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REFERENCE: 2 Peter

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Why Do I Do Wrong Things?
by Janie Buck
Topic: Confession
Date: 05.26.2006

There are three basic sources of our failures. Maybe only one or two of them continually trip us up. We hate ourselves for giving in to temptation and vow we will never do it again. But then we stumble again and again. These areas of sin affect us all. They affect our family and our church. If we understand the “source” we will have victory over besetting sins.

The first spoiler is moral impurity. There are so many things we see even when we are trying to live pure lives that cause us to sin. And they are hard to get out of our head and heart.

There is a great verse in 2 Peter 2:10 to commit to memory and trust God for help when we are tempted. “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials...” Look to Him for help and it will be given. There is a frightful warning in the rest of the verse: “and to keep the unrighteous under punishment till the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.”

There is a contrast of two ways of living given in Proverbs 11:6 “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.”

The second area of temptation comes from having a temporal value system. We are warned in 1 John 2:15, ” Do not love the world or the things in the world.” What is the “world” for a Christian that must be avoided? The desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of possessions! Living for these things will not make us happy! If our life is centered on either of these three things we will not be of much use to our Lord, or receive His blessings. And His applause is worth more than our weight in gold.

The third area of sin is bitterness. Who would have suspected this as a hindrance to receiving the Lord’s love and favor? I did not know I was bitter about little hurts that had turned into a mountains. What relief to confess them and know the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus!

A great verse in Deut. 29:18 warns about the roots of sin that may be growing deep within. “Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.”

Another warning is given in Heb. 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”

These three basic sins are “the roots of many of our failures. We may not be aware that we have harbored unforgiveness until an explosion of anger erupts over a minor fault. of others. Then we realize the “little hurts” have piled up to cause our outburst.

A person who is a “root bearer” of bitter fruit spreads doubt and disloyalty among fellow Christians. They cause trouble and many are “defiled.” Defile means to tarnish the reputation of a person. We are also defiled when our heart is filled with bitterness.


Memory Verse: "do not defile yourself with the idols of Egypt" (Ezekiel 20:7)

Prayer: Lord God, I didn’t know the origin of sin in my life! Please forgive me and help me recognize where my failures to live life pleasing you happens. I love you and want more to please you in all I do. I know that when I am pleasing you I will have a happy home life and get along with others.



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