By the time you read this editorial, the Spring Holy Days will have
past. During the Days of Unleavened Bread we will have portrayed, by
our actions, the need of putting sin out of our lives and of keeping
sin out. Yet, we find, even physically, that this is a very difficult
endeavor, indeed! It is not easy at all! And why is that? Because sin
is so deceitful that it often creeps into our lives when we least
expect it! And there it is!
Perhaps it was never in our thoughts
to commit a certain sin, which crept in as we committed an act which is
contrary to God’s Way of life. Yet, the sin appeared!
In the book
of Hebrews, we read the following, relative to this deceitful nature
which is found within man: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but
exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).
God
is showing to us here that with sin being deceitful, as it is, there is
a need for each of us even to exhort one another in this matter of our
overcoming in putting sin out of our lives. Never forget that we live
in a deceitful world, filled with deceitful people; and no wonder.
Satan is the great deceiver! His ministers come to deceive the very
elect! We must be ever alert to his devices!
We read in Psalm 5
that God abhors the deceitful man, one who speaks falsehood. We are
warned in the book of Ephesians to “…put off, concerning your former
conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on
the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and
true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
This can only be achieved through the power of God the Father and Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, which is in us!
Paul
recognized this fact as he fought his own problems. We read of this
trial of Paul’s in the book of Romans, Chapter 7. He recognized the
power of sin in one’s life:
“For we know that the law is
spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do
not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what
I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with
the law that it is good” (Romans 7:14-16).
Yes, Paul saw that the
law, which defines sin, was good; but he also saw that at times he
continued to walk contrary to that good law. It just happened in his
life, because of his own weaknesses.
“But now, it is no longer I
who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is,
in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but
how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to
do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice”
(Romans 7:17-19).
This was a great dilemma for Paul, as we all can understand, having come through the same type experience.
“Now
if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin
that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the
one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to
the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against
the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members” (Romans 7:20-23).
In verse 24, Paul shows
that he has come to understand that it is only by the power of God the
Father and Jesus Christ (through the Holy Spirit, which emanates from
God the Father and the Son) that he would ever be able to truly serve
God and to live a life of righteousness, which was his desire!
That
is also our desire, brethren, who have been called to the Way of
Righteousness. And it is through that same power that we will be able
to achieve our desire! As Christ said on numerous occasions, all things
are possible with our God. Never give in to the deceitfulness of this
world, and always keep this hope before you, with continual faith in
our Savior, Jesus Christ!
