Do we compromise who we serve so people will like us in order to be accepted by our peers?  Who was Rabbi Shaul/Paul addressing here in his letter to the Galatians?  Those who were followers of Messiah Yeshua!

 

 Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
Gal 5:24 Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day.
Gal 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
 

Private sins;

 

These are sins that we do in secret, hidden behind closed doors thinking that nobody will ever know what our secret vices are.  We can fool ourselves, we can fool others but God knows the secret sins that  are destroying our lives.

 

Take the example of David and Bathsheba!  David thought he could hide his sin of adultry and murder.  Read 11 Samuel 11-12:25 and Psalm 51  God sent His prophet to confront David about this hidden sin so he could repent and be restored.  But he still paid for his error and the baby died, but out of sorrow came a blessing with the birth of Soloman.

 

Today Pornography, idolatry, sexual immorality is running rampant, not just among those who are outside of the Kingdom of God but by those who "Claim" to be in the Kingdom of God.

 

What did Yeshua say about sin starting in our hearts

 

Mat 5:27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and castitfrom thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and notthatthy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and castitfrom thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and notthatthy whole body should be cast into hell.

 

What does He mean by plucking out your eye and cutting off your hand?  This is a hebrew idiom  Yehshua in the previous verse was suggesting that we run away from greed and idolatry.  We should take precautions to guard and protect ourselves from the evil eye of want, to get rid of the evil eye of desire.  We are to deal with those sins in the thoughts before they manifest in action.

 

1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.


 *Journal - Food For Thought

 

Do the clothes we wear, the words that come out of our mouth reflect a person who is walking with God in holiness?

Did I do foolish or degrading things to attract attention or approval?

 

Did I act privately in a way that I would be ashamed if anyone found out?

 

Did I consider how God is watching even in my most private momments?

 

Did I convince myself that because nobody sees me, that mistakes somehow do not count?

 

*Jewishroots.net Prayer-Rabbi Shraga Simmons (Aish Hatorah)