Nancy Hughes: R Rated

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we
have received the knowledge of the
truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. . .”
Hebrews 10:26 (NIV)

It was one of those moments that, years later, still makes me shake my head and smile. Noah and Lola, both 4 years old, were having a heavy conversation over a lunch of mac ‘n cheese and chocolate milk.

“Noah, when I’m 10, I’m going to see an R-rated movie,” Lola informed him.
Noah immediately answered. “You can’t see an R-rated movie. If you do you will go to “hail,” Lola.”

But she shook her head “Yes I CAN see an R-rated movie. I won’t go to “hail” if I do.” Noah totally disagreed. “Yes, you will, Lola. You will go straight to “hail” if you see one.”

The conversation went back and forth for several minutes. Finally Lola sighed and raised up both her hands in the air. “Okay, fine. I’ll go see an R-rated movie and then after it’s over, I’ll ask God to forgive me.” Mercy.

Obviously, at 4 years of age, Lola had no concept of Hebrews 10:12. But evidently she had heard a conversation somewhere about doing something you should not be doing and THEN asking God to forgive you.

So what does it mean to “deliberately keep on sinning”? I believe it comes down to this: knowing the clear commands of Scripture but choosing to ignore them and do what we want to do instead. Not confessing but continuing our sin; not battling against it but willingly surrendering to it day after day.

For example, do we focus on loving money to the point that every day is filled with how to obtain more and more wealth? We are told in I Timothy 6:10 that the love of money only leads to all kinds of evil. We know that. But yet we continue holding it up as our god.

Or perhaps we are in a relationship outside of our marriage. We know that we are clearly warned in I Corinthians 6:18 to run from sexual immorality and yet we ignore the word of God and continue in our sin.

Before you say “Yes, but no one is perfect! We all sin!” I completely agree. We all mess up. But as Christians, we know our trust and faith are in the only One who died for us and who promises forgiveness when we confess our sins to Him.

Jesus became the Ultimate Sacrifice for our sins with His death on the cross. Resolve today, not to deliberately keep on sinning but to deliberately keep on turning to Him for forgiveness and renewal.

Father, thank you for your grace and forgiveness. I do not want to ever deliberately sin against you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Can you recall a time in your life when you knew you were deliberately sinning but you didn’t repent?

Apply

Journal anything in your life that you think might be “deliberate sin.”
Read through the Word and write Scripture verses that speak to each entry.
Ask the Lord to forgive you and help you begin anew by His grace and mercy.

Power

Hebrews 10:26 (NIV) “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. . .”

II Peter 2:21 (NIV) “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”

Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God . . .”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)