HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 157
page A155
Forgiveness means that God looks at you as though you have never sinned. When
you receive his forgiveness, you are blameless before him. When God forgives, he
doesn’t sweep your sins under the carpet; instead, he completely washes them away.
If you have confessed your sin, don’t go through another day with the weight of
unnecessary guilt.
PROMISES FROM GOD
• A C T S 1 3 :3 9 | “Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight.”
• R O MA NS 8 :1 | So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Habits See also Discipline; Maturity; Priorities
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A habit is a usual manner of behavior, a pattern. There are good habits and bad habits,
much the same as any person exhibits both good and bad behavior. The question is,
what’s the prevailing pattern? The term bad habits brings to mind things like smoking,
drinking too much, or biting your nails. But spreading gossip, complaining, or backbiting
can become bad habits too. Worry can become a bad habit and can hurt us deeply.
Good habits, on the other hand, can be of great value. The habit of prayer is something
beautiful. Daniel was willing to risk his life rather than give up his habit of prayer. We can
make witnessing about Christ a good habit. The Bible has much to say about habits that
will benefit us for a lifetime (and beyond) and habits that are bound to destroy us.
What are some of the bad habits the Bible talks about?
Sin is a habit none of us can end completely, but a pattern of sinful living shows that we
may not be serious about following God.
• E X O DU S 8 :2 8 -3 2 | “All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go.” . . . But
Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go. (See note on page 59.)
Pharaoh exhibited the bad habits of lying and wanting his own way. Both of these are
habits we can easily slip into, but they are disastrous.
• NU MB E R S 1 1 :1 | Soon the people began to complain about their hardship.
The Israelites developed a bad habit of complaining. Regular complaining can quickly
turn into bitterness.
• 1 T I MOT H Y 5 :1 3 | They will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping.
Too much time and too little to do can be fertile ground for bad habits. This idleness
makes it easy to develop the bad habit of gossip. Here Paul was talking about widows
who had too much time on their hands. But the principle applies to us all.
How do I deal with bad habits?
• R O MA NS 7 :1 5 | I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t
do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
Have you ever felt this way? Paul reveals to us one of the best ways to deal with bad
habits—recognize them for what they are and confess them honestly. Paul knew that
he could not kick the habit of sin overnight. But he knew that, with God’s help, he could
make progress every day. In the same way, we may have to give up a habit in phases,
one day at a time.
• 1 J O H N 2 :1 5 | Do not love this world nor the things it offers you.
Sin often appears lovely and attractive. In the same way, bad habits often feel good even
though we know they are ultimately bad for us. Breaking a bad habit can be hard because
we are losing something we like. Understand that there may be a grieving process. But
this pain over losing a bad habit brings the deeper joy that we are doing what is pleasing
to God.
• C O L O SS I A NS 3 :2 | Think about the things of heaven.
We must replace a bad habit with something good.
HelpFinder
• 1 J O H N 3 :8 | When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil.