Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Sin kills.  It really does.  And, the thing that it kills the most - your soul and your relationship with God.

Have you ever done anything really, really bad?  And, after you did it, how did you feel?  Did you think it was no big deal, and, even, want to go and do the same thing again?  We know from Hebrews 11:25 that sin does have its pleasures...but how did your sin make you feel after the pleasure had ceased??  I remember when, as a little boy, I would ask my dad to count the money he had sitting on his dresser, every day.  I would go into his room as he was getting ready for work and say, "Dad, can I count your money?"  So, I would sit there counting and counting, and, while I was doing this, I would slide a bill or two under his bed for me to pick up at a later time.  Yes, as a five year old boy, I stole!

Now, at that time, I did not feel remorse because I simply had yet to be taught that stealing was a bad thing.  We know, however, from Romans 7:8 that when the law comes, sin becomes alive.  In other words, when you are told to not do something because it is evil, and you do it anyway, that is sin.

Now, speaking of you, how did you feel when you sinned intentionally?  And, this is important.  If you did not feel any type of guilt after doing something you knew to be wrong, then, I hate to say it, this is very, very bad.  It is even, demonic.  It is even, a very characteristic of Lucifer, himself.  And, if you get to the point where you are just soaking up the evil and enjoying every minute of it, like the soldiers throwing innocent puppies over a cliff, then you are in really bad shape, spiritually.  "Why?" you ask.  Because, when you enjoy sinning and do it over and over again with no remorse, that is a sign you have been dehumanized to the point where demons have totally taken you over.  It is also a sign that the Holy Spirit is not present in your life to convict you of sin.

We know from 2 Corinthians 7:10 that when you feel "sorrow" over doing something wrong, this is not to be regretted, as it leads to repentance.  Now, when you have repented of your sins, you must do everything possible to never, ever, return to that sin, again.  Purify your hearts and cleanse your hands, just as James 4:8 says.  Do not ever return to doing those same sins again, ever!

Now, comes the whole point I want to make.  Deuteronomy 11:26-27 says, "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known."

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, and the man who reputedly wrote Ecclesiastes, has this to say at the end of this book, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."

As you can see, the "whole meaning and purpose of life" can be summarized as fearing God and simply, doing what He says to do and not doing what He says not to do.  If you do these things, you will be blessed, just as the scripture above (Deuteronomy 11:26-27) says.  If you do not obey God, you will bring a curse on yourself.  And, do not forget that the ultimate curse is eternity in hell!  So, let's start obeying God with our whole hearts today, and never waver from the "straight and narrow."  This will mean God's blessing, protection, and favor in our lives!

I send you a big hug,

Coulby
www.coulby.com