how to stop sinning

We believe this or that!

You hear Christians make statements like “We believe this,” and “We believe that” all the time, rather than saying “We believe the Word of God with all our heart, soul, and mind.

The problem with saying we believe something other than believing God’s Word is that until we renew our minds with the truth in keeping with Romans 12:1-2, or until we put off the old man and be renewed in the Spirit of our minds in keeping with Ephesians 4:20-24, we don’t think like the Lord because we don’t know what the Bible actually says.

Until we know what the Bible actually says, we need to forsake our thoughts, and allow the Word of God to tell us what to think (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Let this sink in. We don’t think like the Lord. Check the verses below.

Isaiah 55:7-9 
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. NKJV

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2 Corinthians 10:4-5 
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, NKJV

We’re made in His image, but we do not think like Him. Therefore, we have to forsake our thoughts and meditate on the Word of God.

As Christians, we’re supposed to be comparing what we think, or what we believe to be true with the actual scriptures, and if we think differently, then we are required to change our minds (1 Corinthians 10:4-5) allowing the Word of God to judge the thoughts and intents of our heart (Hebrews 4:12). That’s how we fight as Christians. 

Take this test. Watch the following video on how to never stumble again, and as the scriptures pop up on the screen, ask yourself if you have come to believe God’s Word or is your mind full of worldly wisdom? If you refuse to change your mind to be in-line with scripture, then that’s called a hardened heart (Hebrews 3:15), or a blind heart (Ephesians 4:17-19). As you can imagine, that’s not good.

There will always be a path that seems right to those who have not renewed their minds with the truth, but it leads to death in the end. Check the verse below. That’s why we have to test everything and make sure that we get it right (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Proverbs 16:25 
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. NKJV

Therefore, we can’t go by what seems right, and we can’t just proclaim what seems right either, because by proclaiming false knowledge we can fall away from the faith.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— [21] by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. NKJV

So, we can’t go by what seems right, or proclaim what seems right. No, we got to get it right by checking to see what is actually written in our Bibles. The Word of God is the evidence we need to live this Christian life. Those who are justified live by faith (Romans 1:17), and faith includes the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), and that evidence is the Word of God that is written in our Bibles.

So before you say “I believe this or that” concerning spiritual things, be doubly sure that what you have come to believe is actually what is written in scripture.

What does God believe about turning us from sin?

According to the Word of God, God believes that His Word alone is all that His people need in order to turn from evil.

Jeremiah 23:22 
But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings. NKJV

Think about that for a second. If all we need is God’s Word to turn us from evil, why isn’t every Christian walking in victory? Perhaps we have been deceived into believing something else. Allow me to ask you a question.

Can you name just one denomination today that preaches John 15:1-6 below. In fact, try and name one that doesn’t teach the exact opposite, that we do not “have to” bear fruit.

John 15:1-6 
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. [2] Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. [5] “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. NKJV

According to Jesus Christ in verse 2 and verse 6 above, what happens to the branches that do not bear fruit? God cuts off every branch in Christ that doesn’t bear fruit (verse 2 above), and in the end that branch will be thrown into the fire and burned (verse 6 above). For more info on bearing fruit please watch the video, or keep reading below.

Millions are on the broad path

Don’t you, as well as millions of Christians today, think differently? There is a way that seems right, but that’s the wrong path (Proverbs 16:25). We have to get it right.

I used to wonder, how can verses like Matthew 7:13-14, and Luke 13:24-28 happen when every Christian in the world has a Bible? How can millions of Christians attend church services every week, all based on believing a book (the Holy Bible) if they do not believe that book?

Matthew 7:13-14 
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. [14] Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. NKJV

Luke 13:24-28 
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. [25] When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ [26] then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ [27] But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ [28] There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. NKJV

According to Jesus Christ in Luke 13:24 above, we have to strive to enter through the narrow gate. I believed that everything was easy. In fact, that’s what I was told over and over again in many different churches; just get saved. How hard could that be?

However, does being saved mean that I have already entered the narrow gate that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7:13-14 above? If you read Luke 13:24-28, the problem was that they never knew Jesus; “He will answer them and say, I never knew you.”

How do we know that we know Jesus Christ

How do we know that we know Jesus Christ, and again let’s get it straight from the Bible, because everyone has their own beliefs, but the question is, “Does what we believe match  what the Word of God says?”

1 John 2:3-6 
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. [4] He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [5] But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. [6] He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. NKJV

We will know that we know Jesus if we keep His commandments (verse 3 above). I have never been told that I had to keep His commandments in order to know Him, have you? That’s because Christians who are on the broad path ignore John 15:8-10.

John 15:8-10 
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. [9] “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. [10] If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. NKJV

Bearing much fruit not only shows that we are Jesus’ disciples, but the only way to bear fruit is to abide in Jesus according to John 15:4-6 (back up at the top of the page). Here in verses 9 and 10 we learn that the only way to abide in Jesus is to keep His commandments (John 15:9-10 above).

Jesus’ commandments

What did Jesus command us to do? Is it to keep the Ten Commandments? No the Ten Commandments came through Moses. Jesus gives us brand new commandments. Check it.

John 13:34-35 
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. [35] By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” NKJV

John 15:12 
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. NKJV

John 15:17 
These things I command you, that you love one another. NKJV

1 John 3:23-24 
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. [24] Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. NKJV

Check those verses from your own version of the Bible.

How do we obey Jesus

Again, what seems right is not exactly what is written in scripture. In fact, we could hug everyone we meet, and even tell them that we love them, and still never come to know Jesus. Why? According to scripture, we don’t love in word or tongue, but in deeds and in truth (verse 18 below). By this we know love.

1 John 3:16-19 
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [17] But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? [18] My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. [19] And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. NKJV

If we have this world’s goods and see our Brother in need and do nothing to help him, then we don”t love according to what the Bible describes as love (verse 17 above). That’s how we know that we belong to the truth (Verse 19 above).

How is obeying Jesus connected to stopping sin

If we obey Jesus, we will abide in Jesus as described above. Not only is this connected to our ability to come to know Him, but if we abide in Him, we will have the ability to stop sinning (verse 6 below). Check it.

1 John 3:5-8 
And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. [6] Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. [7] Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. [8] He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. NKJV

That’s a shocking passage of scripture to read if you have been attending church services for years, but have never heard it. Yes, Jesus was manifested to take away our sins (verse 5), but that about all you will hear in a sermon today. Why?

Again, everybody believes something, and what they believe may sound very spiritual and seem so right, but unless you know the Word of God for yourself, you will never be able to spot a lie (Ephesians 4:13-14).

These verses do not remain on the inside of the people who reject them (John 5:24), and just by speaking against the faith, which includes the evidence of things not seen (the Word of God, Hebrews 11:1) we can fall away from the faith.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— [21] by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. NKJV

Obeying Jesus is just the beginning of stopping sin in our lives. I say it’s the beginning because without abiding in Jesus, we do everything in the flesh (John 15:5 below). In other words, we can’t do anything spiritually. It may seem like we can, but again, what does the Bible say?

John 15:5 
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. NKJV

I explain this process in my books, “How To Stop Sinning,” and “Stop Sinning and be Healed,” available on Amazon. However, you do not have to buy my books in order to receive my help. If you have a question, ask. I’m Alan Ballou, a servant.

For more info on how to stop sinning and the processes that we will need to learn in order to do it, please watch the videos.