Sermon: Zero Tolerance for Sin

Forum 9 years ago

Sermon: Zero Tolerance for Sin

Deuteronomy 20:10-20

The children of Israel were given instructions and directives in their military affairs in readiness to possess the Promised Land. They were to prepare for war, fight and possess it. There were seven strong enemy-nations in particular which must be conquered: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizites, the Hivites, the Jebusites and the Girgashites. Failure to deal with and utterly destroy these idolaters would expose the Israelites to the danger of being infected and thereby incurring God’s wrath.
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The passage before us shows the method to take in dealing with the cities upon which they made war. They must not make a descent upon any of their neighbours till they had first given them fair notice, stating the ground of their quarrel with them. They must first proclaim peace to them. This is teaching us that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and be saved.

The nations of Canaan were exempted from the merciful provisions made by this law because of the possibility of easily influencing and infecting the people of God with their idols. The scripture commands every pilgrim on the highway of holiness to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” As the children of Israel were instructed to utterly destroy all those enemy-nations capable of destroying them, so believers are commanded to “wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Fight all forms of sinful passions and fleshly lusts warring against your soul.


Getting to heaven at the end is not a matter of chance but that of choice. Whatever may want to hinder you – sin, self or Satan – must be fought and conquered. If you are still living in sin, surrender your life to Jesus Christ today and heal your sin-sick soul.