Author Phillip Yancy tells the story of a friend of his he called Daniel. Daniel was about to leave his wife of 15 years for another woman, someone younger and prettier. He knew the personal and moral consequences of what he was about to do. But he had a larger concern, and he asked Yancey, “Do you think God can forgive something as awful as I am about to do?” Yancey pondered, “How can I dissuade my friend from committing a terrible mistake if he knows forgiveness lies just around the corner?”
C.S. Lewis noted that a man whose hands are full of parcels couldn’t receive a gift. Then Yancey wrote: “To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted and then applied if it is to be complete…and a man who admits no guilt, who continues in sin can accept no forgiveness.”
Ultimately, Yancey told his friend that, yes, of course, God could forgive him. But he also challenged him with these thoughts: What we have to go through to commit sin distances us from God. We change in the very act of rebellion, and there is no guarantee we will ever come back. He said to his friend, “You ask me about forgiveness now, but will your rebellious heart even want it later, especially if it involves repentance, humility and submission to God and His will?”
Why do the virtues of humility and submission that first led us to Christ somehow disappear in so many? The fruits of the Spirit are found in Galatians 5: 22 and 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. How much gentleness and meekness do we find among Christians today?
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. The exact opposite of the fruits of the Spirit is the fruit of rebellion. God compares rebellion to witchcraft. Witchcraft is the attempt to get everything in life to work out for you and your wants and desires. God also puts stubbornness in the same category as rebellion. He compares stubbornness to idolatry. Idolatry is the worship of self. Rebellion caused Satan to leave his appointed place and become the devil. Rebellion caused Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Rebellion and stubbornness are nothing more than seeking to get your will done instead of God’s. You are No. 1, not God. Simply put, you want what you want no matter what God thinks about it! This must never be in the life of a believer!
Colossians 3:12-14: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Christian, if you have God’s Spirit within you, you will not be rebellious but instead practice humility, love, patience and forgiveness. Watch sermons and read sermon texts and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Watch Facebook live on Jack Ward’s page every Sunday at 11:25 a.m. and 6:10 p.m.