How to Prevent Sin

In his article “How to Prevent Sin,” Herbert W. Armstrong concluded with the following. Notice the important key he described. It will also help you:

“The way to put a thing OUT of the mind is to put an opposite thought IN the mind. So often I have noticed parents of babies strive so hard to ‘shush’ up the baby when it is crying. There’s either something causing pain, which should be removed, or something is in the baby’s mind that is causing its crying or fretting. Just saying ‘shush!’ or commanding the baby to stop fussing doesn’t usually get very good results. We have reared four children, and long ago I learned the trick of quieting the baby by getting its mind on something else. Instead of commanding it to stop crying, attract its attention with some new object—get it interested in playing with that object…and before you know it the child will forget all about its crying.

“Try using this same method on yourself. But instead of material or worldly things, a mature person should use self-discipline and set his mind on spiritual things. Open your Bible. Put the study of some spiritual subject in your mind. Next time you are tempted, try it. Pray over it. Ask God to help you. See how rapidly you begin to win the victory over temptation and sin, and how marvellous will be your spiritual and CHARACTER growth.” Mr. Armstrong concluded a related article “How to be an Overcomer” with the following:

“If we draw nigh to God, and then KEEP close to Him, our problem will be solved. We will then have the FAITH. We will then be FILLED with His Spirit—His power to overcome.

“We can keep in spiritual training only if we keep our affections—our minds—our thoughts—on SPIRITUAL things. Read Col. 3:1-10. Most of us keep our minds filled with earthly, material cares and interests, turning to the spiritual only occasionally! Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!

“Sometimes it takes a siege of FASTING AND PRAYER—earnest, determined, persevering prayer—seeking God with all our might—with weeping—staying with it, DETERMINED, until we get through. Then we must keep in CONTINUOUS prayer. Cast ALL our cares upon HIM. We are not doing that. If we do, there will be many things each day to pray about! And it takes daily PRIVATE prayer, in real earnest, besides family prayer. Is eternal life WORTH IT?”

God’s Word Points the Way

A final quote from Mr. Armstrong sums up this book. It is taken from his “Personal from the Editor” in Tomorrow’s World, May-June, 1970:

“The world has rejected God’s Law—GOD’S WAY. It has gone the WAY that has brought every curse on mankind. The WORLD TOMORROW will change all that. It will be RULED BY GOD’S LAW!

“To QUALIFY to become a King—a RULER in the KINGDOM OF GOD—you must come to really KNOW that Law. And the WHOLE BIBLE is a magnification—an elaboration of its principles. It is ONLY those who REPENT of their transgressions of God’s great spiritual Law—the Ten Commandments—and who surrender to and accept as Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who can become begotten children of GOD. No one is a true Christian until he has received THE HOLY SPIRIT of God (Rom. 8:9). That is God’s gift. It imparts the very LIFE of God. It renews and opens the MIND to comprehend spiritual knowledge. It bestows the LOVE of God—divine, SPIRITUAL love. It imparts POWER. It installs FAITH.

“Then, once really CONVERTED—the entire direction of your life CHANGED—you must continually OVERCOME. There are three very tough things to overcome—your own SELF with the pull of human nature; the WORLD, with its customs, false teachings, wrong ways, wrong fellowships; and the invisible yet very real devil. You must GROW not only in spiritual grace, but in the KNOWLEDGE of Christ—the KNOWLEDGE in God’s INSTRUCTION BOOK—the Holy Bible. You must study—understand it—live henceforth by its directions. It points THE WAY—WALK YE IN IT!”

Much Knowledge

This book has brought extraordinary understanding to you, knowledge presented by no other organization. It has thoroughly examined the subject of the Ten Commandments. You have seen that they are the Law of God, not the law of Moses—and that every one of them was ordained (though certainly not always kept) from the time of Creation. You have seen sin defined—Old Testament and New—and learned that every one of the Ten Commandments was referenced in the New Testament. You also learned that New Testament grace does not “free” people from obedience to laws that were always intended to be for more than merely the Jews or the Israelites.

What About You?

In the end, you have seen the beauty, logic and simplicity of each of God’s ten commands. You have seen the many benefits to the world if all people kept them. You have seen that Christians must overcome and prevent sin. You have seen that the Ten Commandments were not “nailed to the cross” but are required for salvation.

When confronted with difficult choices, most take the easier path. Will you swim against the popular current of all others around you? Will you OBEY the God of the Bible? Will you come to be and then remain close to God? Will you strive to live by each of the Ten Commandments (and other laws and principles of God) every day of your life?

Will you overcome and INHERIT ALL THINGS?