Choices

Sin is the conscious decision to do something or not to do something that GOD Almighty said not to do or to do.  It is the decision on our part to not live in the way He said was best for us.  We choose our own path because we want to live our lives the way that makes us happiest, and that way doesn’t include the GOD who made us.

People say Jesus did away with the Law.  They want to pick and choose what they call the Law. For the most part people still follow the 10 Commandments. However, adulterers leave out the 7th commandment.  Thieves leave out the 8th.  The Catholic Church leaves out the 2nd commandment totally.  That is not what Jesus said.  He said He came to fulfill the Law.  If you loved Him you would follow His commandments.  His interpretation of the Law was stricter than what was actually stated by it.  Read Matthew chapters 5 and 6 for the full details.


There was a code of conduct a long time before the LORD gave Moses the 10 Commandments or the whole Law.  And if you read the scriptures, most of what the people call the Law dealt with temple worship.  Ever since the 2nd Temple was destroyed by the Romans, there are no temple sacrifices.

There was one rule in the Garden of Eden: Don’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  There was no such rule about the Tree of Eternal Life.  Yet Adam and Eve never ate from that tree.  Why not?  Because this is where satan comes in.  He wants to separate us from GOD Almighty any which way he can.  That is sin, separating yourself from the One Person who loves you and wants the very best for you, but you prefer your own way.  It’s choosing your own pleasures over His instruction.  It’s called ‘hedonism’: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life.

Why do we do this?  Adam and Eve had an eye-to-eye, one on one relationship with GOD.  They walked with Him and talked with Him.  Life was perfect.  They had all the food they could possibly want.  They had a relationship with all the animals on earth, none of which were meat eaters at this point.  How great it must have been to be able to pet lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!  satan awoke something in Eve: 1.) doubt in GOD: “Did GOD really say . . .” and 2.) human ambition: “. . because He knows that as soon as you eat from this tree you will be just like gods yourself.”  In other words, our choices would be just as wise and important as GOD’s.  We wouldn’t need Him anymore.  Besides, He’s not really interested in us having fun now, is He?  Why shouldn’t we do this or that or the other?  Why shouldn’t we be allowed to make up our own minds?  Because it separates us from GOD.

GOD says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9  (AMP)  In other words, we don’t know everything and cannot begin to judge what is best and what is not.  It is kind of like the comparison of parents to a two year old.  No matter how smart they have the potential to be, they do not have our life-earned knowledge.  They have no idea what the consequences of their actions can be or will be.  Of course GOD is infinitely above and beyond us.

A long time before the Law was given at Mt. Sinai people knew not to murder (look at what happened to Cain), or to steal, or many other things.  All this was handed down from Adam’s wisdom from what he learned.  Yet look at what happened to the human race.  They did whatever they wanted because they chose their pleasure over GOD’s ways.  Yes, satan had a hand in all this.  Fallen angels came and took human females and gave rise to the giants of old.  Do not tell me that they did not spread their satanic philosophies, you know they did.  Those philosophies haunt us even today.  The realm of evil is extremely active in our time because they know their time is short.  Most Christians are totally ignorant of just how short our time is.

Read this: “Do you not know that the unrighteous(a) will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of GOD?  Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by persuasion], nor those who participate in homosexuality(b), nor thieves, nor the greedy nor drunkards, nor revilers [whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of GOD.”  1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (AMP)
a) wrongdoers, self-willed
b) The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts.

“Now we know [without any doubt] that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully and appropriately, understanding the fact that law is not enacted for the righteous person [the one in right standing with GOD], but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers and slave traders, for liars, for perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.” 1 Timothy 1:8-10 (AMP)

“Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for GOD will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Hebrews 13:4 (AMP)

“But actually, I have written to you not to associate with any so-called [Christian] brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater [devoted to anything that takes the place of GOD], or is a reviler [who insults or slanders or otherwise verbally abuses other], or is a drunkard or a swindler – you must not so much as eat with such a person.” 1 Corinthians 5:11 (AMP)

I love all my friends and acquaintances.  But I’m not here to make you feel good about yourself.  I’m not here to please you.  I’m here to do GOD’s will whatever He tasks me.  I’m here to serve GOD.  I’m not doing you any favors if I’m teaching you to gloss over your sins.  I’m being hateful if I do not warn you about the trouble you’re in.  I love each and every one of you, I want to see you in Heaven!  I’ve met too many people that want to do what they want to and accuse the people that are trying to help them as haters.

Let me be so bold as to point something out.  You’re attacking the messenger.  You say I don’t love you?  Let me ask a question.  If I saw you crossing the street and I also saw a bus careening out of control going to run over you and I break your arm pulling you to safety, does that make me a hater?  Why would I risk my life to save you if I didn’t love you?  I wouldn’t go through all this trouble if I didn’t love you.

Yes, the Word of GOD will challenge what you think you believe.  It will make you really uncomfortable.  It is because GOD needs to get your attention.  He loves you with an infinite love that knows no bounds.  It’s not a typical love like you normally think of.  It’s a supernatural love.  One that GOD imparts.  One that breaks my heart for people I barely know.  I wake up at strange hours at night with prayer on my mind.  And I cry every time you call me a hater.  But I take heart because they called Jesus, GOD in the flesh, a hater too.  The Creator from Genesis!  And He still died for us!  Now, THAT’S LOVE!  You see, He set up the Law, the one you said He did away with.  Why would He break His Word for any reason or time?  Is it okay to kill?  Is it okay to steal?  Is it okay to commit adultery?  No?  Why?  You see, the Law is still here. He fulfilled the temple worship laws because He is the Lamb of GOD, and gave Himself on the cross as the Perfect Sacrifice ending all future sacrifices because none of those gave us eternal life, He did.

You just say there is no Law because you do not want to change your ways.  You do not like conviction.  You do not like your conscience because that is GOD’s voice trying to tell you something.  Don’t you know that if you would just acknowledge your sin and change your ways and ask Jesus to forgive you that He is faithful and just to do just that and heal you too?

Everything is a choice.  Choose Life!

Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Linda Rosenbaugh © 2019