George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."
Flip Wilson made famous the quote, "The devil made me do it." However, trying to blame someone else for our sin and circumstances started centuries and centuries before Flip Wilson.
"The serpent deceived... me, and I ate" said Eve. But, that excuse didn't hold water with God. Most of the time, it's not that the devil or anyone else made us do something we shouldn't. It's because of our own bad choices. Oh, the devil can tempt us but God always makes a way for us to overcome temptation.
Flip Wilson made famous the quote, "The devil made me do it." However, trying to blame someone else for our sin and circumstances started centuries and centuries before Flip Wilson.
"The serpent deceived... me, and I ate" said Eve. But, that excuse didn't hold water with God. Most of the time, it's not that the devil or anyone else made us do something we shouldn't. It's because of our own bad choices. Oh, the devil can tempt us but God always makes a way for us to overcome temptation.
Why do we sin? Well, it's simple........we're sinners. Sinners sin...that's what they do best.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21). I don't think that says it's the works of Satan but it's the works of the flesh. It's our own sinful nature.
How many of us are guilty of blaming someone else for our circumstances when we sin? It's easy to say, "Well, that's just the way I am. I wasn't brought up in a Christian home so it's my parents fault that I'm the way I am." No, it's not.....it's not your parents fault, your spouses fault, your children's fault, your bosses fault or anyone else's fault. It's the fault of your sinful nature and not allowing the Holy Spirit, who lives within you if you are a Believer, to control your actions. Choosing to consistently follow the Holy Spirit's prompting in our lives rather than following the flesh will help keep us from committing sin.
If you encountered a lion, would you run toward him? No, you would run the other way. Much the same way, we should run from the temptation to sin because sin will devour us just the same as that lion would.
"Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts." 2 Timothy 2:22 (TLB)
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21). I don't think that says it's the works of Satan but it's the works of the flesh. It's our own sinful nature.
How many of us are guilty of blaming someone else for our circumstances when we sin? It's easy to say, "Well, that's just the way I am. I wasn't brought up in a Christian home so it's my parents fault that I'm the way I am." No, it's not.....it's not your parents fault, your spouses fault, your children's fault, your bosses fault or anyone else's fault. It's the fault of your sinful nature and not allowing the Holy Spirit, who lives within you if you are a Believer, to control your actions. Choosing to consistently follow the Holy Spirit's prompting in our lives rather than following the flesh will help keep us from committing sin.
If you encountered a lion, would you run toward him? No, you would run the other way. Much the same way, we should run from the temptation to sin because sin will devour us just the same as that lion would.
"Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts." 2 Timothy 2:22 (TLB)
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