Are You Struggling With Some Sins?

We saw that the word ‘flesh’ is used to refer to the ‘sin nature’ in the Bible. This was deposited in all humanity after the sin of Adam and Eve. We see this play out in our lives through things like inferiority complex, tension, depression, etc. Some of it has even turned into mental illnesses. 

In Galatians 5.19-21, Paul lists out all the acts of the flesh. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
We all do these acts in our lives. So will we not go to heaven?

What we must realise is that even once we are saved, our body and mind still lives in the fallen nature. Only our spirit is saved. We may still be tempted by sin and we often find ourselves falling into sin as well. (But that doesn’t mean we should keep practising it!)
We experience a struggle between our spirit and the flesh. Practising sin and struggling with sin are two different things. As a saved person, we must constantly fight with sin and its temptations even though we fail to win sometimes. An unsaved person practises these sinful acts.
As we struggle and fight with sin, it means we have hope and are in the Kingdom of  God; if we were not with God, we would not even fight sin. 

Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

This doesn’t mean that if you drive out demons or operate in the spiritual gifts in the name of Jesus you won’t go to heaven. 
John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Luke 10:8,9 ““When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

If you perform wonders in Jesus’ name, but at the same time you practise sin, you will not enter heaven. But throughout the gospels, Jesus encourages us to perform signs and wonders in His name. 

Mark 16. 17-18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

It only means that regardless of that, everyone has to live obediently to the will of God.  Jesus was warning those who practise lawlessness would not go to Heaven even though they operated in the spiritual gifts in Jesus’ name. They were not struggling with sins, instead they were living in sin without any repentance.  

Luke 12.45-48 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

The attitude of this servant was not right. He practised sin in the Master’s absence thinking that his Master would not know. A person who knows God’s will and still disobeys will be subject to punishment. This is different from a person who has the fear of the Lord and struggles with sin. God helps such a person through His Holy Spirit to live right. Our Lord Jesus, who died for us is compassionate and will help those who are repentant.

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