Tag: Bible verses about avoiding sin

Bible Verse of The Day – 1-26-22

Galatians 5:9 (NKJV) 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

These 7 words are very powerful, and they can apply to so many aspects of our lives.

Today we’ll be looking at them through the lens of God’s word, as believers, followers of Christ.

What is leaven? Leaven in this verse refers to yeast, as used in the making of bread.

Yeast is used to make bread rise. In beverages, it is used to cause fermentation in that drink.

Leaven permeates whatever it is used in.

Such is the case with sin, which is what leaven represents in the verse above. Paul was writing to warn the Galatians that even a little sin would permeate their walk with God and destroy it if left unchecked.

The Galatians had responded to the gospel of Christ enthusiastically, receiving it in faith, propelling them to grow as believers, walking out God’s word in their lives.

But outsiders who claimed to know Christ in His fulness had begun to teach the Galatians a false doctrine.

And that doctrine was eating away at their faith walk, causing them to stumble and abandon the truth.

Sin does the very same thing. Most times it sneaks in a little, tiny piece at a time. It is subtle; seemingly harmless. But its bite is lethal, slowly leading us to death if we don’t acknowledge it and deal with it.

Let’s root out the leaven (sin, ungodly influences or false teachings), before it’s too late and the whole lump (our walk with God) is permeated by it, killing it slowly.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 12-17-21

Ephesians 5:14 (NKJV) 14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

I’ve read in some notes by well-known Bible scholars that this verse (which is loosely based on a quote from Isaiah) is being directed at unbelievers, urging them to put their faith in Christ.

Paul urges his readers to arise from the dead. In doing so, Christ will give them light.

And while what Paul says is surely true, if we read the verses leading up to this verse, and the rest of the chapter after this verse, everything Paul wrote was being aimed at believers.

In light of that, we need to assume that Paul was speaking to believers, not unbelievers.

If that’s the case, what is he saying to us? What does it mean?

Well, if we read verses 1-13, we will see that he is addressing sin in the lives of believers, admonishing the believers at Ephesus to abstain from the behaviors and practices that held them in bondage prior to putting their faith in Christ.

It’s safe to say, then, that we need to pay close attention to this and apply it to our own lives, making sure that we are not falling into things that pull us away from God. But, instead, shaking off these things and making every effort to be drawn to God.

Verses 15 and 16 go on to tell us that we should walk circumspectly.

Circumspectly is an interesting word. What does it mean?

It means being careful, cautious, guarded, wary, watchful, attentive, alert and vigilant!

Why? Because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV) 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-8-20

1 John 3:6 (NKJV) 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

A few years ago, we received an email from someone who had read one of our daily devotionals. That devotional had covered the topic of sin and the believer, and they had written back to tell us that what we had said about sin was untrue, and that Christians are incapable of sinning.

They told us that once a person is a follower of Christ, they are no longer capable of sinning.

While this isn’t a widely held belief, we wanted to write about it today to clear up any misconceptions when it comes to this idea.

The verse above states that “whoever abides in Him does not sin”. It is this verse and other similar scriptures that are part of the doctrine that says it is impossible for believers to sin.

The problem with that idea is that the verses used to back it up are taken grossly out of context or badly misunderstood.

In 1 John 3:6, above, John is referring to habitual sin, not just a single incident. In Chapter 1, verse 8 he clearly states that believers do sin, and that anyone who says they don’t is deceived.

1 John 1:8 (NKJV) 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John’s goal in 1 John 3:4-10 is to combat false teachers of that time who were saying that sin doesn’t matter because it’s simply our flesh doing what it is supposed to do. They believed that flesh is bad, and since we live in fleshly bodies, we are destined to live lives of continual, habitual sin.

What these people miss is the fact that when we become a child of God (born of God), He gives us a new nature.

That new nature is Holy Spirit-driven, meaning that we will now be convicted if we contemplate sin or are faced with any temptation that can lead us into sin. No, we will not be perfect in following His leading. But as we grow, our tendency to sin will become less and less.

What John is teaching here is good for all of us to consider. Sin will entice each and every one of us. It’s a fact of life.

But what isn’t a fact of life is that we are powerless to fight it off. On the contrary, we are very well equipped to fight it off. God’s word tells us so many, many times.

