BESETTING SIN

Besetting Sins are the sins we allow to continue, like treating our Self to an occasional piece of candy or an ice cream, the sins we make excuses for. It may be unforgiveness, or pride, or coveting -- idolatry by another name -- or any of the multitude of “lesser sins” hidden in our Self centeredness and masked by our Self righteousness. God understands our desire for pleasure, our little indulgences in sensual desire, our lusting for material things, our hunger for prestige, prominence and power, our worry over the concerns of life, our preoccupation with Self... Self interests, over the things of God. He does? Really?  “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God ...  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” What makes besetting sins particularly dangerous is their habitual nature. When “coming boldly to the throne of grace” for forgiveness is a well worn pathway we should be noticing the cracking noise... for we are on thin ice. “Whoever abides in Him does not sin”: “No one who abides in Him -- who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him -- deliberately, knowingly, and habitually commits (practices) sin.” Habitual sin... besetting sin, destroys intimate relationship with God, leading to stagnation, alienation, and, ultimately, spiritual death... separation from the Great Lover of our soul. “Therefore … let us strip off and throw aside ... that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away from all that will distract to Jesus...”

EndNote: “Perfecting holiness in the fear of God”: The promises of God should motivate us to holiness as should the proper fear of God. The Greek phobos, translated “fear”, means that which causes fear, dread, terror, reverential fear, and is translated “terror” in reference to standing before the judgment seat of our Creator and Judge: “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord.” We are all accountable to God for the thoughts, words, and deeds of our life in this body of flesh, and this fact should motivate reverence, fear, and submissive recognition in trust and obedience. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, and obedience brings the wisdom to “understand the fear of the Lord.” This fear is integral to a purposeful life that is pleasing to God, a holy life submitted to His Lordship. Fear of God is a controlling motive in all spiritual and moral matters, not just fear of his righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him which produces a “constant carefulness”  in those who follow the command to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Godly fear is an essential part of faith, although faith rules out anxiety for those whose faith is producing righteous works.

HOLINESS MUST BE PERFECTED

(2 Cor. 7:1, 5:10-11; Jn. 3:3; 1Jn. 3:6 NKJV and Amp. Bible; Heb. 12:1-2 Amp. Bible; Prov. 2:1-5, Ps. 9:10, 111:10; Phil. 2:12)