away. Here we are...her and I, at midnight, discussing God...Jesus...the Holy Spirit...the Truth of God's Word...keeping the commandments...honoring the Sabbath...the two pastors in my life; Benny Hinn, for 13 years...and my present pastor, John, at my present place of worship, and their false teachings...her life...her purpose...her value...her importance...her responsibilities, not only for herself, but for our beautiful little baby, Teagan...and her future...but most importantly...building her and Teagan's future upon a solid foundation, beginning
NOW...with her, (Dawn) showing her child
by example, Who Jesus IS!...
...she got it! She received it...we cried...the Holy Spirit was heavy upon both of us. We could barely talk...tears just flowed freely...
Focusing on one area of our "multi-faceted" conversation: our "sinful nature"..."temptation"...having only 2 options; one being choosing to not sin, and the other being choosing to sin...and how it all boils down to obeying the ten commandments...ALL
TEN OF THEM.
This revelation of truth hit her just like it hit me when I first heard it...the confusion went away for her...she said so!! All these years, 21 years, her and I both have been so confused...never able to interlock the pieces of the puzzle, and come together in peace, with hope, like we've never known before!.........fastforward.......
...to this morning. Dawn and I loaded up the baby in the car, with all her luggage, and we proceeded to the drug store to pick up some last minute items she needed for her plane trip back home to Minnesota. From there we would go to the gas station, and gas up for our trip to Orlando to the airport.
Before we left the house, my mother asked her if she needed any money, and Dawn said no, that she had enough to check in her luggage, and that was all she needed. She then stated that she thought she had brought more money than that, but she must have been in a hurry and left Minnesota without grabbing all her cash. So, my mother asked her how much she needed and Dawn said, "Maybe $20.00...would that be o.k?"...and mom told me to go by the bank, on our way to the airport, and get $40.00 for her instead. So we did just that...we went to the bank first, withdrew $40.00, I gave it to her, then we went to the drug store. As Dawn opened her wallet to put the $40.00 cash inside, she found the $100.00 bill, that she had placed in a little side pocket...and so delighted she had found it!...<<<
...Here is where the test began...for both of us...
She knew I didn't have a dime...so she handed me one of the $20's of the $40.00 mom gave to her, I smiled and said, "O great! Now I have some gas money!" And she placed the other $20.00 back into her wallet, and went inside the drug store, while I remained in the car with the baby in the cool air-conditioning.
The Holy Spirit said to me..."You have to give it back to your mother; the $20.00 in your hands, and the $20.00 that Dawn has in her wallet. What kind of example are you going to be for Dawn after your beautiful conversation last night concerning making choices to sin or not to sin...?" WHOAH!
AWWWWWWWWWKK!! Instant conviction...INSTANT! I answered him...I said, "Forgive me Father, for even thinking for one second that I could keep this $20.00...I will not keep it, and I will inform Dawn about what you just showed me...thank you Holy Spirit...for your precious love for me and her."
When Dawn got back into the car, I immediately told her what the Holy Spirit said, and explained how God was testing us to see where our hearts were, and reminding her of what we discussed last night...and she was so convicted, she couldn't get her half of the $40.00 out of her wallet fast enough, and handed it to me...we cried, we praised God for His Holy Spirit within us...showing us our error in our thoughts, and giving us a chance to make it right!
Remember the song I gave to you all called "The Revelation Song," the one where I told you of how I was singing to it and the Holy Spirit put you all on my heart to pray for you!...and so I shared it with you? Well, as soon as we made the right decision, this song came on the radio, and Dawn and I sang it to the top of our lungs in the car! We considered it a "gift" from God to us, telling us how happy He is with us!...The 45 minute trip to the airport was so amazing...Dawn and I KNEW we were filled with the Holy Spirit...we felt so good knowing we made the right choice...and she told me that I was an amazing mother, and she thanked God for me! Then she got right on the cell phone to call my mother to tell her all that had just occurred...my heart was and still is so blessed, and so full of the love of God...JESUS!!! PRECIOUS JESUS!!!
Evil, lustful thoughts are not the sin...making the choice to go through with the thought, and turn it into an active choice, is the sin. Thank God our thoughts do not bring death to us...we were given a chance to make a choice...and we made the right choice...we chose LIFE!!!...what a joy!!!
In the love of Christ!!!
Verna.
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