I feel led to start a series today on the topic of sin in the church. The bondage of sin that is weighing down the body of Christ today has been weighing heavy on my heart. This series will continue every Monday as the Holy Spirit leads. I hope to cover the most rampant sins in the church by exposing the dangers behind them, as well as the benefits of turning from them.

Before I focus on a specific sin next week, it’s important to understand why, with God’s help, we must actively turn away from sin once we learn the truth and receive Jesus’ atonement for our sins.

Hebrews 10:26-31 warns us:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

We must not take God’s grace for granted and disregard Jesus’ atonement for our sins by continuing to choose darkness over light.

I saw a message someone posted recently that said: “Jesus is coming. Keep your lamps full!”

It’s easy to get caught up in everyday life that we tend to forget that at any moment, without notice, Jesus will come like a thief in the night. When He comes we must be ready to stand before Him.

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

We don’t want to be like the five foolish virgins Jesus warned us about who weren’t ready when the bridegroom appeared (Matthew 25). Jesus was talking about those who profess Him with their mouths, but not their hearts. We don’t want to hinder His light from coming into our hearts by walking in darkness. Our lamps must be lit and ready for His return.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25:1-13

Heavenly Father,

Your Word says that You are light. In You there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with You yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as You are in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, Your Son, purifies us from all sin (1John 1:5-7). Draw us near to You, purify our hearts and prepare us for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Luke 12:35-40