My grandson, let us look at the Bible and see some sins that are
mentioned.
In Galatians 5:19 we read that adultery is a sin. In verse 21 it is
clearly stated that "they that do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God." So there is no doubt about these sins. _Adultery_
means, "violation of the marriage-bed." Romans 7:2,3 says "For the woman
which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he
liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her
husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another
man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she
is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be
married to another man." We know that when a couple marries, it is for
life or until one of them dies. Read Matt. 19:7,8, where Jesus reaffirms
this truth.
_Fornication_ is the "illicit sexual intercourse of unmarried persons,"
which is also adultery. This is a sin. Many today are just living
together. This is a sin and a stench in the nostrils of God. It is
terrible and so immoral, even if many today are doing it. "But
fornication, ... let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints." Eph. 5:3. "Flee fornication.... What? know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1st Cor.
6:18-20. You see our bodies are to be kept pure and clean. That means
our minds are to be clean and pure also. Sometimes the devil will bring
evil thoughts to our minds but we must not think upon them. Think pure
thoughts.
God created our bodies and every part is for a purpose. We want to keep
our bodies free from impurities. There are urges in our body, and
sometimes a drawing to the opposite sex, but we must not let that urge
have control. We must keep our bodies under control. The Apostle Paul
tells us what he did. He said, "But I keep under my body, and bring it
into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others,
I myself should be a castaway." I Cor. 9:27. Jesus also tells us "that
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery
with her already in his heart." Matt. 5:28. We need to be very careful
of our thoughts, and where our eyes wander. Keep the right kind of
thoughts. A mother told her son when he was taking a trip, "Son, never
do anything to place your body where your soul would not be the master."
Petting and kissing among young people will lead to wrong thoughts and
lead them into traps. We need to be careful and watchful about all of
these things. "Keep thyself pure." My dear Grandson, we are in a battle
in this world against all evil. The devil wants to destroy our souls and
cause us to miss eternal life with Jesus Christ, the Lover of our souls.
The devil has many agents in the world who also help him. In the schools
today your teachers are taught how to change your thinking. They will
slowly but surely work on you day by day to do so. Beware of this. Don't
let anyone destroy your faith in God, in the Bible, nor in what it
teaches as being the Eternal Word of God. Guard this faith and live by
it. It means your eternal destiny. Whether anyone says God's Word is
true or false, it will still be true. Men's thoughts and ideas will
never change God's Word.
The next sin is uncleanness. The dictionary says that _uncleanness_
means "morally impure, foul, filthy, unchaste and obscene." The Bible
says, "God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." I
Thess. 4:7. This means that we are to keep ourselves pure in thought,
word, and deed. Keep a rebuke in your heart against dirty jokes and
those things that lead to impurity. The Bible says, "Unto the pure all
things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is
nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Titus
1:15. Homosexuality would come under this sin. The Bible plainly
condemns this sin. In Romans we read about the corrupt man and it says,
"God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own
hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:... For this
cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did
change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust
one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and
receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet
[fit]. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness." Romans 1:24-28. It
is very plain that homosexuality is a terrible sin. God has a purpose
for the use of each member of our bodies and it is not to be used in
sinful ways. Sex is for a purpose and that is to bring children into the
world and for the purpose of love-making between married couples. But it
is not to be abused and temperance is to be used. Temperance is one of
the fruits of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:23). Each member is to be used for the
purpose that God has intended. Remember this and the Lord will give you
understanding.
_Lasciviousness_ means "lustful, wanton, loose; a person who excites
lustful emotions in others." Let us study this with careful thought. The
world today advertises the fact that this or that will give "sexual
appeal." This is lasciviousness. Wearing clothing that does this is sin.
Acting in a way to cause others to have lustful emotions is a sin. That
is, if a person purposely acts in this way, or dresses in this way.
Speaking words and making signs that does this are sins. Oh, God is
calling for a pure and holy people! His church, which is made up of holy
(sinless) people, is without spot and blemish and has been cleansed and
made pure through the blood of Jesus Christ. (Eph. 5:27). We must be
pure to be in it.
The next sin mentioned is _idolatry_ which means "divine honors paid to
idols, images, or any created object." (Web. Dic.) It also says it means
"excessive admiration, or love, for any person or thing." To worship any
image or man-made god is sin. There in only one true God and we must
worship Him in spirit and in truth. Also we do not want to have an
"excessive love" for any person or thing more than our love for God.
Some people allow *things* to keep them from having a true love for God.
This is a sin. If you let money, possessions, or any person keep you
from serving the Lord with all of your heart, then you have an idol. The
Apostle John said, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." I John
5:21. We are to "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind." Matt. 22:37. Surely that means a lot,
doesn't it? There can't be one thing or person between us and God. He
must absolutely be first in our life. Oh, my grandson, it truly is a
wonderful thing to put God first! He is so precious to my soul and I
know He will be to yours as you love and serve Him with all of your
heart! Jesus has said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt.
6:33. What God adds is just perfect even though at the time we might not
understand it.
The next sin is _witchcraft_. Today many people are turning to magical
powers and are having communion with evil spirits and the devil. This is
what witchcraft is. Fortune tellers, spiritualist readers etc. are all
of the devil and should never be considered nor tampered with. Many
have, in fun, or wanting to know something, imbibed an evil spirit and
were tormented by it day and night. God will protect His people if they
will look to Him and not yield to evil spirits. It is dangerous. Read
Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:10:12; Acts 16:16-19; 8:11-21; 13:6-12.
