“How willing are you to give up your sin?”

BIBLE READING: Ezra 9-10

                As the book of Ezra draws to a close, the returned exiles have once again fell into the same trap that got them sent into Babylon at the first.  Many of the men of the city did not separate themselves from the abominations of the Canaanites, Moabites and the other neighboring countries.  Many of the men had even taken wives from the pagan nations, mixing the chosen lineage of Israel with unbelieving pagans.  This had been a violation from the very first conquest of Canaan in the days of Joshua and had become one of the root causes of Israel’s drifting away from Jehovah to serve other gods.   When Ezra heard this, he is so distraught that he pulled the hair our from his head and his beard, rent his clothes and fell on his knees in prayer begging for God’s forgiveness.  In the end, the people are so convicted by their sin that they were willing to put away their wives that they had taken from among the pagan nations.  How much are you willing to give up of you sin?  Would you be willing to go the distance and give up that relationship that is harming your relationship with God?  Would you be willing to give up that habit that you may have had for thirty years if it was damaging your relationship with Christ?  Now I am not suggesting that we give up on our marriages because our spouse is not a very spiritual person; I am however suggesting that there are many other things that we tend to hold on to that are coming between us and God; things like addiction, pornography, substance abuse, foul language.  My question to you today is how willing are you to give up your sin?