(By: Norm Rasmussen)

I'm fully aware that I've maybe 'shocked' and even offended many Christians by using the word 'butt' in this title. I can think of another word that would work better than 'butt', but I've refrained from using it because it might offend donkeys, and we should not offend animals, I realize.

In speaking with my dear brother, Dale Rasmussen, over the phone recently, the Holy Spirit drove home the truth of a matter that I've been guilty of saying very little about for much too long. Thus here goes:

In Christianity these days, we teachers have allowed Satan too much slack when it comes to sharing 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth' when it comes to sin in the lives of Christians. Afterall, this message is being written to Christians. Non-Christians aren't going to read it.   

We Christian teachers are giving way too much emphasis on 'God forgives sin' and then leaving it there, as though that's the end of the matter. It is NOT the end of the matter, dear reader! It is only HALF of the truth about matters of sin. Are we not quick to remind Christians 'that God forgives all sin, in accordance with 1 John 1:9?' Yes we are, and praise and thank God for that awesome gift of mercy He has given us because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  Yet that is only HALF of the truth of the matter!  

Here's the SECOND HALF of the truth that applies to ALL Christians who sin, and especially keep repeating the same sin over and over. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  Translating that down to language we can better comprehend, the wages of sin will kick your butt and never forget it!

Let's read from 1 John 1:8-10 NIV:  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Why is it that we find it so convenient to stop reading at 1 John 1:9 when it comes to the issue of sin? Why is it that we want to conveniently skirt around 1 John 3:9 NIV that reads:  

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 

Why is it that we want to conveniently forget what God also says in 1 John 5:3 NKJV about God's definition of love:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

If keeping God's commands are not burdensome, but fully attainable in this life, which they are - if we want the very best God has for us in this life and especially in the life to come - are we not without excuse in obeying them? To what degree do we stop desiring to be wise?  Furthermore, do we REALLY love God as much as we think we do, as we are commanded to do, if we keep giving place to sin? Could it be that we are a bit more deceived in that area than what we fully realize?

Bringing balance into these above scriptures, God tells us:

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:13-14 NIV) 

Let's expound on the above scripture:

"For if we live according to the sinful nature" (disobedience to God's commands), we will die (we'll get our butt kicked!)

Clear enough? Do you like to keep getting your butt kicked? Not me.

Sin has consequences, my friend. Some sin has more earthly consequences than others ... sin before we become saved, and sin AFTER we become saved both have consequences. One act of sin can send a Christian to prison the rest of their lives. My wife, Kathleen, and I minister to such people all the time in prison who soberly realize this truth of the matter.

We love to believe that forgiveness for our sin ALSO motivates God to erase the consequences for our sin, but that seldom is ever the case. Sin ... and you pay the price. And there is always a price for your sin to pay - and sometimes that price is very high.    

Commit fornication and/or adultery in your marriage, and the trust factor in your marriage will never again be what it once was, no matter how much you might beg to differ.

Get caught lying to your supervisor in the work place, and I can assure you that you'll never ever reach maximized trust with those who have the power to advance you both in position and with monetary gain. Even if you move to another job and/or career, word spreads, especially in our day where previous information is now much more readily obtainable.

Kill someone as a Christian and if the judge and the jury determines it wasn't justifiable, even though when you ask God forgiveness for that sin, which He forgives you -- that doesn't cause God to remove the punishment for your wrongdoing (sin against the law of the land, in other words). Hence, go directly to jail and suffer for your sin (experience a degree of death to your joy and freedoms).  

Here, guys and gals, is another sobering truth Satan doesn't want you believing. Here is another area that we don't always consider even is sin. Doctors are quick to prescribe medications with known side-effects and often many unknown side-effects. Temporary relief can be obtained by those prescription meds, but what are the longer term side-effects doing to our bodies? Sometimes God is trying to tell us that the greatest "medicine" we could put into our bodies is some fasting/detoxing to get rid of the existing poisons stockpiled in our bodies, and when we refuse to seek God about THAT solution ... the consequences can then lead to sicknesses and diseases that can put us into our graves before our time -- never mind the degradation of the quality of life we experience prior to dying. (Do yourself a favor and do some searches on fasting and/or detoxing. More and more excellent information is coming forth as the months pass about the benefits of fasting/detoxing. I can share MANY personal testimonies of the benefits of fasting/detoxing. I'm learning about these benefits late in life, but better late than never.)

Various sins that Christian's commit once they have become born again can also have eternal consequences in one form or another as well, which should cause us to ponder deeply the consequences of such before we give in to sin.

When you seek God on this matter and gain a fuller revelation that 'sin will kick your butt!', as my brother Dale shares: 'Sin will STOP being an option in the life of a Christian. Furthermore, we will continually ask God to reveal to us if we are engaging in one or more sins against Him that we aren't even aware of, and take necessary action.'

Brother Dale also confidently has this to say after being born again for more years than I have been: 'By obeying God's commands I have never regretted it. But when I have been disobedient to God's commands, I have DEEPLY regretted it, because disobedience to His command(s) has ALWAYS kicked my butt.'

