The 9th Sin Every Christian Must Avoid

Having a Rebellious Spirit

 

            A rebellious spirit springs forth from our autonomous nature. Men, generally speaking, think they can handle the bumps and grinds of this life all on their own. Christians can become rebellious too. Many Christians enjoy worldly endeavors, pleasing their own desires over yielding to God. Instead of submitting to His word and ways, they justify and rationalize their choices, unwilling to bring them under the light of God’s truth. Whenever you end up justifying or rationalizing your choices you reveal your desire to circumvent God’s “rules” which you may find to be too restrictive. They’re only restrictive if you make yourself believe they are, but in reality we all need structure in our lives. We certainly don’t want the structure coming from the government. Let’s face it, would you really want ANYONE ELSE establishing structure for you. Okay, but what about the One who created you in your mother’s womb? What about God? Yes. Why? Because He knows you better than you know yourself. He only has YOUR best interests at heart. No one else could possibly establish a structure that would challenge us daily yet reward us all along the way. 

            Being a rebel may seem like a good road to take, especially when you are in your teens and 20’s, but Proverbs 14:12 (ESV) warns us with this: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Let’s be honest. We haven’t got a clue regarding what is best for us. Rebelliousness is such a touchy subject because often Christians don’t want to consider the possibility that some of their thoughts, attitudes, and actions may be rooted in disobedience towards God.  1 Peter 1:14-15 urges, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”Holy can be defined as “devout, godly, or virtuous”. Being virtuous means to have “moral excellence”. To be moral is to be “upright, honest, straightforward, and honorable”. Doing whatever you want in spite of what God has to say about it is living in ignorance. Don’t call yourself a Christian if you have no intention of abiding by His rules, which are laid out in scripture, are beneficial and not in any way harmful to us.

            We must start a personal boycott of hell, which is essentially boycotting worldly, self-centered desires and all that it stands for. Reach out to God for His help in combatting Satan and all his minions. I frequently suggest a spiritual assessment, but you MUST be honest with yourself. In other words, what does God think about what you are saying or doing? What does scripture say about it? You MUST seek the mind of God regarding how you are living your life.

We are called to be rebellious against the world and all its’ disfunction. The world is under the temporary control of the enemy, but only because God allows it. To be worldly is to be rebellious against Almighty God. If you’re reading this and are unsure what your status is with God, then stop and take a hard look at yourself; make an honest assessment of your spiritual standing with the Lord. 

            Up next is the 10^th and final sin that we must avoid. It is sexual immorality. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

NOTE:  All definitions in this post are taken from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.