How can we avoid sin? What is the secret for living lives that are pure and walking in righteousness? The short answer is by truly knowing God. The long answer? By seeking the Lord with all our hearts, treasuring His Word, and walking in His ways. Let’s break that down.
In order to truly know God, we must seek Him with all of our hearts. The heart that seeks God sees God in every aspect of life. It sees God in nature, it sees God in others, it sees God in every moment of every day. The heart that seeks God will seek to fellowship with God, to learn more about Him, and to give Him glory through every word and every action. When we have that kind of heart, a heart that seeks after God, then our feet will not stray from Him but rather will walk according to His commandments (Psalm 119:10).
In order to know God, we must know His Word and meditate on it (Psalm 119:15). God has revealed Himself, His ways, and His character through His Word. But it is not enough just to read His Word. We must digest the Word, allow it to take root in our hearts. We must meditate on God’s Word, allowing it to go from our eyes to our minds and from our minds to our hearts. We need to treasure His Word in our hearts. As it says in Psalm 119:11, when we treasure God’s Word in our hearts, we will not sin against Him.
In order to know God, we must walk in His ways. We must not walk in accordance with our own earthly ways. Instead, we must trust in the Lord, acknowledge Him in all that we do. God’s Word promises that when we let go of our own ways to follow His ways, then He will direct our paths (Psalm 3:5-6). Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God will help us to walk in His ways. Psalm 119:9 tells us that when we keep our ways in accordance with God’s ways, then our ways will be pure. And a pure heart is one that will more easily avoid sin.
A Worshiper's Journal 