Devotion: What Is Sin?

“For all have sinned, and come (fall) short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  What does this passage really mean?  How does one actually define the word “sin?”

According to the dictionary, “sin” is defined “as a transgression of theological principles.  It is an act, thought, or way of behaving that goes against the law or teachings of a religion, especially when the person who commits it is aware of this.”  In Christian theology, “sin” is defined “as the condition of being denied God's grace because of a sin or sins committed.”  According to Strong’s Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon, the word “sin” is defined as “to be without a share in; to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; or collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many.”

When we think of sin, we usually define it as personal sin, which may be one of “commission” (doing something that is prohibited) or one of “omission” (failing to do what is required of you).  This sin may also express itself in either an act or attitude, for example, going astray like a wandering sheep doing one’s own thing, by transgressing or overstepping the law, or by trespassing.  These definitions bring to mind the following questions: What sin does a baby who is born, takes one breath, then dies commit?  What did the baby do that was prohibited?  What did the baby fail to do that was required of him or her?  What sin did this baby commit?  This is when it dawned on us that we may need to rethink the definition or meaning for this word “sin.”  Could there be an alternative definition?

Yes, it dawned on us that there could be another definition or meaning for the word “sin.”  We believe the phrase; “All have sinned” referred to a point in time when everyone sinned.  The only time that this could be referring to had to be back in the beginning, in the beginning of God’s creation.  The phrase actually points to the very moment when all were in one man, Adam.  You see, when Adam fell, the entire human race was “constituted or formally established as sinners.”  We know from scripture that it was “by one man’s disobedience that many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).

Adam’s disobedience resulted in the human race being plunged into sin, leading to the imputation of sin.  The word “impute” is defined as “to attribute (especially, a fault or misconduct) to another; charge with; ascribe; to ascribe (goodness or guilt) to a person as coming from another.”  This imputation of sin took place when Adam sinned and the original sin was charged to every person’s account that came after him.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Sin entered into the world by one man’s action, it entered into the world because of what Adam did.  It was this sin that was imputed or charged to “all” because we “all” are connected with Adam’s race.  And because of this act, death followed and was passed on to every man as well.  So, this brings us back to an earlier set of questions.  What sin does a baby who is born, takes one breath, then dies, commit?  What did the baby do that was prohibited?  What did the baby fail to do that was required of him or her?  What sin did this baby commit?  The very sad fact that infants sometimes die demonstrates that even infants are impacted by Adam’s sin, since physical and spiritual death were the results of Adam's original sin.  Therefore, the only sin that the baby in this case is guilty of is the sin that was passed down to him or her by Adam, the father of mankind.

Hopefully, we all now have a better understanding on this thing called “sin.”  Previously, we mentioned that we are not sinners because we commit and/or practice sin; we are sinners because of the sin nature that was created and passed down by Adam when he fell.  And because we have this sin nature, we are also born to die, because death came as a result of the sin.  It is by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, that we have a new nature that was created and passed down by Christ’s obedience.  It is having this new nature that brings life everlasting.  Just as our sin nature was given to us by Adam, a righteous nature is made available to “all” by Jesus Christ.

As always, we pray that our inspirational message will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be that much better for having read it.  If you are blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Be a blessing to others.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Prosperity Pleases God

We have talked numerous times about prosperity and the reason God gives us the power or the ability to get wealth.  We have continually used Deuteronomy 8:18 as the anchor to our message to make clear the specific purpose for this wealth, which is “that he may establish his covenant,” a covenant “which he sware unto thy fathers.”  God gives us the power to get wealth to fulfill his promise, that agreement he made with our ancestors.

“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

In this passage, God asked Abram, who would be later become known as “Abraham,” to leave all that he would inherit behind.  Back then, everything was tied to the land.  People were considered prosperous or wealthy based on how much land, cattle, sheep, other livestock, and other various things they owned.  People accumulated wealth and passed that wealth down from generation to generation.  But we see here, God asked Abram to leave all of this inheritance behind, to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house so that he could travel to this unknown land, unknown to Abram but not God, which God would guide him to.