Instead of looking for ways to twist Holy scripture to satisfy our willingness to compromise God's Word, and/or soothe our sin guilt, God HELP us to be wise to believe that breaking God's commands has consequences!

Will any of us reach sinless perfection as Christians in this life? No way! Yet it is entirely possible to obey the obvious commands Jesus via the Holy Spirit as endorsed by the Father given to us in the New Testament (which is reinforced by the Old Testament and often expounded upon to help us understand more completely what God feels about our rebellion - disobedience - to Him). Jesus would never give us a command if we couldn't keep it. Let us never be so deceived in believing otherwise.

My dear brother Dale has been thrust into the arena of divorce and remarriage issues and if a prophet has ever been called by God to speak to the Body of Christ in our day, he's shouting out a message and warning from God to any Christian who will have the wisdom to listen, though it's clear that fewer and fewer in number care to listen. (Dale's not the only one shouting it, but voices like his are being drowned out as 'legalists' and "obnoxious - uptight and self-righteous, religious, sin-o-phobe mongers' who only want to lay guilt trips on them and rob them of their peace in relationship with others, including God).   

Specifically, God has given us some very clear directives regarding divorce and remarriage in the New Testament Bible. I use the word 'directives' to soften the hammer of 'commands', (Lord please forgive me). Either God's Word can be taken at face value, or it can't, when it comes to His commands for us. I've never known God to use 'fuzzy language' when it comes to His commands to us, any more than a judge confusing man-written laws when pronouncing sentence against someone who has committed one or more crimes. Laws are clearly written to be understood so they can be obeyed (whether we like them or not). Ignorance of them is never an excuse either before the policeman, nor judge, nor jury, nor the prison warden. If our earthly lawmakers and judges and law enforcers can get it right, dare we suppose God can't quite get it right? 

Yes, we're to mix wisely the 'letter of the law' with the 'wisdom of the Spirit' to God's Word to help wisely understand it to then wisely apply it, but the 'wisdom of the Spirit' needs no further application than KEEP GOD'S COMMANDS in His New Covenant Word, and let us STOP trying to twist their intended meaning to say something differently than what they are intended by God to mean. God HATES it when we do that!

Does God grant His blessings for remarriage for some Christians who fall in line with "grey areas" once the commands in God's Word have been soberly considered and applied to their respective situations? I give it the benefit of the doubt, because I fit that category. Will I have maximized reward (God's blessing) both in the remainder of this life for being remarried, and more importantly, in eternity for it? I'm prepared to find out differently, though at that future time I may have far greater regrets than I now may ever have. I'll admit, I've compromised far too often in this arena of giving place to sin since becoming born again. It's sadly taken over 30 years of walking with Jesus Christ as of this writing to come to a fuller revelation that flat out, God couldn't have said it more plainly without having to say it with a lot of words:  'Sin WILL kick your butt, disciples of Jesus Christ, and never forget it!' (Reinforcing the truth of Romans 6:23).

If, after pondering deeply what you've read here, you decide to dismiss what you've read, and choose to believe that 'sin WON'T kick your butt', that 'the wages of sin AREN'T death', let me know how that works out for you when we have the chance to meet in heaven after the Judgment seat of Christ, once we've been rewarded for our faithfulness to Him during this life (never mind the unnecessary pain it caused you in THIS life).

I feel the Holy Spirit would want this ended out by shouting it loud and clear:

For the wise, sin is no LONGER to be an option in the life of a Christian. Not mine, not yours. That's the word of the Lord for those who have an ear to hear what God is shouting from His throne in heaven to the Body of Christ. Those who refuse to heed this word weigh deeply in the balances on God's scale of different degrees of judgment versus increasing on-going blessing. It may not cost them their salvation, but it may eventually put them in the position of battling with different degrees of emotional hell (torment) they will greatly regret the rest of their time here on earth before being translated into eternal glory.  

Jesus Christ will NOT be sent back to consummate His marriage with the Bride of Christ who cannot be trusted to make and keep herself pure (and/or ready - See: Revelation 19:7) He's coming back for a SPOTLESS bride who is purposing to make and keep herself pure so she's qualified for her husband's desire to consummate His marriage to her. And here is what He's asking her:  

"Am I to marry a wife who wants to keep sinning - who refuses to admit certain sin even IS sin - and always expecting mercy and forgiveness from Me for those sins without showing any serious intentions of gaining my trust and respect by proving herself that she truly desires to be pleasing to Me by stopping her acts of rebellion to My desires and expectations? Am I to marry and bless and reward a wife like that? I have endless mercy and forgiveness, but how far is she going to push it? What kind of fool does she think I am?"

PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU SHARE THE BEST NEWS GOD HAS FOR EVERY PERSON BECAUSE...

JESUS DID IT! and...

YOU ARE SO GREATLY NEEDED!

Remember:  All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-20 is our assurance)