10 Biblical Warnings You Need to Stop

Ignoring

1. Never Be Lazy
While God justifies sinners by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, a saving
faith is always an active faith. Laziness has no place in the Christian life. In Romans
12:11, Paul instructs the church in Rome to not allow their zeal to be without action.
Zeal without action defames the glory of Christ and accomplishes nothing. To this
end, we must be mindful not to be lazy in our love for and service to Christ and
others.

2. Avoid Sexual Temptation

If there was a road in your town that regularly caused people to drive off of a cliff,
warning signs would be posted everywhere. In the same way, Proverbs 5 warns
people of the danger associated with sexual temptation. The road of sexual
temptation should not be trifled with or walked down by anyone. As the father says to
the son in Proverbs 5:5, the words of adulterous seduction always “lead down to
death.” We must avoid such sexual temptation lest we lose ourselves and “die
because of lack of discipline” (Proverbs 5:23).

3. Repent of Your Sins

Not only should sexual temptation be avoided at all cost, but we should all repent of
the sins that we have committed. While temptation is not necessarily a sin, once we
have transgressed against God’s command, we have sinned and are in need of
repentance. Repentance is the act of turning away from sin toward God for
forgiveness and strength for righteous living. Jesus calls everyone to repent of their
sins (Mark 1:15), warning us that failure to repent will result in righteous judgment.

4. End Unkind Speech

One of the easiest ways to sin against God is with unkind words. We are warned in 1 Peter
2:1 that unkind speech, that is, speech that is destructive and not redemptive toward others,
must cease among believers. The book of James offers further details about the need for
believers to both honor God and those who are created in His image (James 3:1-12).
5. Run from Youthful Lusts
Youthful lusts refer not only to sexual temptations but all desires that arise from
immaturity. Such desires do not foster Christian maturity or reflect God’s will to
others. When we do not flee youthful lusts, we are often caught up in them and held
back from God’s perfect plan for our lives in Christ. If Paul could warn Timothy to flee
such desires (2 Timothy 2:2), how much more do we need to heed the warning in a
culture that is marked by rampant immaturity?

6. Renounce Ungodliness
The renunciation of ungodliness is essentially what it looks like to live a life marked
by repentance. Repentance is not a one-time event. Instead, repentance is a full
renunciation of godless living. Christians must not drift back into the abyss of sin
from which God has delivered them. We have received the Spirit of God that we
might no longer be “debtors to the flesh” (Romans 8:12-17). Thus, Paul declares
that those of us who have responded to God’s grace in Christ Jesus must “deny
godlessness” to live a “sensible and righteous life” before God (Titus 2:12-13).

7. Quit Stealing
Most people do not think of themselves as thieves. However, some people steal from
others without even realizing it. When a person downloads software without paying
for it, listens to music that was copied from a copyrighted source, or just does not
work hard at their job, they are stealing from someone else. As Christians, we are
commanded to “quit stealing,” and, instead, work for the things that we need in this
life (Ephesians 4:28). By doing so, we reflect the dignity of work and show respect
for the work of others.

8. Resist the Devil

James 4:7 instructs Christians to “resist the devil” so that he will “flee from you.”
While some may be reluctant to consciously resist the devil, the truth remains that
the devil is like “a roaring lion, prowling around seeking to destroy us” (1 Peter 5:8).
One of the worse things that a Christian can do is ignore the threat that the devil
poses to them. They must resist the devil and “draw near to God.”

9. Fear the Lord

As Christians work by faith to resist the devil, they need not regard him too highly.
The Christian’s highest allegiance must be to God and God alone. This is why the
author of Hebrews warns his audience to “serve the Lord in fear and awe” (Hebrews
12:28). Just like a child should have a healthy fear of the discipline of their parents, it
is right and good to have a healthy fear of their Heavenly Father. We, like the
Christians in Philippi, have been called by God to work out our salvation in “fear and
trembling” (Philippians 2:12) before God, who is the Author and Finisher of our
faith.

10. Humble Yourself Before God

In keeping with the last warning, we conclude by reflecting upon our need to humble
ourselves before God. Philippians 2:3 instructs us to “do nothing that is motivated
by selfishness,” but rather in “humility consider others as more important.” In the
same manner, James 4:7 and 10 teach us of our need to “submit to God” and
“humble ourselves before Him” so that we might be “exalted by the Lord.” 1 Peter
5:5-6 echoes the same instruction with the promise that God “gives grace to the
humble.” No matter what situation we find ourselves in, the right response is always
humility before God. We cannot and must not exalt ourselves. If God desires such
exaltation for us, it is up to him. Our responsibility it so be humble before our God.