“And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)
Consider that verse well, if you are not trusting in Him whom you say you trust, to the Lord Jesus Christ whom you say you have devoted your life to, then it is sin. When Baalim taught Balak how to get the children of Israel to sin, who received the greater punishment, those who committed the sin or the one who told him how to get them to transgress?
If there is one singular fact that has begun to occur in this generation of mankind, it is that sin is to be treated as a lite thing, as something that is of little consequence, that is of no concern. The word sin is not foreign to the lost, they understand full well that it means an offense against God Almighty, though they may not call Him that. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20)
Whether they will admit it to themselves or not, no matter what nation they live in, what language they speak, or in what timeline of man they live or lived in, all know that there is a Sovereign Lord over all creation. What is disturbing is those people who claim to serve the Most High who sin regularly and with intent, with no thought whatsoever to our opening verse here. How so?
Do you worry, do you overly concern yourself with the cares of this world, with your flesh and its needs? How many verses are there that you can recall that speak of His enduring mercy, of the Lord’s continuous care for those He has chosen, that speak of all our needs being taken care of. To not trust in those promises is to sin.
This goes far beyond those sins that we commit willingly, beyond falling into temptations, beyond whatever embarrassment you experience when you know that you were supposed to speak to that person in front of you about the Savior, this is not trusting in Him whom you say you love. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
If you honestly believe that verse, if you truly are a child of the Most High God whose life is hid in Christ, then everything that happens to you is for good, there is no excuse for not trusting in Him. Fear of the future, fear of the circumstances of the day, of the possible consequences to yourself, these are not what should be considered the “normal response” of one who has been crucified with Christ, the verse is clear, “for whatsoever is not of faith, it is sin.”
“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way,” that is the song you have sung, are they just words to you? Who put you in debt? Who put that pornography on the screen? Who spent their money on things that fulfilled Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Who seeks the wisdom of the world instead of the things of God? “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numb. 32:23)
And it will.
If you do not trust that everything that comes into your life is either brought upon you by the Lord or allowed by Him, then you are sinning.
You could not justify yourself; you will not be able to glorify yourself, but you have much to do with being sanctified. Unless you have faith in Him who has promised, you are sinning, and until you correct that, the blessings will not flow into your life. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” (Job 13:15) That is where we are to be, at the point to where all that we are, all the time, is to be entrusted to Almighty God, and solely for His glory. We begin that journey in humility and reverential trust in Him whom we say we serve.
