From Galatians 5
The sin of vices in our lives
Anything less than the fruits of the Spirit, can become a vice in our lives.
Merriam Webster defines VICE:
A vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.
It goes on to say that a vice is a blemish, defect, fault or spot.
Vices are negative habits in our lives.
According to Michele Bachmann:
80% of what we do are manners
20% of our actions run on the laws of the land
We give permissions to ourselves to make our own decisions concerning our obsessions (appetites) transgressions etc. Vices are not necessarily crimes; they can, however, destroy our lives by distancing us from our righteous LORD.
How do we prevent ourselves from being caught in vice?
We must stay away from groups of people discussing and acting out in negative and lewd behavior, since bad company corrupts good morals. Rather, we must associate with overcomers. We can still love our enemies, without participating in their blemished activity. We can and must focus on the fruits of the Spirit of our God, making application to them daily, all day long. We must invite the mind of Christ to be in us.
You can get a spot of mud on your nice wool clogs, but when you attempt to wash it out, the initial dirt stain spreads throughout the neighboring fibers of wool, spreading the "dirty" even throughout the foundation. You can allow the initial spot to dry, untouched, and then gently brush the dirt out of the fibers. For the most part, the dry mud will more easily be removed, and if your shoe needs a little extra care, the cleansing process will be quicker and less intensive.
If we do not free ourselves from our vices, the filth bleeds throughout our lives. tainting every fiber of our character. But if we let that vice dry up, we can, with the help of Spirit of Truth, brush that filth from our lives so that we can live in freedom and spotlessness before our LORD.
A vice is meant to hold something in place until it is removed.
We have a Savior who has come to set us free from our vices, wash the "dirty" away, and replace our filthy stains with spotless robes of pure white.
This is our HOPE!
🍿INTERMISSION🍿
