Rabbi Schneider - How to Find Love, Joy, and Peace
Beloved, you know what's a topic that we don't often hear about in the church today? Sin! Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you heard a message on the topic of sin in your church? You know, the word "sin" to many in our culture they think that's like a prehistoric dinosaur word, but the Bible tells us that the beginning of salvation is recognizing that sin separated humanity from God. Sin is what separated mankind from God. Sin is when God is going one direction and we end up going a different direction, it creates a break in the relationship.
That's what happened with Adam and Eve in the garden and that's what we're battling against today. Paul told us in the book of Romans chapter 6, he said "do not let sin be master over you". Listen again, Paul said, "Do not let sin be master over you". The Scripture tells us that sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you but you must master it. Sin is a power and the power of sin is a power that is personally being projected onto you and I. It's the power of the enemy that is trying to lead us away from God. Trying to entice us to make wrong choices, to make wrong decisions, to develop wrong attitudes, to think wrong thoughts, to start living in rebellion and the outcome is always the same. It leads to isolation, shame and death. It leads to separation from God and ultimately it goes to the place of utter darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We're in a fight, beloved. This is why Paul said, "sin is not to be master over you". Some people think that because they feel something they're supposed to yield to it because they think their truest identity is defined by what they feel. Let me tell you beloved, if I did what I feel like doing all the time, if I did over the years what I felt like doing all the time, I'd probably be in jail right now. I certainly, my, I would have lost everything if I did what I felt like doing. No, we're called to not let sin be master over us. That's why the Bible says the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flush lusteth against the Spirit but people today are deceived.
They think that whatever they feel is the truest them. They leave their husband, they leave their wife, why? Because they felt attracted to another person. So they say that's my true person. "I feel more attracted to this person than I do my spouse. So the right thing for me to do to be true to myself is to divorce my spouse, wreck my kids' lives by divorcing their mother or father and go to this other person because that's where I truly feel like where I am". No beloved, God's Word defines sin. God's Word defines how to walk. God's Word defines our lifestyle.
Let's get back to the Biblical Word and precepts of the divine nature. Sin separated mankind from God. We've been called to repent of sin and to return to the Creator and we do this by walking in His Word. We don't have to do it alone. We do it through His grace. If we have a "yes" in our heart, if we strive to overcome sin, God is going to meet us and help us and we will overcome. It may not happen overnight but if you're committed to overcoming sin, if you're committed to putting His Word into practice in your life, beloved, you will enjoy the fruit of everlasting life for ever and ever. You see the wages of sin is death but the wages of choosing everlasting life is love, joy and peace forevermore.