We are told to resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7). We are told that we are never tempted without God providing a way out, and that no temptation is more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So, as believers, it’s important for us to understand this. Habitual sin in the life of a believer, with no remorse, and no efforts on the person’s part to stop it, is not what God expects, and it is not a true reflection of what the life of a believer should be.

In fact, John himself stated very plainly at the end of the verse above (1 John 3:6), that whoever sins (habitually and without remorse), has neither seen Him or known Him.

Very sobering words, for sure. And words that we need to weigh carefully in our own lives.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 4-5-19

Matthew 18:9 (NKJV) 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Sin is something that most people don’t like to hear about or think about. It’s not a pleasant topic no matter how we look at it.

But Jesus took sin pretty seriously.

It’s most common for us to hear all about how Jesus loved people and helped them. And this is true. But it’s also true that Jesus addressed sin, whether speaking to crowds or one-on-one with someone He encountered.

He told people to go and sin no more. He told some that He had come to call sinners to repentance. He addressed a crowd and reminded them all of their sins when He said “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.

But, one of the most serious things He ever said about the detriments of sin is in the verse above. Jesus took sin seriously enough to say that if our eye causes us to sin, it is better to pluck it out and throw it away than to leave it in place and continue to sin.

This is something we all need to take to heart. And it’s something we need to take a look at in our own lives. All too often we tend to look at others. But Jesus is telling us to take a look at ourselves.

Did He want us to literally pluck our eye out if it has caused us to sin? More than likely He was speaking figuratively. But the seriousness of what He said should still get our full attention.

God, please show us our sins. Help us to not only recognize them, but to acknowledge and admit to them. And to let You help us put a stop to them, one by one. Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-5-18

Romans 6:22 (NKJV) 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Fruit to holiness and everlasting life are beautiful gifts from God.

As we live the life He has for us, and we fight off the pressure of sin that tries to enslave us, we will walk in such beauty.

Life will always have its ugly struggles in one form or another. But we need to know and understand that no matter what comes against us, we now have the strength to fight back and beat it. God’s strength takes us above and beyond what we ever thought we could do.

No longer are we slaves to unrighteousness, but to God. He is the One we obey. He is the One who leads us… not temptation. We can beat temptation when we obey God’s voice.

In the heat of the moment, remember to push away sin and listen for the Holy Spirit. If we are paying attention and really want the help, He will help us and turn that situation around with His wisdom.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 3-29-18

Ephesians 5:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

As followers of Christ, it’s imperative that we steer clear of the works of darkness.

It’s not just about our reputation being on the line. It’s also about our life reflecting who God is.

Most importantly, though, it’s about our own walk with Jesus. The works of darkness can pull us off course if we’re not able to recognize them and avoid them. These works impact us, whether we realize it or not.

If we are in the presence of the works of darkness, there are spiritual implications in every aspect of that presence. Darkness has one goal; to snuff out the light and lure people away from the Light.

Rather than having fellowship with the works of darkness, God has instructed us, instead, to expose those works for what they are.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that we expose people. It means that we expose the works. It means that we stand strong against it. And it means that we use the authority that we have as believers and rebuke the unfruitful works of darkness, in the name of Jesus.

What’s more, we are not to even speak of these things.

Why? Because it is shameful to do so. Speaking of these kinds of things bears no fruit. It only brings glory to them, causing them to be brought into the spotlight.

And if we’re not careful, we will find ourselves sharing gossip, under the guise of concern, which the Bible clearly warns us about.

Avoid the works of darkness. Expose them, rebuke them and walk in God’s light. Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 3-25-17

2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV) 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

As we read this, we might tend to focus on the first few words; Flee youthful lusts. And that is definitely what we are being encouraged to do.

But if we look more closely, we are also shown how to accomplish this, by spending time with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

A pure heart is so important in everything we do. Our heart is where we keep everything. It’s where everything that we think, say and do comes from. What’s in our heart tells us a lot about who we really are.

God has instructed us to spend time with those who seek Him out of a pure heart, with no hidden motives or agendas and with no deceit. He knows that as we spend time with these kinds of people, that time together will benefit us and help us to steer clear of those youthful lusts He warned us about.

And as we grow, we will also be able to help those around us to do the same thing. The time spent together will be mutually beneficial. And we can all grow stronger together in our walk with God.

So even though we need to reach out to those in need and those who don’t know God, and offer His love to them, we also need to be sure that we are spending time with men and women of God who have a pure heart.

Those with a pure heart will never lead others astray.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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