how to stop sinning

Is it the numbers that makes one right? Does a building marked with a cross make it the church?

If the doctrine of Jesus Christ is not welcomed there (John 15:1-6), can it possibly be a gathering of Christ followers? Is it the size of the gym that identifies God’s blessing, or the ability to deny worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-15)?

Wherever the body of Christ gathers, that is the church; be it in a building, on a field, or in the local mall, marked or not marked with a cross. The only cross that is needed is the one Christ died on.

Nor do we need an altar, since the body of those who live by faith is now the temple (1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16). The altar is on the inside, and those who worship at it, worship in Spirit and in truth (verses below) all day long (Romans 8:4-8, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Glory halleluiah! Let us repent and return to the Lord our God.

John 4:23-24  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” NKJV

According to Jesus Christ, the Word itself is both Spirit (John 6:63), and truth (John 17:17). Can we reject God’s Word, and proclaim that we worship in Spirit and truth? Can we ignore God’s Word and still be sanctified, and have an inheritance?

John 17:17  Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV

Acts 20:32  “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. NKJV

Those who do not worship in spirit, still have condemnation in them (Romans 8:4-8), regardless if they attend a place called “church” every week or not. Check the verses. Let us repent and return to the Lord our God!

Does the Bible say that the one who gets the most people to quote a sinner’s prayer wins? It doesn’t even say to go and have people quote a sinner’s prayer!

Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents, but Jesus said, “Repent and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). He did not say, “Lead them into repenting, but never mention the Gospel.”

If we preached the Gospel we would be teaching people to obey Jesus (Romans 15:16-20), believe the Word of God (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15), and hold on to the teachings (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). If we preached the Gospel we would be teaching people that we must live by faith, or we will be cut off (Romans 1:16-17, Hebrews 10:36-39, John 15:1-6).

If we preached the Gospel we would not be mixing our worldly wisdom with it (1 Corinthians 1:17, 2:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6). What do those verses reveal about the sermons you have heard over the past 50 years? Right, let us repent and return to the Lord our God!

If we were preaching the Gospel, we would be teaching people to share what they have to give (2 Corinthians 9:10-15), in order that there would be equality among the saints (2 Corinthians 8:13-15), who are the faithful in Christ. That should be in-line with our confession of the Gospel. Check the verses and know who has lied to you for years. Let us repent and return to the Lord our God!

According to the following verses, we have to trust in, and believe the Gospel in order to be sealed. How is it that we promise unsuspecting people an inheritance when we do not preach the Gospel?

Ephesians 1:13-14  In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. NKJV

Get this and let it sink in. If we have led a million people into saying a sinner’s prayer, but we haven’t taught any of them to obey Jesus, then we haven’t made the first disciple of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).

In fact, if we insinuated that they did not have to obey Jesus, but simply have a personal relationship like we would with a worldly person, then we have probably made more sons of hell than Christ followers (Christians, Acts 11:26).

Matthew 23:15  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. NKJV

We are like modern-day Pharisees, who did not submit to God’s way of righteousness (Romans 10:3)? The Word has not changed. Either we have preached the Gospel or we have not. Don’t lie against the truth, because we’ve got the sermons, books, tweets, CD’s, and DVD’s to prove it, but let us repent and return to the Lord our God.

The Bible does not say “Go have a personal relationship” with anyone, but it does say “Preach the Gospel.” He who believes “the Gospel,” and is baptized will be saved!

Mark 16:15-16  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. NKJV

The most pressing questions today are, “What are we Christians doing, and why are we doing it?” We belong to a groups based on a book, in which we greatly ignore, and willingly misquote, all the while daring anyone to correct us.

What? Can we fight against the Lord, and win (1 Corinthians 10:21-22 below)? Does His mercy include allowing us to embrace the teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1)?

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, NKJV

1 Corinthians 10:21-22 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? NKJV

Does the Bible say that we can sing our way into Heaven, all the while avoiding the Word of God? No, it doesn’t. In fact, it says the opposite.

Amos 5:23-24  Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. NKJV

Get the faith right first, and then sing! We can’t be righteous by faith and reject the truth. No, those who are righteous believe as Abraham believed (Romans 4:18-24), and grace only reigns through righteousness (Romans 5:21). In fact, we gain access into grace, through faith.

Romans 5:2  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. NKJV

Most preach in direct opposition to that verse too, but why is that, and why isn’t the Christian community crying out? First of all, we accept it. By our worldly standards, it’s considered rude to question the people “we” placed in charge.

We form committees, and they come back with recommendations of those they have judged to the best of their ability, but they only know a few verses. Therefore, their judgment is mostly based on what they see and feel. That’s wrong!

According to the Bible, the prophets judge from the floor during the service (2 Corinthians 14:29). The problem with that verse is that if we followed it, most pastors would be out of a job (1 Corinthians 11:19). Check the verse.

