Why is spending time with God so important?

This is from a sermon at my Hope Church

In order to understand the priority of spending time with God, we must consider three important questions:

I. Does a Christian want to sin? _________

II. Does a Christian have to sin? _________

* Before you answer think about these passages:

⁶ We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.

⁷ For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men].

Romans 6:6-7 (Amplified Bible)

¹³ For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not^[a]adjusted and ^[b]adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to ^[c]a landing place), that you may be capable and strong andpowerful to bear up under it patiently.

1 Corinthians 10:13

So the answer to the answer is "No" to the two questions above. The power of the Bible is that it is not based on how you feel. Reread this truth and reach for it in your moments of weakness.

* According to 2 Peter 1:3, we have been given EVERYTHING necessary to live a godly life!

³ For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [^[a]full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

 2 Peter 1:3

III. If we don't want to sin and we don't have to sin, why do we sin? _______________________

*To understand the answer to this question we must read:

¹⁵ If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.

John 14:15

"Our obedience to Christ is in direct proportion to our love for Christ. 

- Clyde Cranford

The following diagram illustrates the priority of spending time with God:

SIN -> We Don't Love God (John 14:15) -> We Don't Know God (1 John 4:9) -> We Don't Spend Time with God -> We Don't See the Need -> Pride (This says to God, "I don't need you.")

⁶ But He gives us more and more grace (^[a]power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).

James 4:6

OBEDIENCE <- We Love God <- We Know God <- We Spend Time with God <- We See the Need

 <- Grace from God  (James 4:6) <-Humility (Saying to God, "I need you.")

You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free

Goals

1) Overall Goal in life - to know God

2) Daily Goal - to spend time with God

I need to remind myself of this often. I need to remind my wife of this. We need to teach this to our children.

Love Jesus Christ.

Marc