Death, Taxes, and Sin

Scripture Reading: Genesis 4:7  “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

There is a saying that goes like this,  “the only sure things in life are death and taxes.”  Well I would like to add another sure thing “sin”.  Sin will be with us until this life on earth is over.  As a Christian did you know there are some things that you don’t need to pray about?  Because God has already told us to do some things and not to do some things.  For example, God told us it’s not okay to steal, so you don’t need to ask God if it’s okay to steal.

But then there might be some things you’re not sure if they are right or wrong to do.  We would call this a gray area.  Here are a few safeguards to help you decide if a gray area is okay or not.  

First, if you do this activity is it going to help you spiritually or hurt you spiritually?  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:23  “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial.”  You should avoid anything that is not helping you spiritually.  Or anything that may keep you from praying and reading your Bible.

Secondly, you can ask yourself this question.  Will this activity try to control you?  Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12,  “I must not become a slave to anything.”  You should be controlled only by Christ.

Thirdly, what is your conscience telling you about this activity?  When your conscience is talking to you it’s really the Holy Spirit talking to you.  If your conscience is telling you not to do something, you better not do it because it’s probably sin.  Paul says in Romans 14:23 (NLT) “If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.”

Death and taxes we don’t have much control over, but sin we can have control over with God’s help.  I hope you will remember to ask yourself these three questions when you are faced with something you are not sure about.  With all the sin that is in the world today it doesn’t need to be a part of your life.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries