Sin produces changes in us.  Our mind changes, our heart changes, our actions and beliefs change.  Churches and Christian leaders who tell us that we don’t have choice or power over our own sin are teaching us to change from Christ, and to look toward something (or someone) else as our God.  A blog posting that I read today suggests that if our leaders in government choose morally right paths we will incur more and more social unrest. Why?  Because people are being overcome with sin in North America and anything that tries to restrict sin will incur wrath from people.  We see this today from particular groups. Hollywood is in an uproar over anyone or anything that interferes with their liberal beliefs.  LGBTQ is in an uproar over anyone who interferes with their beliefs and lifestyle decisions.  Many  young people are in an uproar over anything that interferes with their socialist and entitlement beliefs. This oftentimes includes disallowing people to speak publicly if they have contrary arguments.  It doesn’t matter what the facts are, or what the truth is, these are not authorities in the minds of people today in our Western culture.  What people want to believe is what is real to them.  It seems these constructs in their minds override even obvious realities.

The blog I was reading today says for Christians to expect persecution and lawlessness in the days ahead. We are already getting glimpses of this hatred toward Christ from our culture.  Many people can’t stand Jesus, or what he represents, or what he requires from them.  They absolutely reject him and anyone who follows him.  “Christians are the problem”, they say.  ‘They’ are often leaders who rule over us in the West.  Here in Canada we see the education of children changing dramatically.  Parents are not to be informed of what is being taught in school as more laws and legislation are being passed to enforce this trend.  Governments are forcing ideologies onto people through punishments or loss of societal benefits if they refuse.  Acceptable speech is being forced onto people.  Acceptable speech here in Canada means no judgments are to be made publicly about a behavior or ideology outside of those approved by political sanctions.

What does this mean for us as Christians?  It means that we are not going to get help to conquer our sin through our churches or our governments. We are going to have to do this alone through Christ and his Holy Spirit.  Even many believers will not be able to help us because they follow the ‘teaching of the day’ that says sin is undefeatable within us and in our day to day lives.  Read your Bible and follow what is says. You have the power to defeat all your sin in Christ.  Sin results in death the Bible says.  We have excellent reasons to believe God as he has instructed us on why and how to defeat sin in the NT.