RETURN OF AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT - "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-26).

Pastor James MacDonald, often proclaims, "Choose to sin, choose to suffer." This piercing truth coincides precisely with the warning Jesus gives in Luke 11:24-26 and personally raises convicting application questions that I need to continually remind myself as a way of preaching the Gospel message to my fleshly heart and mind.

Questions such as:

• How often do I take time to consider the impact sin has in my life?

• Do I minimize my sins as within my control to handle/overcome?

• Do I hate my specific sins so as never to return to them?

• Does the temptation to sin drive me to the cross before I fall or after?

• Do I understand and fear God's wrath and judgment of sin?

Examining all aspects of sin is crucial to overcoming it. Sin is serious. It separates us from fellowship with God and drives the nails Jesus bore for our unrighteousness deeper still into his innocent body. The real question that must be answered though is what am I going to do about it and how committed will I be to see it through.

If there is predominant lesson I have learned through the devastation of sins I have committed, it is that true repentance and life change can only occur within a knowledge and understanding of God's Word. This requires a level of consistency and commitment to not only read the Word but apply it through my heart. It begins with an act of the will that manifests itself as self-discipline which is an intentional process that must be established with a goal in mind.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

I believe in order to gain control over sin in our lives we must see sin for what it really is and that sin manifests itself in various forms. Scripture warns, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

We most certainly have an enemy that knows our weaknesses better than we do and exploits them in an effort to isolate us where we are less protected. Therefore we must remember "that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

The minute we break fellowship with God we are drawn into darkness where hungry lions prowl and are easy prey for self-imposed destruction.

When I reflect upon the five application questions listed above I am convicted first that I do not spend enough time reflecting upon the role sin plays in my life, for I have fallen victim to letting down my guard on countless occasions and almost lost all I held dear to me because of it. Selfish desire does that—and if left unattended it gives birth to Jesus' warning in Luke 11:26 that spirits more evil than the first will assuredly take residence in my life.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, perhaps summarized it best when he said, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15). Sin requires focused attention and a Scriptural set of eyes to discern with, and we are fools if we do not recognize sin's impact on our relationship with God and make necessary adjustments immediately.

The second convicting question drives a knife into my prideful heart. Minimizing sin is simply an act of laziness because the effort it takes to protect against sin far outweighs the effort of declaring, "I have everything under control." I was convicted recently of this point in the book of Proverbs: "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly" (Proverbs 26:16).

It takes an incredible amount of humility to counter a self-righteous attitude that believes it is all-knowing. And whether I care to admit it, more often than not I minimize sin and consequently experience the chaos of life without God as my source of strength. Perhaps if I accepted reality that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:25), I might be willing to abandon my prideful attitudes and submit to a Sovereign God who supremely knows better and desires that I take my sins seriously, regardless of the depth and breadth of their severity and impact.

Questions #3 begs the question of whether I hate my sins enough never to return to them. In some instances, I can answer favorably because I have experienced the devastation of specific sins I have committed and am permanently scarred. Fear of consequences can be a powerful motivator!

But again, is the practice of minimizing sin creating a hardened heart within me that lacks the righteous hatred of sin that for instance provoked Jesus to cleanse the temple in Matthew 21:13-14? Do I elevate fellowship with God over self-gratification? Am I not saying to God, "I choose ____ over you" when I prioritize sinful desires or actions over Him, thus committing idolatry?

Seeing my sins for what they are must first be born from the pages of Scripture as a basis for absolute truth and a standard for righteousness which consequently manifests itself through an application of that truth in opposition to the flesh. This breeds an understanding that the Lord hates sin and should compel me to share His passionate hatred for sin as well. I need not look any further than His Word for an example on whether I recognize various sins in my own life and therefore detest them so much that I have abandoned them and never returned.

"There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19).

More than I care to admit, I am greatly convicted by this simple list of sins to avoid that are merely a minuscule example of what the Bible teaches on the topic of sin. While hating my sin never to return is essentially the abstinence method of dealing with sin, temptation is still ever present and must be addressed.

Therefore, the reality of the cross of Calvary must take center-stage when I come to spiritual forks in the road where I must choose Christ or my flesh. The apostle Paul goes to great lengths to communicate the eternal impact Christ's sacrifice made.

"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14).

Without the cross, I have no fellowship with God and am subject to His eternal judgment. With it, I not only have hope but assurance of grace and mercy. Therefore, why would I not drive my selfish will to the foot of the cross when confronted by temptation? If I believe the almighty truth of Scripture within my heart, why do I tend to be reactive rather than proactive when confronting sin and temptation?

More often than not, it is because the priority of Bible study, meditation and prayer have been replaced by worldly attitudes, such as "I'm too tired," "I don't have time," "What difference does it make," or "I'll get to it tomorrow." Bottom-line, it is laziness on my part, pure and simple, of which I need to repent of and turn away from.

Finally, the concept of Holy fear encompasses all other questions: Is God's wrath and judgment real to me? Based upon the evidence of sin in my life, I would unfortunately declare, "No," and that is heartbreaking for me to admit and more so for my Lord and Savior who died for my rebellious heart.

The warning Jesus sternly gives in Luke 11:24-26 is simply that if I only clean house on sin in my life but fail to replace those sinful thoughts, actions and motives with the truth of Scripture and healthy spiritual disciplines, I am setting myself up for an even greater fall. God forbid, I do not want to be that man! I have experienced firsthand the ramifications of not applying that truth and have severely suffered the consequences of my actions in my relationship with God and those I love.

Anyone who has assumed he/she had control over sin in their life and held to that belief understands this all too well, which impresses the point even harder that a Holy fear of God must be living and active in order to quench the flaming arrows of the enemy. I must universally (not just specifically) lay down my pride and arrogance and apply the truth of King Solomon's final decree after he considered and scrutinized all the pleasures of life.

For when I sin, I am essentially choosing the pleasures of this world over my Lord and Savior. May this truth convict me to action to better protect myself from the effects of sin and gain victory once and for all over interwoven sins of pride and selfishness still present in my life.

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).