Hatred is a sin. Even if someone does us a wrong we must forgive them or
Jesus has said that He would not forgive us. (Matt. 6:14,15).
Ill-feeling toward someone is a cousin to hatred. We need to forgive and
ask God to help us to love everyone regardless of what they do to us.
Wrath is also a sin and many times is connected with hatred. We must not
give vent to our anger but bring it under control. God has help for
everyone who will pray to Him and seek after Him.
_Variance_ means "a verbal strife followed by strained or severed
relations: wrangle or squabble: to dispute angrily." This is connected
to hatred and wrath.
_Emulations_ means "to strive to equal or excell with a view to out do;
ambitious or envious rivalry." In other words stepping on someone else
to get ahead of them or others. Oh, the Lord wants us to be considerate
of others!
Strife and envyings come under this same thing. We must love every soul
and not try to disregard their feelings or desires. Be happy for others
to get ahead and "rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with those who
weep," is what the Bible tells us to do.
Murderers are those who wilfully kill and are sinners. They must seek
forgiveness to be ready for heaven. If a person accidentally kills, that
is not a sin, but it is a tragedy. It is the person who purposely kills
who is a murderer and a sinner. To take one's own life is a sin, that is
if the person is in his right mind. We know that some people's minds are
afflicted (or wear out), and they are not responsible, yet there are
some close lines even in these cases.
Drunkenness is a sin. _Drunkenness_ is the "state of being drunk with
strong drink or alcoholic liquor so that the use of the faculties is
materially impaired." (Web. Dic.) Oh, the sorrow and trouble that
drunkenness has brought to little children, homes, wives and husbands,
mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers and nations! It is a terrible
thing! Today there is so much dope being taken. It is a terrible thing
to abuse one's body. God will not hold a person guiltless who abuses his
body in any manner. Read Prov. 23:29-32. God has deliverance for all who
get into this sin if they will only seek after God. But my dear
grandson, flee from all of it. "Touch not the cup." Never even taste it
and you will never be a drunkard. Some say they can take it or leave it,
but many did that for awhile and today they are on "skid row." They lost
their health, their wealth, their children, and their companions. Their
life is wretched. Some might say, "It would not happen to me," but they
must flee from it as they would a serpent that is ready to strike.
Smoking cigarettes and taking anything that harms the body is a sin. The
Bible says, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy:
for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." I Cor. 3:17. What
could be plainer? My dear grandson, I am expecting you to flee from all
of these sins which are against the body which will destroy your body
and soul in eternal torment for all eternity. Remember that eternity
never ends. There is no time in eternity. Death seals your doom. It will
pay to live each day in a way that we will be ready to meet God, or will
be ready in that hour of death. It might come unexpectedly.
Seditions and heresies are sins. False teachings which are contrary to
the Bible teachings are heresies. They are sin. We want to live
according to the Bible and know its doctrines so we can not be led into
heresies. So many are being deceived by false teachers. People today
believe everything they hear and do not search the Bible to see if it is
true. We must not believe teaching from false teachers. Some will say,
"But that person has studied the Bible many years and he ought to know."
He may have a degree in theology etc., but that doesn't make any
difference. We still must stay upon a firm foundation and find it in the
Word for ourselves. There is a chain running through the Bible that
links truth and it must not be broken, or it will not be truth. We are
instructed in the Bible to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto
more ungodliness." II Tim. 2:15,16.
The next sins that are given are revellings and such like. _Revelling_
means "a noisy or riotous feast; or to feast with joyous or clamorous
merriment, boisterous festivity." In other words it means a loud,
boisterous manner of acting, or being in a crowd that acts that way. In
I Pet. 3:4 it says for us to have a "meek and quiet spirit, which is in
the sight of God of great price." This is in harmony with God's Spirit
and His Word.
I do trust that you have an idea of what God is expecting of us. In
other words, we have listed what the Bible teaches about some things
that are wrong, and what is right. As you said, the Bible is a big book
and we can't find everything, unless we are familiar with it, so I trust
these few things have been a help, as you study them. Remember that we
need to have Jesus to help us daily to obey the Word of God and be ready
to meet the Lord. First, it takes being saved from our sins, being
filled with the Holy Spirit and praying and studying God's Word. It is a
precious life when we are in the center of God's will. When we are
saved, we can have the fruits of the Spirit in our life which are named
in Gal. 5:22,23. They are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and many other good things that
God will give to us as we live and serve Him.
Romans 1:29-32 mentions more sins. It says that those who turn
themselves over to the devil to work his evil ways are "filled with all
unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness,
full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters,
haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the
judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." What a
terrible list of sins! Oh, we must flee from any of them. If you get
your dictionary and look up the meaning of each one of these you would
see how sinful sin is. No wonder God looks down upon sinful mankind and
is grieved. Now mercy is held out to all who will turn to Him and
through Jesus Christ seek forgiveness and turn away from sin, but the
time is coming when mercy will be withdrawn. This old world will be on
fire and only the holy and true will be taken to that prepared place for
a prepared people who have sought God. Oh, I surely want to be ready in
that day and hour, don't you?