A sinner under the light of the gospel usually makes some excuse for his sin. He justifies himself when accused of any wrong. Each sinner has many excuses for his sin and, if driven away from one, he will only flee to another. The sinner's mind is very creative in finding some new excuse that he can hide under. It seems very hard for a sinner to abandon all his excuses. He refuses to admit the humbling truth that he himself is completely at blame for all the sin in his life. It is also hard for him to recognize that God is totally right and just by holding him guilty for this sin.

Excuses of the sinner and why they are not valid:

This excuse totally condemns God. When a sinner claims he is unable he is calling God an evil tyrant. God would not be just if He required a person to do anything that He knew was impossible. Would a just and loving God demand obedience and then threaten with eternal death if it was impossible to obey? Under the grace of the gospel obedience to God is not only possible, it is easy. If you say that you have to sin in thought, word and deed every day, you are calling God a liar.

I John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

Matt. 11:30 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

The word nature means characteristics or attributes. For example water has only a physical nature. The nature of water is liquid; it will freeze and it will boil at specific temperatures. We have a physical and moral nature. The Bible teaches that a sinful man has a sinful nature that he got by sinning. Man's physical nature is not in violation of any law. Nothing can make or force anyone to sin. God cannot condemn anyone for any fact of physical nature. This would be like God condemning someone for having brown eyes or black hair. Sin is a moral choice. The nature of sin is that it seeks the supreme gratification of self. We sin when we choose to make self-gratification our goal.

No one is born a sinner. There must be a choice of at least two things for sin and holiness to exist. This choice must be freely and voluntarily made. Sin is a free moral choice. No one is born with moral character. Each person creates and forms his own moral character by the choice of his thoughts, acts, and habits.

God does need to draw the sinner. Christ said "No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." This is no excuse because the sinner's problem is pure rebellion and disobedience. God draws a person when He enlightens a person's intelligence. God gives every person some teaching and instruction. Man can resist and rebel against this light and love.

God is never responsible or guilty if a person chooses to rebel and sin. Sin is the result of your own free choice. It is not God's fault that you resist and rebel against His Spirit. God pleads with you now to repent and come to Christ. Will you do it or refuse?

If you think you are willing but something, somewhere will not let you, then you are deceived. If a person is truly willing, he would fulfill God's requirements. The sinner is not willing to be any better. Any person claiming to be willing while yet remaining in sin is a liar and needs to repent. A person can intend to be willing without truly fulfilling God's requirements.

The person who says this is saying; "I am willing and ready, but God is not ready to receive me yet." God has gone to much length and sacrifice to provide salvation from sin. He is anxious to set the sinner free from selfishness. God is waiting for the sinner to come to Him through Jesus Christ and repent. The second he does this, God will welcome him with open arms. There is nothing to wait for. God is more than willing. He is waiting at this very moment for you to come to him.

This is an excuse usually made by religious sinners. They get this idea when they try to obey God and fail. They try again but only find more failure. Obedience becomes impossible the harder they try. They then conclude that something inside forces them to sin.

They also get this idea from Romans 7. This chapter gives an example of a person not embracing the total grace of God. This person is living under the law to one degree or another and is not experiencing the true freedom of the gospel.

The sinner fails because he is still supremely living for himself. His desires, emotions, appetites and lusts rule over his will. The fear of penalty and the hope of reward motivate and influence this person. As long as he remains in this state no matter what he vows or decides to do, he will fail. He has never repented and Christ is not his King. The real problem is his selfish heart.

A Christian will sin when he tries to live the Christian life by his own will power, energy and strength. He does not yet fully depend on Christ in this area. He will always fail until he totally trusts Christ.

In Romans 8, Paul goes on to give an example of a person experiencing true grace, free from the power and dominion of all sin.

Sin is not found in the body, soul or spirit. It is an act of free choice. If you are living the example given in Romans 7, you need to repent.

To become a true Christian a person must repent from sin, have faith in God and Christ and seek the Lord with all his heart. This means to stop living only for yourself and live only for Him. Have you given Him control over all your free powers? You may have made a decision for Christ and embraced Christian principles or changed an outward action without changing your heart. Do you realize that you would have truly converted a long time ago if you had not opposed God and rejected His loving invitations and appeals?

Real hardness of the heart is only stubbornness of the will. The sinner can obey but refuses. He holds on to his sinful indulgences and will not let go. If you have set your heart to do evil, you will not repent.

If you say this, then you think you are blameless. Is it God who is guilty for your sinful state? A person may think he is willing when he is totally unwilling. You may have been willing to try, without ever repenting. God commands you to come to Him and submit your whole self to Him. God will not make you believe and turn to Him.

Do you believe God is loving and good? Has He not made full provision for your selfishness? Should you continue in sin and rebellion to Him? God is compassionate and forgiving. He will forgive you no matter how much you have sinned. He is ready to receive you now. Turn from your selfishness to Him.

Christ said "Him that cometh to me, I in no wise cast out." Christ will never turn away a sinner who truly repents and believes. Do not call Christ a liar. Do you think Christ died for you but is unwilling now to set you free from your selfishness? Do not be deceived. If you are in sin now, then you need to come to Christ for freedom.

God's power will set you free from any bad habit. Christ died to set you truly free. Will you receive this freedom and walk in it?

If you say this, do you mean that Christ did not die for you? Do not call God a liar. He has provided salvation for everyone, including you.

You always have enough time to do something you love. God requires that you love Him with all your heart. You may have many responsibilities and tasks to do each day. God does not want you to forsake any of these. You are to do all your duties faithfully, honestly and for Him.

I Cor. 10:31b "Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Col. 3:17 "And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

All that God requires is that you use all that you have according to the law of love. Your temperament is not the cause of your sin. You can always obey no matter what personality trait you have.

You understand your duty and your sin. You know you should give up sin and give yourself totally to God. Do you think God is unwilling to convict you enough for you to repent? You must respond now to all the light you have. You do not need more knowledge, more instruction nor more truth. You need to respond to what you already know.

This is a lie. If you say this you resist and grieve the Holy Spirit away. You really do not want more influence from Him. You are only trying to justify yourself and blame God for your own stubbornness and rebellion. You are trying to make God responsible for your conversion. God is not guilty for your selfish state.

You can chose to believe in God's word more than any other person's word. You can realize that the Bible is true. God has provided salvation for you and has placed it within your reach. What can make these facts more certain? All you need to do is respond the known truth.

You can repent now if you look to Christ give up your stubbornness. You say that you plan to become a Christian later. God commands you to do it now. You must either yield now or continue in sin. Any delay will only further harden your heart. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit away for He may stop dealing with you.

Are you blaming your sin and rebellion on your circumstances? Should God release you from duty of your circumstances? God requires you, in spite of your circumstances, to abandon all your sin. If you cannot serve God in your circumstances then you must abandon them at once or be lost. If you cannot get out of the situation, you can repent and serve God in it. You can always fully obey God in all things no matter what circumstance you are in. No situation can cause you to sin. Your will is always totally free to obey God.