God made several promises to Abram, should he choose to obey this command to leave everything behind.  God promised to make him “the father of a great nation and to make his name great and famous.”  God also promised to “bless all that blessed him and to curse all that cursed him.”  But the most important of all, was “the promise to bless him so that he could be a blessing to others,” for it would be through him that “the entire world would be blessed.”  Long story short, Abraham (Abram) did as God asked of him and because of his obedience; God did what he had promised.  He made Abraham the father of a great nation, made his name great and famous, and made him “to be very prosperous” (Genesis 12, 13, and 14).

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14).

Jesus, who redeemed us from the curse of the law, also gave us the privilege to become “a child of God” (John 1:12-13), so that all could share in “the blessing of Abraham and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14), which includes “the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity” (III John 1:2).  However, keep in mind that this blessing, this prosperity on Abraham had a purpose.  This prosperity on Abraham was so that he could be a blessing to others, which he was.  It was promised through Abraham, through his faith in God’s promises, that the entire world was to be blessed.  It was promised through Abraham that we, the children of God would prosper, so “that God may fulfill his promise, that agreement he made with our ancestors.”  It was promised through Abraham that “we would be blessed in this day to be a blessing to others.”

“Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (Psalm 35:27).

God wants his children to prosper and he enjoys helping us to prosper.  God wants his children to be givers.  God wants his children to be in a position to be a blessing to others.  Therefore, magnify the Lord by having the same faith in the promises of God as Abraham that you too can be a blessing to others.  Live your life to be a giver, continually giving to others, continually blessing others with the prosperity that God has promised, through Abraham, to bless you with.  Become a blessing to others, which is the true purpose for the prosperity, as God “fulfills the promise he made with our ancestors.”

We pray that this inspirational message will continue to add to your understanding and be a great source of revelation knowledge.  If you are blessed by this message, please share it so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Get Answers To Prayer

And above all, remember to pray.  But whenever you pray, there are some things that you need to know about prayer.  First of all, you need to know how to pray.  Then when you pray, you should expect to have your prayers answered.  Contrary to popular beliefs and some teachings, if God did not want to answer all of your prayers, he would not have told you to pray and more importantly, he would not have told you how to pray.  Since most people are not familiar with the different types of prayer that God has made available, many of their prayers go unanswered.  In order to have your prayers answered, you must be aware of the many types of prayer, you must know the right type of prayer to use for your situation, and you must know the procedure for using that prayer.  Because we lack the needed knowledge about prayer and its purpose, more prayers go unanswered than get answered.

Some believe that when they pray, God hears them because they are sincere.  Others believe he hears them because they have a need.  And then there are some who believe he hears them because they have a pain or are suffering.  This is not true for any of these cases.  By hear, we do not mean he does not hear that audible words that one speaks when they pray, we mean to say that God does not respond to your prayers based on any of these reasons.  God only hears or responds to those prayers that conform to the principles set forth in his word.  God has set forth procedures that guarantees you receive the answers to your prayers.  Basically, you must pray according to his will.  Here is a novel thought, if each prayer prayed was according to his will, then there would be no need to include the phrase, “If it be thy will.”  All the prayers prayed would already “be in his will.”  This is just a thought.

Imagine, praying a prayer according to the will of God.  Is it possible to do that?  Do you think this type of prayer would ever work?  How do we know what God’s will is?  As the righteousness of God, we have the right to have our prayers answered.  As a child of God, you have the right to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises.  Just because we have the right to these things does not mean that we will get our prayers answered without following the rules set forth by God.  Here is another way to look at it.  It would be like playing a football game with the rules used to govern a basketball game.  Somehow it just does not work.  The same applies to your prayers.  You have to pray according to the rules that God has set forth in order for your prayer to get answered.

