Are You Living in Sin?
- May 6
- 8 min read
I was born and raised in North Carolina, a southern state in America. Most people would consider me lucky to have been raised within the bible belt of America. The bible belt is a group of states that are known for the semblance of their faith, featuring high church attendance and a basic knowledge of the bible.
A quick stroll through almost any street and you will find just as many churches as convenience stores. For every street there seems to be at least 2-3 churches and not living in sin is something that is taught from the early stages of life. For example, not living with someone that you are not married to, not drinking, not smoking, not stealing... the list goes on.
For the most part, if you could stay away from these "major sins" you would be considered a saint amongst most of your peers. However, I have come to understand that even though most of the people who profess Christ and do not practice these types of things, their life still lacks the power and anointing of God and are not followed by the signs and wonders that Jesus said would be prevalent amongst those who believe. ( 2 Timothy 3:5-7 KJV)
Even though on the surface most of the people born in the bible belt understand how to display a form of godliness, our lives show very little, if any, significant signs that God is among us.
I would occasionally hear a story of someone in another country being forced to forsake everything that they had ever known to follow Christ and initially I thought, why is being a christian here so easy? Is it because America is so blessed? However, after I began to read the Bible for myself, I saw that Jesus's definition of what it means to be blessed contradicted the world's definition that led me to getting the word tattooed on my arm.
Ironically, the word "blessed" is actually tattooed on my arm upside down. It turns out that to understand concepts of a kingdom that sits above earth, we must renew our minds to comprehend what is good and what is bad from the perspective of Someone who actually knows.
3 Blessed (happy, [a]to be envied, and [b]spiritually prosperous—[c]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! 4 Blessed and enviably happy [with a [d]happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted! 5 Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, [e]spiritually prosperous—[f]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth! 6 Blessed and fortunate and happy and [g]spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God [h]enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be [i]completely satisfied! 7 Blessed (happy, [j]to be envied, and [k]spiritually prosperous—[l]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! 8 Blessed (happy, [m]enviably fortunate, and [n]spiritually prosperous—possessing the [o]happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! 9 Blessed (enjoying [p]enviable happiness, [q]spiritually prosperous—[r]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and [s] maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God! 10 Blessed and happy and [t]enviably fortunate and [u]spiritually prosperous [v](in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! 11 Blessed (happy, [w]to be envied, and [x]spiritually prosperous—[y]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account. Matthew 5:3-12 AMPC
Lately, the young rich ruler has become a topic of discussion amongst my peers. This man had everything that one could ever want -- many material possessions and a semblance of faith in that he kept some of the commandments -- but there was a thought that lingered in his mind: What must I do to inherit eternal life? To my surprise, the response of Jesus was not so comforting. He told the man that he must go and sell everything he has and return and follow Him. The young man proceeded to walk away sad.
16 And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent and perfectly and essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life? 17 And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly and essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]—God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments. 18 He said to Him, What [a]sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 20 The young man said, I have observed all these from my youth; what still do I lack? 21 Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, [b]have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, [c]be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-22 AMPC
At first glance, I see distance between me and the man in the story because I'm not rich and with the fact that I'm bald I might be able to convince myself that I'm not that young, either. I have also never talked to Jesus in the flesh. Yet, I can't help but imagine, what if He is saying this to me? What if it's not possible to walk with a Savior from another world and simultaneously hold on to the things of this world? What if this is what has made the American Gospel so compelling but not propelling?
Jesus Himself actually says that if we do not forsake everything that we have, we cannot be considered a true disciple. If we are being honest, we can't even keep up with our toddlers in a grocery store unless our hands are free. So how much more would we need to let go of in order to keep up with a Savior that can walk on water and a God known to part seas?
33 So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, [a]say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34 Salt is good [an excellent thing], but if salt has lost its strength and has become saltless (insipid, flat), how shall its saltness be restored? Luke 14:33-34 AMPC
Perhaps this is the key ingredient missing to our faith: full surrender.
Quickly looking for any verse to comfort my lukewarmness, I searched diligently through the Scriptures -- only to find that the disciples themselves also in fact had to leave everythitng that they held sacred in attempt to follow after their Lord and Savior.
27 Then Peter answered Him, saying, Behold, we have left [our] all and have become [h]Your disciples [sided with Your party and followed You]. What then shall we receive? 28 Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the [i]Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And anyone and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name’s sake will receive [j]many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:27-29 AMPC
We also see with the assembly of the first Church in Acts that full surrender of everything that they had was a part of their membership package.
44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common; 45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need. 46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts, Acts 2:44-46 AMPC
Paul has an interesting take on forsaking everything he held sacred at one point. He says that without doing so he would have created his own form of rightenoues to God. He goes further to say that it was because of the loss of all things that he was able to win the only thing that matters: Christ Himself.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Philippians 3:8-11 KJV
Trying to hold on to Christ Himself as well as a life outside of Him is similar to trying to slow dance with a person we wish to stab. On one hand we are showing affection and on the other hand we are showing our true intentions.
The sad truth for the young rich ruler is that his sin was not a homosexual relationship or the promiscuous sex before marriage, but rather a violation of something that Jesus says is the greatest of all the commandments: not loving God with all of his mind, soul and strength. The unfortunate reality is that this is a sin most of us in the West practice daily.
36 Teacher, which [a]kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?] 37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). 38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. Matthew 22:36-38 AMPC
Question of the day: Are you practicing sin daily according to the greatest commandment?
