Why do people knowingly do wrong? This is a question that has baffled philosophers for centuries. We often know right from wrong, yet sometimes when push comes to the shove; we divert from doing right and knowingly do wrong. This sort of behavior is called deliberate sin. In order to understand this perverse way of behaving, we need to look at the very manufacturer of this evil-the heart.
The heart of man is a fertile ground of malice, greed and all things ungodly. A heart that is void of the Holy Spirit will remain this way until it reaches its inevitable last beat. In order to equip ourselves with the necessary knowledge regarding how not to be deceived by our hearts, we need to, as always, turn to the Word of God; for the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
God has given us His Holy Spirit for a reason; not only to empower us to speak in tongues and perform miracles. But also to equip us with a sober mind and enlighten us so that we may acquire oneness with the divine thoughts and ways of God. When we have the Holy Spirit living in us, we know right from wrong because the Spirit alerts us. Once the Spirit has alerted us to the presence of evil, we shun from engaging in sinful endeavors because our obedience to God propels us to do so.
It is imperative for us as born-again believers to understand that we cannot allow ourselves to make decisions with our hearts; because the heart is weak and therefore easily corrupted. If we are to make the best of our lives, we need to allow ourselves to be led and used by the Holy Spirit. Often we just want God to fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we can perform wondrous miracles so that signs and wonders may follow us everywhere we go. While it is true that this is the desire of God, it is also true that He desires for us to give room for His Spirit to work in us; in that way we will become spiritually mature.
Timothy 1:7 tells us that we have been given a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. When we open up ourselves for this very spirit to work in us, we will realize a significant change in the way we talk, act, but mostly in the way we make our decisions. Our decisions will no longer be based on what we feel, but rather on what the Spirit of the living God has spoken to our hearts. Enough emphasis cannot be put on how important it is to align your thoughts with those of God.
Once our thought pattern becomes God-infused, it will become easier to avoid knowingly doing wrong. Most of the people of God have adopted an “everyone sins” defence mechanism and this is the sort of attitude the devil thrives on. When we start participating in perverse behavior and justify it by claiming that our fellow brethren are doing it, we are no better than the world. God is Holy and He has called us to be Holy and set apart. In this calling there is no compromise and no loophole.
By knowingly allowing your heart to deceive you and therefore deter you from the path of holiness, you are disobeying God (John 14:23) and grieving the Holy Spirit. Cease trying to achieve holiness on your own terms; give God room to move in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in all righteousness and give you a sober mind so that you can make sober decisions. God is not waiting for you to sin so that He can whip the living daylights out of you. Rather, He is waiting for you to realize that in every situation, He is more than enough.
God bless,
Nthabiseng Patsa
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.