People pray all the time, for many different reasons, for many different things, using many different methods.  Because we lack knowledge about praying God’s way, most people are not aware that each of the different types of prayer that God has made available to us are governed by their own set of spiritual laws or rules.  On the surface, these prayers seem to be identical to each other, share many similarities, which may account for the confusion by so many.  Because all of these prayers require the same tools, many times the spiritual laws that govern each of them are misused, misconstrued, and misapplied resulting in many unanswered prayers.

“Praying always with all prayer” (Ephesians 6:18) implies that there are different kinds or methods of prayer.  To get answers to your prayer, you must be aware of the different types of prayer and familiarize yourself with them.  So make sure you know how to pray, which goes way beyond opening your mouth and just throwing out some words that sound spiritual or godly.  Learn to pray God’s way, according to God’s will and get your prayers answered.

Again, we pray that our commentary will be a blessing to you and will be a great source of information.  If you are blessed by this message, please be sure to share so that others may be blessed as you have been.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Is Desiring To Be Rich Wrong?

Most of you are familiar with “the story of the rich young ruler” (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30).  He was the one who came to Jesus wanting to know what he must do that he might have eternal life?  In answering this question, Jesus, who “looked upon him and loved him,” ended up telling the young ruler, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (v. 21).  Scripture tells us that the young ruler was saddened by what Jesus had said and that “he went away grieved” (v. 22).

Jesus would go on to say to his disciples, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God” (v. 23).  Was having riches the primary reason why the rich young ruler could not enter into the kingdom of God?  Did Jesus, in answering the young ruler’s question, intend for us to follow these same instructions to sell all we possess and give to the poor so that we might have eternal life?  Is this that one thing that the rich young ruler lacked?  Most of the time when studying the word of God, we focus intently on the things that are actually written in the passages that we are looking at.  However, on occasion, it is important that we focus our efforts and our attention on what is not included in the passage of scripture so that we can get clarity and understanding of what God is truly trying to reveal to us with the passage.  For example, as we look at the list of commandments mentioned by Jesus, we find that he left out the most important one of all.

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:36-38).

Yes, that’s right; Jesus did not mention the greatest commandment of all in the list he gave to the young ruler.  The most important commandment of all, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” was not even mentioned in the passage.  Could this be what Jesus was talking about when he told the rich young ruler that he lacked one thing?  If this be what Jesus was talking about, then it would appear that the young ruler did not love the Lord God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind.  It appears that the young ruler loved his riches more than he loved God and this is why he was saddened and went away grieved.  Even though he claimed to have observed from his youth all those commandments that were listed by Jesus, the one that Jesus did not list appears to be the one thing that the rich young ruler lacked, a love for God above all other things.  The rich young ruler did have “great possessions” (v. 22), but the truth of the matter was that he was unable to give up those possessions, even for the eternal life he sought, because “his possessions actually possessed him.”

At first glance, this story appears to be about having riches and how hard it will be for those who have such riches to enter into the kingdom of God.  However, Jesus would later say to his disciples, “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:24).  This message is actually about those who “trust in their riches” and how hard it is for those who put their riches ahead of God to enter into the kingdom of God.  Those who “trust in their riches,” though they have great possessions, find it most difficult to part with their possessions, even for eternal life, because the truth of the matter is that “their possessions actually possesses them.”  This is what the story of the rich young ruler revealed and that is why he was saddened and went away grieved.  We are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), putting our love for God above everything else that we have in our life.  There is nothing found in scripture against having possessions as long as we are not “possessed by our possessions,” for this is when it becomes hard or most difficult for those with riches to enter into the kingdom of God.  Jesus went on to say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man, who “trust in his riches” to enter into the kingdom of God (v. 25).