Father in Jesus’ name, in Your wrath remember mercy. Hear the cry of those who repent and turn toward Your ways. Enable those who turn to preach Your Word. Amen.

We don’t follow the Word of God for the sake of following a man-made system of hiring a pastor. That’s like saying, “God we have rejected Your ways and have followed the ways of the world around us, but we know how merciful You are, so it’s okay.” “Oh yea, God we still want You to answer our prayers and do whatever else You have promised us.” Thank You!  PS. “We will sing our hearts out this coming Sunday just for You!” Repent!

Our second biggest problem is fueled by the first one. As we are taught to speak against the faith, by those who do not preach the Gospel, we 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. NKJV

Rather than preaching according to what is actually written in the Bible, most preach a mixture of promises mixed with worldly wisdom. They say things like “This is true, and this is true, and therefore, it stands to reason that this is true also.”

You may hear a verse or two to confirm the first part of what is said, but then comes the philosophy. It’s the last part that gets you. The devil used part truth and part lies against Jesus, so this is nothing new (Matthew 4:5).

Colossians 2:8-9  Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. NKJV

1 Corinthians 2:4-5  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. NKJV

A good sign that you have been taken captive by philosophy is if you have been in church for years, but you do not know that we must obey Jesus or we will not be able to do anything spiritually, and we will be cut off (John 15:4-6, 10).

We have to abide in Jesus in order to be fruitful (John 15:5). Those who do not abide in Him operate in the flesh, and the only way to abide in Him is to obey His commands (John 15:10).

Now imagine well-meaning Christians, who know nothing about abiding in Jesus, being charged with finding a pastor for their church. They can’t help but find one in the flesh. I’ve been looking for one who preaches the Gospel, regardless if no one wants to hear it, and regardless if no one gives one dime for years, but I have yet to find one anywhere.

They say, “Well, we will just take the best one we can find.” Wrong, we set the standard in accordance with God’s Word, and then we wait on the Lord our God, casting our cares on Him because He cares for us. The Lord is our Shepherd!

Imagine well-meaning Christians leading others to Christ without knowing the Gospel, or even that there is a part of the Gospel that we must obey. How can so many Christians be wrong? Multiply that by the past 50 years. It’s like a snow-ball rolling down Mt Everest.

If all you have been taught is to “go have a personal relationship with Jesus,” then know that Jesus Christ taught that those who do not abide in Him will be burned in the end (John 15:6). Do you believe Jesus? If you do, you will not only abide in Him, but you will teach others to do the same, because those who have wandered from the truth, need your help!

James 5:19-20  Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. NKJV

Jesus is the source of eternal salvation for those who obey Him. If the following verse is true, how many millions, and millions have been deceived by false teachers, whom we have helped to place on pedestals for the world to see?

Hebrews 5:9  And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, NKJV

According to the New Testament, is there a part of the Gospel that we must obey, or we will burn in the fire? Read the following verses and know for yourself.

1 Peter 4:17-18  For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” NKJV

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10  since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. NKJV

Most Christians do not even know that there is a part of the Gospel that we must obey, because most have not heard the Gospel. All they heard was Christ died, say this prayer, and you’re going to Heaven. However, that last line is philosophy. Don’t be tricked!

Know that part of being righteous by faith is not allowing our hearts to speak against the Word of God (Romans 10:6-8), and the only way to change our hearts is to change what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:33-37). Check the verses.

This brings up the third biggest problem among Christians today. Few are separating themselves from the world’s ways, and renewing their minds with the truth, which is supposed to be our first sacrifice back to God for what He has done for us.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

According to the Bible, we need to stop conforming to this world, and renew our minds with the truth in order to be able to test and approve what God’s will is (verses above). If we stopped filling the church building with the world’s ways, then the people of this world would stop coming. They say, “We are catching more flies with honey.”

Right, and that is exactly why we have stopped preaching the Gospel, and we have stopped making disciples of Jesus Christ out of them; they would stop coming if we told them the truth; stop conforming to this world, and obey the Gospel. Therefore, the people who attend rule the church building by their actions, and not in accordance with the Word of God. Welcome to the last days!

2 Timothy 4:3-4  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. NKJV

For nearly two thousand years the church served, but today it is all about being served, and not about denying ourself (Matthew 10:34-39, 16:24-25). In the past 50 years, the church building has redefined itself into being a community club where worldly people can have a form of godliness, and remain worldly. No one has to renew their mind with the truth. No one teaches people that they must obey Jesus, and those who warn others are considered “out of line” (Colossians 3:16).

What is written is happening right before our eyes, but very few can see it. I’m Alan Ballou; a servant. If I were you, I would repent of the past, and follow God’s Word like it is written. There will always be opposition for those who decide to live godly (2 Timothy 3:12), but those who oppose you will burn in the end (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 above). By opposing you they simply identify themselves (Philippians 1:28).