The Devil Made Me Do It

How many times, as a Christian, have you heard someone say that? As if we don't have control over our own actions. How absurd! Whether we want to believe it or not, we are a fallen nation. Fallen meaning we are all sinners.

There is none who does good.

Psalm 14:1

No one is good but One, that is, God.

Matthew 19:17

If you have children you know that no one has to teach them to sin. No one teaches them to defiantly touch that knickknack you told them to not touch. No one teaches them to lay down on the floor to throw that tantrum. It's innately wired in them. The Bible teaches that no one is good. You see, God gave us the freedom of choice. We can choose to obey the desire of your flesh or you can choose to obey the desires of the Spirit. Desires of the flesh will lead to disobedience. Disobedience is sin and will ultimately lead to eternal death in a place that some people do not believe in. Obedience to the Spirit will lead to holiness.

But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

because it is written, “You shall be holy for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16

Every day we make choices. Does the devil whisper in your ear EVERY time you do something wrong. Absolutely not! God gave us a choice to do what is right, what is righteous. But how do we know what it righteous? You must spend time in the Bible reading His word. You must spend time praying. While you pray or read, ask the Lord to reveal to you the right choice to make. That means that we act and not react to situations. We must teach our children to make the right choices. They don't automatically know what the Bible says any more than you do! If you do not know the Word, then how do you teach it to your children?

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and

shall talk of them when you sit in your house,

when you walk by the way, when you lie down,

and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6:7

The bible, as you see, teaches that we, as parents, are to teach our children the word of God. It's not the job of the youth pastors or the preachers. YOU! As the parent, it is your biblical responsibility to teach your children to love the “Lord our God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:5) That doesn't mean they shouldn't go to church. That means you take what the preacher preaches, go home and do your own study. You should NEVER believe what anyone else tells you. You should always study for yourself that you may know what you believe. It doesn't matter if you are not a Bible scholar. Do your best! If you ask God, He will give you the desires of your heart if they are in alignment with His word and His will!

Who do you compare yourself to? Osama bin Laden? Hitler? That child molester you saw on the news? That drug dealer in the parking lot? Then you are comparing yourself to the wrong person.

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

Ephesians 1:4

Are you without blame? Do you strive to be holy? Do you know how? Do you wish to know God and His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for YOU? Or do you want to live in your sin and find out if there is a Hell?