TOPIC: LEAVE YOUR SINFUL HABITS

Sin: Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression of divine law.

Habits: The word “habit” is derived from the Latin word habitus, which means how you are. It actually means your state or condition.

1. Habit is an established pattern of behavior. It is this habit that shapes or forms our character.

2. A bad habit is a besetting Sin. It is a particular sin that keeps harassing or that continues to trouble a man.

Paul said in Romans 7:14-25, anytime he desired to do something good, he discovered he couldn’t do it, but see himself doing the evil or the things he did not desire.

Sinful habit: Sinful habits are, in short, actions (habit) that fail to live up to the will, commands or standard of God

Bad habit or sinful habit is like a stronghold that is difficult to break, when fully established. That is why as a child of God, you must be very careful what forms your habit (very Important).

1. The sin of commission. (What you know is not good to do yet you went ahead to do them).

God says, “You are not to do that.” We do it anyway and when we do we commit the sin of commission. We have gone against what God told us not to do. Genesis 2:17 (17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.)

2. The sin of omission. (What you know is the right things to do yet you fail to do them)

When we know to do good and do not do it, we are guilty of the sin of omission. James 4:17 (17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.)

3. The sin of disposition. (Having bad intention towards others)

It is a sin to have bad feelings in your heart toward someone else. Many Christians are guilty of this sin. We are told to “Love one another.”

1. Pride: Pride is excessive belief in one’s own abilities that interferes with the individual’s recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. Proverbs 16:18 (18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.)

2. Greed: A “ruthless self–seeking and an arrogant assumption that others and things exist for one’s own benefit.” 1 John 2:16; Ecclesiastes 5:10

(1 John 2:16 – 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.)

(Ecclesiastes 5:10 – 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.)

3. Wrath (Anger): Wrath can be summarized as strong vengeful hatred or resentment. The warnings of wrath in Christianity arise from the consequences of vengeance in human relations. We can become consumed by rage and revenge to the point of acting irrationally and immorally. This is the wickedness of wrath and why it is included as a deadly sin. Ecclesiastes 7:9; Proverbs 14:1

(Ecclesiastes 7:9 – 9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.)

(Proverbs 14:1 – 14 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.)

4. Envy (Hatred): People often ask what the meaning of envy and hatred is.

Envy is hatred or bitterness towards another person. It stems from a feeling of inadequacy meaning it comes when a person feels that he does not have things that another person has – It is to desire something possessed by somebody else. Job 5:2 (2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.)

5. Lust (immorality and materialism): The dictionary definition of lust is;

1. Intense or unrestrained sexual craving or

2. An overwhelming desire or craving.

Lust is essentially to crave something, usually associated with worldly desires of sexual intent or material possessions. Proverbs 6:25; Matthew 5:28; Romans 1:27

(Proverbs 6:25 – 25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.)

(Matthew 5:28 – 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.)

(Romans 1:27 – 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.)

6. Gluttony: Gluttony is defined as the over-indulgence or lack of self-restraint in food, drink, or wealth items, especially as status tokens. The English word comes from the Latin and means “to gulp.” Gluttony worships food to feed our own self-love. Merriam-Webster defines gluttony as “habitual greed or excess in eating…greedy or excessive indulgence”. Numbers 11:18-23 Philippines 3:19; Proverbs 23:2

(Numbers 11:18-23 – 18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.)

(Philippians 3:19 – 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

(Proverbs 23:2 – 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.)

7. Slothfulness: Slothfulness means laziness, sluggishness, or indolence which is the avoidance of activity or exertion. The slothful person is one who not only doesn’t want to work but is one who avoids it as well. This person may even go out of their way to avoid doing work. Proverbs 19:15, 25; 12:24; 18:9

(Proverbs 19:15 – 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.)

(Proverbs 19:25 – 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.)

(Proverbs 12:24 – 24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.)

(Proverbs 18:9 – 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.)

8. Lying (not saying the truth): A lie is something false said with the intention to deceive. To tell a lie is to avoid telling the truth. This is done by saying something untrue outright, or by fudging the truth. Proverbs 30:8; 12:22; 20:20

(Proverbs 30:8 – 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:)

(Proverbs 12:22 – 22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.)

(Proverbs 20:20 – 20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.)

9. Cheating: To cheat means to “act dishonest or unfair to gain an advantage”. Proverbs 20:6; James 4:17.

(Proverbs 20:6 – 6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?)

(James 4:17 – 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.)

10. Gossiping: A gossiper is one who has privileged information about people and reveals that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is an easy sin to commit and comes in many forms: venting, spreading rumours, sharing opinions, seeking advice, the person been gossiped may not know about it. The root cause of gossip is almost always, without fail, jealousy. The more successful you are, the more attractive, the kinder, the more self-assured, the more people will gossip. They do it to try and bring you down. Proverbs 20:19; Ephesians 4:29

(Proverbs 20:19 – 19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.)

(Ephesians 4:29 – 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.)

1. It will corrupt a person’s relationship with God:

2. Sin separates man from God.

3. Sin takes a person into immense debt and subjects him to condemnation (Matt. 18:23–32).

Note: A person must one day account for what he has done.

1. Live your life day by day in Christ.

2. Create more time with the Word of God than become a “Busy body”

3. Don’t play with the fellowship of the brethren, Church services and activities and control your tongue anywhere you find yourself

4. Build a strong and committed Prayer life

5. Create enough time for fasting.

Is it actually possible to conquer destructive habits? Yes, because “with God, nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). Through the provision of God’s grace, you can take positive steps of action to experience victory over sinful habits.

1. I cancel the era of slavery unto joblessness in my life, in the name of Jesus.

2. Arrows of errors and mistakes fired into my life, backfire, in the name of Jesus.

3. I refused to be used and dumped physically and spiritually, in the name of Jesus.

4. Any witchcraft curse that is enslaving me to sin and other negative habits, die by fire, in Jesus name.

5. Every power that want the first or second born in my family to be in slavery, catch fire, in Jesus name.

6. By fire by force, my children’s destiny shall not be captured by satanic taskmasters, in Jesus name.