"I know I have a temper! I know I am hardnosed, gruff, and lacking in love! I know these are wrong, but I haven't changed." Another member of the Church of God said, "I know I am rebellious, not in submission to my husband, I know my children are monsters, I know my house is FILTHY and has been for years. I know I should pray. I know I need to study... but I just can't seem to do it. Too many OTHER things interfere." I know... I know... I KNOW!! Does this sound like you? Do you KNOW? We have been given the most precious, stupendous, awesome knowledge, the greatest LAWS, way of life, and purposes ever given to any people. God has begotten us with His HOLY SPIRIT! This is the purpose of the ages! THINK ABOUT THIS! YOU ARE TO BECOME GOD! What kind of an effort are you making in the light of what you know? Are you zealous, driving, changing, growing, overcoming? Or are you slow, lazy, slothful, stagnant, passive, compromising with sin? Do you know to do good but are not doing it?
How God Looks at This
God says, "He that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is SIN." So in saying "I KNOW" and not acting upon that knowledge you are SINNING! Did you realize that you might as well be saying, "I am sinning" as to say, "I know I should do good, but don't"? In Matthew 25:24-30 is the parable about the servant who KNEW!! He said, "I knew You required me to overcome, Lord, but I just never got around to doing it." Analyze that attitude for a moment! He was slothful, wicked, fearful, stubborn, rebellious, proud, accused God of being unfair, justified self, deceived self, and went his own carnal way. Notice! Because he knew and did not even put forth the smallest effort required, he lost his eternal life and reward. He was cast into outer darkness... the wages of sin is death! "He that knows to do good and does it not... IT IS SIN" (James 4:17).
A Major Cause Waiting on God
Why is there this attitude? Why will members in God's Church say they KNOW they are sinning and make no effort to change, all the time knowing, they MUST change? Many times it is because they are "waiting on God," somehow expecting Him to swoosh down in a magical, instantaneous show of blazing power to totally do it all for them. God will change NO ONE that way! Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong has said that to carry the Work of God forward he has had to put forth the maximum effort...then what he was lacking God would intervene and provide, but NOT UNTIL! Christ had to pray with strong cryings and tears to overcome the flesh, and never sin. The apostle Paul beat his body into subjection overcoming SELF AND SIN. Yet, he said, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). Notice, it was through Christ, not that Christ did it ALL!!
Know That You Know
Instead of saying like so many, "I know I am sinning but can't change," stop yourself and say "I know this is sin and I AM going to CHANGE!" Repent and quit sinning. Put forth more EFFORT on your part and then God will help you change and overcome. God says, "And hereby we do know that we KNOW Him, IF we keep his COMMANDMENTS" (I John 2:3). This requires a maximum effort on your part. This includes daily prayer and Bible study, rooting out sin, proper family and husband-wife relations, child rearing, serving the brethren in every way possible. Put your whole heart into overcoming; into God's Work. This is HOW you can KNOW that you KNOW Christ if you do the things He commands. So really work hard to root out the things you KNOW are sins, and do the good you KNOW you should. Don't delay... DO IT NOW! Then you will know that you will be in the Kingdom of God. "He that OVERCOMETH shall inherit all things; and I will be his God and he shall be MY SON" (Rev. 21:7). NOW YOU KNOW!
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