We forever pray that our inspirational message will abundantly bless you and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Giving Is Planting Seed

In several of our recent commentaries, we have discussed prosperity.  We have continually used Deuteronomy 8:18 as the anchor to our message, which says that God gives us the power or the ability to get wealth, although it be for a very specific purpose.  We have expressed this purpose as being “that he may establish his covenant.”  We also mentioned that it is vital that we understand there is more to the message and the purpose than just giving or as some have put it, “sowing seed for a harvest” and expecting some kind of hundredfold return based on the amount a person gives.  While being a generous giver, being obedient, and walking in faith are important ingredients in the mixture, it was understanding the true purpose that was the key to receiving the revelation of the prosperity message from God’s point of view.

So many people view prosperity as something that increases their bottom line.  Because the world places such high value on things like cars, houses, and other tangible items, we are led to believe that by amassing as many of these items that we can, we make ourselves prosperous by varying degrees.  We are taught that the more such things or “assets” we amass, the more prosperous we are and the more prosperous we are, the more highly regarded, by man, we become.  Nevertheless, God’s way to prosperity is just a little different.

God wants to prosper us.  God does not want us to prosper so that our needs are barely met or even met with the barest of necessities.  God wants us to prosper so much so that we can actually be givers.  God wants us to give, to be in a position where we can be a blessing to others.  The reality of prosperity is that we should live to give and not live to get.

The Bible makes it clear that there is a right way or a godly way to prosperity and that there is a wrong way or an ungodly way to prosperity.  Most people use the world’s roadmap, which is tied to the world’s financial economy, to obtain their riches.  When we are the source of our financial prosperity, we worry about everything.  However, when God is the source of your prosperity, you do not have to worry about anything.  God’s roadmap is different from the world’s roadmap and is not subject to the ebbs and flows of the world’s financial economy.

“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).

According to this passage, it is “the blessing of the Lord” that makes a person rich.  When our prosperity comes this way, there is no sorrow added with it.  It appears that having “the blessing or favor of the Lord” is the key to receiving true prosperity God’s way.  With “the blessing or favor of the Lord,” we do not have the burden or the weight of producing and/or maintaining our own riches.  “The blessing or favor of the Lord” will bless all that we do and make us prosperous with no sorrow or bad success added, for the sole purpose of enabling us to be a blessing to others.  When correctly understood, prosperity is not for us, where we amass as much wealth as we can for ourselves.  The primary goal for the prosperity is for us to be a channel for money to flow through so that God can use us “that he may establish his covenant” and that we may be a blessing to others.  Our personal wealth is a by-product of having “the blessing or favor of the Lord” in our life and is not the primary goal for the prosperity.

Again, we know that this short commentary will not settle the on-going debate about prosperity, however, it just might give those who have that same “ear to hear,” as we do, a little different perspective and a clearer understanding into the true purpose for the prosperity, from God’s point of view.  As always, we pray that our commentary will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: When You Sin

Tradition teaches us that sin is “a violation of divine law.”  And tradition teaches us that we are all sinners because we have violated the law.  While we do commit and/or practice sin, we are not sinners because of either of these reasons; we are actually sinners because we have a sin nature, a nature that was created by Adam.  You see, when Adam fell, the entire human race was constituted or formally established as sinners.

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).

It was by one man’s disobedience that we were made sinners.  Adam was the first man and the forefather of the entire human race (Genesis 2:19) and the consequences of his disobedience affected all mankind.  The belief is that when he sinned, it was as if we all had sinned at the same time.  And at the same time, “death was passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).  For it was at this point in time that the phrase, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) took on its meaning.

We know from scripture that by man, Adam, came sin and with sin came death.  These things were passed on to all mankind, so that all mankind were guilty of sinning and all mankind would die.  The fact that God would impute the disobedience of one man to the entire human race may seem a little unfair to many of you.  It really is not as unfair as you think.

