What To Do In Place Of Sin

Let’s think of sinfulness as a black dot on what would be a clean, white block. I’ve given some examples above – you can pick your own visualization of what sin looks like at this point in your life. Let me assure you, we all sin. Even Christians will add a blot during the day, hopefully confess it to our Lord and have it covered as promised when we feel remorse and change our actions.

That’s the only thing that removes the sin from our lives – but doesn’t remove the consequences.  Remember that, please. I can forgive the woman whose negligence took the life of a loved one, but I cannot remove the consequences of that event. God forgives us, taking our sins away from His presence, but the consequences remain in our lives.

Consequences are often painful, but there is greater pain – and truly greater consequences – for rejecting God’s provision of forgiveness and His assistance in ceasing sinfulness in our lives.

Think you haven’t sinned?

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)

He knew we would, so there were plans:

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:8-10 KJV)

But what is sin, why is it important, and how do we live without it?

I ran across a blog entry recently that addressed several questions I’ve faced and I’ve heard from others, written by Brad Hambrick about accountability partners. If that’s a new phrase to you:

An accountability partner is a person who coaches another person in terms of helping the other person keep a commitment. The term is a neologism and has gained relatively wide use since the 1990s. The term is often used by Christians where the accountability partner helps a person adhere to a moral commitment

Becoming a follower of Christ is definitely a moral commitment. There are suggestions across the Bible how to be close to God and know His will in our lives. One is to keep us from continuing in sin – which is living outside of God’s will. But – when those sins are gone, what do we do to replace them? That’s a question addressed in Hambrick’s blog:

We sin because sin is fun. We enjoy sin; at least for a little while. The more we deprive ourselves of legitimate pleasures, the more we will be susceptible to the temptation of illegitimate pleasures. A friend who spurs you to avoid illegitimate pleasures (e.g., sin) should, just as passionately, call you to pursue legitimate pleasures – in balance with your life responsibilities.

What are “legitimate pleasures”? Depends on the individual. One of mine is Christian fellowship with people who enjoy playing the Texas domino game 42. Definitely a pleasure! Another is gathering to hear (and sing) gospel music. No murder, mayhem, lost loves, crying in a bar found there. Some are sad, true, but all hold promise. In two weeks we’ll be listening to a concert by The Rochester Family. Show up at First Baptist Church, Cottondale, Texas, Saturday, March 23rd at 6:00 pm and share that fellowship (and BBQ sandwiches after the singing.) Then come back and hear them again Sunday morning,

I also like museums, volunteering, traveling (including cruises – ask me about those – I’ll be happy to share!) there are many pleasures in life that do not break the two Commandments Jesus defined:

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

Remove the sinfulness and keep them from growing back by comparing pleasures against these two commandments.  Keep them, and learn what it takes to love God and your neighbor. The Bible provides awesome lessons for achieving a walk with Him.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8 KJV)