Recently I heard a message about how to have a close relationship with Yeshua (Jesus) to have His presence with us at all times. The core of the message was the need to discover any secret sins, repent (and in some cases make them right), in order to have the presence of Elohim (God) in our life.
Andrew Murray, lists six points from his book “The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer”, in chapter six “Is Prayerlessness Sin?”
Carefully consider these points:
1) The presence of God is the great privilege of God’s people and their only power against the enemy.
2) Defeat and failure are always due to the loss of God’s presence.
3) The loss of God’s presence is always due to some hidden sin.
4) God himself will reveal the hidden sin.
5) When God discloses sin, it must be confessed and cast out.
6) When sin is cast out, God’s presence is restored.
To illustrate these points Andrew Murray uses the incident at Ai, in Joshua chapter 7, to help illustrate the defeat we can suffer by hidden sin.
Joshua 7: 10-13 But the LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen the things that I commanded to be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them; they have also lied about it and hidden the things among their belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. "Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things. (All scriptures NAS unless noted. Emphasis added)
Mr. Murray states: “… the presence of sin makes the presence of God impossible.” These are strong words. We must cry out to our Creator to deliver us from all sin. We must learn what sin is and believe Yeshua will deliver us from them when we repent and make every effort to be obedient to His Word.
Let us consider other Scriptures about sins.
A definition of sin:
1 John 3:4 Those who sin are opposed to the law of God, for all sin opposes the law of God. (NLT)
1 John 5:17 Every wrong is sin, but not all sin leads to death.
James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Why the Law?
Romans 3:20 … for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
(The law was given to us by our Creator to show us how to have a right relationship with Him and mankind. His Law reveals to us our faulty nature and shows us our need for our Creator.)
Beware; Sin is deceitful.
Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 12:1 … let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
James 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin…
How serious are sins?
Leviticus 26:18 ‘If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning…
John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
Hebrews 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Numbers 16:22 But they fell on their faces and said, "O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?"
Some effects of sin:
Psalms 25:18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble …
Psalms 32:3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long.
Proverbs 8:36 "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."
1 Kings 8:35-36 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You…
Wonder why there is no answer to prayer?
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Jeremiah 5:25 ‘Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you.
Unaware of Sin:
Leviticus 5:17 "Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
1 Timothy 5:24 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.
Be aware of sneaky sins.
1 Corinthians 8:12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
James 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Proverbs 14:21 He who despises his neighbor - sins, …
1 Samuel 12:23 "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
1 Samuel 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."
Deuteronomy 23:21-22 "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. …
Amos 5:12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate.
Are some sins connected with our health?
Psalms 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
Micah 6:13 "So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating you because of your sins.
Matthew 9:5 "Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?
John 5: 13-14 But the man who was healed did not know who it was … Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you."
James 5:15-16 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
1 Corinthians 11: 27-32 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Hebraic tradition for the Day of Atonement:
Atonement: {<03722> kaphar kaw-far’; to cover; figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel:—appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).}
Leviticus 16:30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. This day is very important. We can learn from the Judaic tradition of searching our lives during the forty days before Atonement, for anything we may have done to cause offence to man or Elohim; deeds against the Torah. They diligently seek to make things right with man and their Creator so on the Day of Atonement, they and the nation will be forgiven and have another prosperous year.
Leviticus 5:10 - So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.
Saying “I’m sorry” may not be enough.
Numbers 5:7 then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.
Leviticus 19:17 "Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront your neighbors directly so you will not be held guilty for their crimes.”
Matthew 5: 23-26 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. "Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.
This we know:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin...
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, …
What should we do?
Pray: NAS- intercede (2), make supplication (1), mediate (1), pray (36), prayed (28), praying (8),
Psalms 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.
2 Chronicles 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Ezekiel 18:21 "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Psalms 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.
Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Revelation 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;
YHVH’s mercy:
Psalms 103:10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Isaiah 53:12 … Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
Matthew 26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Reason for rejoicing:
Psalms 32:1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!
John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Seeking the revealing of hidden (unaware or secret) sin:
Job 13:23 "How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my rebellion and my sin.
Psalms 19:13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Psalms 90:8 You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
We need to help a brother that may have a fault – sin:
Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Isaiah 58:1 "Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.
Luke 17:3 "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
1 John 5:16 If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. (NLT)
A reason to pray for our leaders:
1 Kings 14:16 "He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin."
How can we keep form sinning?
Psalms 119:11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
Ephesians 4:26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Think:
Proverbs 14:9 Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will.
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.
Jeremiah 17:10 "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.
Ezekiel 18:24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.
Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Romans 6:16 … you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
Job 1:22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
Review of Andrew Murray’s points:
1) The presence of God is the great privilege of God’s people and their only power against the enemy.
2) Defeat and failure are always due to the loss of God’s presence.
3) The loss of God’s presence is always due to some hidden sin.
4) God himself will reveal the hidden sin.
5) When God discloses sin, it must be confessed and cast out.
6) When sin is cast out, God’s presence is restored.
From this article we conclude:
Our Prayer:
Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (AV)