PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
To
avoid is better than to be cured.
PSALMS 119:11 "Thy
word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
Introduction:
·
We are very familiar with
medical advice, and we often hear this from our doctors, but this is even more
true and effective as advice and a reminder for our spiritual life.
·
Avoiding things that will
harm our lives is a better decision than continuing in something we know very
well will harm our Christian life.
·
Example in our Physical
health:
5 Important Reminders for the Christian
I. MEDITATING ON GOD'S WORD WILL PREVENT US FROM SINNING. The meditation of God's Word will keep us from sinning.
PSALMS
119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin
against thee."
The
Word of God is an effective cleanser for our dirty minds and hearts and keeps
us from sinning against God.
(JOHN 15:3) "Now
ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
The
Word of God is effective and powerful, strengthening our Christian life so that
we may triumph against sin.
(HEBREWS 4:12) "For
the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
The
Word of God helped King David avoid being enticed into sin.
(PSALMS 1:1) "Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
II. DRAWING TO GOD WILL PREVENT US FROM BACKSLIDING.
Drawing near to God will keep us from turning away from
the Lord.
JAMES
4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse
your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
James
challenges us to draw even closer to God, and God will also draw closer to us.
The
truth is, our God never makes an excuse to distance Himself from us; it is
always us who desire to move away from God.
Backsliding
from God is choosing to love the world; Demas turned away from the Lord and
chose the world.
(II TIMOTHY 4:10) "For
Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto
Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."
III. PRAYING
TO GOD WILL PREVENT US FROM TEMPTATION.
Praying
to God will keep us from temptations.
MATTHEW 26:41 "Watch
and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but
the flesh is weak."
Prayer
is an effective way for God to guard us against the tempter, Satan.
The
Lord Jesus is our primary example in prayer so that we may triumph over every
kind of temptation the enemy will bring against us.
(MATTHEW 4:1-4) Mt 4:1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil.
Mt 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and
forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Mt 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he
said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Mt 4:4 But he answered and said, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.
IV. SERVING
GOD WILL PREVENT US FROM AN UNFRUITFUL LIFE.
Service
will keep us from a fruitless Christian life.
I CORINTHIANS 15:58 "Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the
Lord."
God
wants our service to the Lord to always be abundant, and God promises that our
service will not be in vain.
Serving
with much fruit is a successful service to God that has a reward.
(II TIMOTHY 4:7-8) 2Tim
4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the
faith:
2Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
V. SOULWINNING WILL PREVENT US FROM AN UNHAPPY CHRISTIAN
LIFE.
Leading souls will keep us from a sad Christian life.
LUKE
15:7 "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over
one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance."
We are
also able to be happy in heaven because of the souls being saved.
The
Christian who leads souls is promised by God a crown of rejoicing.
(1 THESSALONIANS 2:19-20)
1Thes 2:19 For what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? [Are] not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his
coming?
1Thes 2:20 For ye are our glory and joy.
Conclusion:
Avoiding
things that are not God's will is the better thing for every Christian to do,
rather than choosing the things of the world and sinning against God.
II CORINTHIANS 6:17-18 "(V.17)
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (V.18) And will be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty."
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