All posts by Larry

Secrets

Leviticus 5:1 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

I’ve been hearing about rights of privacy for some time. We live in a society which prides itself on individual’s rights. We have the right to privacy, self-incrimination is protected by law. By the law you do not have to confess.

Biblically speaking you have the right to avoid self-incrimination also, but God warns us that we shall bear the iniquity. It is a burden that wears upon the soul. It is a consequence of keeping secret those things you know are wrong. That is why Leviticus 5:1 includes the line, “hear the voice of swearing”. Your soul bears witness to your sin.

Can you live with that knowledge? Is it possible to have an evil conscience? Hebrews 10:22 says we all had one until we confessed Christ. Yet Christians still sin, some of ignorance and some of conviction. The same rule applies, if our conscience knows, we bear the burden if we do not confess.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Let me share a truth with you. There are no secrets. You know and God knows. If it is a burden on your soul God has every intension of restoring you to a position of right standing before Him. The weight of unconfessed sin only gets heavier and that is why He sent His Son to carry that burden away.

Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

 

 

Triggers

Ephesians 2:3a Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;

One thing we all have in common is a past. As individuals our experiences vary. What God did for us as individuals to pull us out of our sins also varies. In that same way we may have different triggers.

Triggers vary in design and intent. Some are not even associated with guns. You have single action triggers, double action triggers, remote triggers, and even safety triggers. If you are properly trained you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each trigger.

Then there is the triggers of the mind. Not much different, except once pulled these do not set off an explosive charge, they lead to sin. Alcoholics and drug addicts know all too well what their triggers are because they lead to relapses.

A trigger is not sin. You still have to pull the trigger. The problem with triggers of the mind is they cannot be avoided. They exist in the recesses of the mind, embedded in memory, attached to emotions, and almost always come with an itch. The itchy trigger finger is the most dangerous trigger implement. The trigger itself does nothing, it has to be pulled into action, sin.

Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

Job knew his trigger. He was determined to control the triggers of his mind. Obviously Job could not control chance meetings with lovely young women, but he could control his pondering heart. If he would not dwell on his trigger, the temptation to pull the trigger would pass just like the pretty young maid who walked in front of him would pass out of sight.

I know my triggers. I know how dangerous to my holiness they can be. I place my hands in the pockets of my mind, away from the trigger when they appear. There is safe ground in your mind. Do whatever it takes to take your mind off the trigger.