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

God offers to impute the righteousness of Christ to the account of a believer, making that person’s record as good (or as perfect) as Jesus Christ’s just as he imputed the sin of Adam to the account of all of mankind making everyone sinners.  Imputed righteousness in place of imputed sin; sounds fair to us.  Death came into the world because of what man (Adam) did.  And it is because of what this other man (Jesus) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead.  Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, being members of his sinful race, and wherever there is sin, death results.  But all who are related to Jesus Christ will rise again, as members of his spiritual race.  Death came into the world because of what man (Adam) did.  And it is because of what this other man (Jesus) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead.

By one man’s disobedience, sin entered into the world.  And with that sin came death, spreading throughout the world; for all die because of Adam.  And because of Adam, everything began to grow old and die.  But by one man’s obedience, sin’s curse was defeated.  And with that defeat came the resurrection of the dead, for in Christ shall all be made alive.  But now we want to look at the contrast between the one who started all of this and the one who ended all of this.

“… so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, causing all to become sinners because he disobeyed God.  It was the righteousness of Christ that made man right with God again so that they could live.  Christ gave many the opportunity to be made acceptable to God; all because he obeyed.

The free gift of God does not work the same way that the transgression of man did.  Because of one man’s sin, the death penalty was brought to many, but this free gift of God is so much more.  This gift, a gift of grace, is given by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  He has taken away all sin and replaced it with glorious life.  But this gift does not have the same effect as the sin of the one, Adam.  Adam provoked a judgment that resulted in the condemnation of everyone.  The gift of grace, however, resulted in the justification for a multitude of transgressions.

Again, you are not a sinner because you commit and/or practice sin, you are sinner because of the sin nature that was created and passed down by Adam when he fell.  By accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, you be in Christ and Christ be in you.  When you are in Christ and Christ in you, then your sin nature is changed and you become a new creature or creation.  And as a new creation, your old sinful nature be passed away and a new nature is created in you, a justified and upright nature, a nature that is Christ-like.

We pray that today’s inspirational message will give you a new perspective on this thing called “sin.”  We pray that that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read this message.  If blessed, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Giving Is Not The Main Ingredient In Prosperity

In many religious circles, the prosperity message has become a dividing force in the body of Christ.  Misused and abused by some religious leaders for personal gain, many believers now completely tune out any messages that even skirts the issue of money, finances, tithing, and/or prosperity.  Though we understand the negative connotations associated with the prosperity message and the views of both sides of the issue, we thought it to be extremely important that we attempt to discover the truth about prosperity from God’s point of view and not just man’s viewpoint, since so much is written about the topic in the Bible.

We will be the first to admit that we are not scholars nor do we claim to be any experts in the field, but we do have a love for the word of God and we seek the truth in his word.  We will also admit that our motives for discovering the truth are somewhat selfish; however, we do share any and all results with those who have that same “ear to hear” as we do.  We previously found that God gives us the power or the ability to get wealth, but it is for a very specific reason; so “that he may establish his covenant” (Deuteronomy 8:18).  This is God’s viewpoint, his purpose for giving us the ability to get this wealth, and the main reason why we need to talk about prosperity.  This is completely different from man’s viewpoint of prosperity, which is only to “increase one’s own self.”

It is vital that we understand there is more to the message and the purpose than just giving or as some have put it, “sowing seed for a harvest” and expecting some kind of hundredfold return based on the amount a person gives.  Being a generous giver, being obedient, and walking in faith are important ingredients in the mixture, but understanding the true purpose is the key to receiving the revelation of the prosperity message.  In order for any of this to work God’s way, all must be done with the right motives, with the right intentions, and with the right heart.

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7).

Attitude plays a very important part in understanding God’s point of view about prosperity.  Each of us must make up our own minds and decide in our own hearts as to what to do with this revelation on the purpose of prosperity message.  No one should force you to participate nor should you participate grudgingly, reluctantly, out of necessity and/or under compulsion because this is not God’s way.  However, understanding the purpose will make you a cheerful and joyous participant in helping God to establish his covenant, which is the true purpose for the prosperity, from God’s point of view.

As always, we pray that today’s inspirational message will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW