It is to reinforce in us the principles of cause and effect that every action we take, every place we go in the physical world and cyberspace, every word we say, every attitude we have, and everything we do, has an effect or consequence. Consequences and rewards for the good things we do, and consequences for sin and any of the actions that hurt ourselves or other people and grieve God.

It is to remind us that God sees and hears everything we do and say either openly or in secret and to consider this when we are navigating the internet. This in turn should encourage us to pause before we commit ourselves to any action or reaction in our daily lives because it can affect our lives, our relationship with those around us, and most importantly, our relationship with God.

It is for us to know that God’s love, mercy, and compassion for mankind is infinite, beyond measure, and though we fall a thousand times or ten thousand times, He is always ready and willing to forgive us. We are reminded of this when we read of the true-life events that inspired (John Newton) to write one of our most revered and best-loved hymns, that God’s grace towards mankind is truly amazing.

It is to remind us that although God is full of mercy and grace and is always willing to forgive us if we live our lives in continual disobedience and habitual sin we will become spiritually sick, cynical, our hearts will grow cold and hard, and we will become more and more distant from Him until eventually, we can completely lose our faith and our relationship with God. Another consequence of habitual sin is we allow the devil to condemn us, to tell us we are hypocrites and not good enough for God, and then lay a guilt trip on us for doing the very thing he convinced us to do in the first place.

It is to encourage us that we don’t have to be slaves to sin and the enemy, and can live in the center of God’s perfect will for our lives if we adopt and use the many tools, weapons, and principles that God has put at our disposal as follows:

• If we daily meditate on God’s word, take it into our hearts and apply it to our lives.
• If we daily come to the cross of Christ, confess our sins and leave them at the foot of the cross. If we ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us and to wash us clean in the redeeming blood of His Son, our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ in true repentance; (Meaning to change our minds, and to turn away from sin and make a conscious decision not to continue in it), He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 9 (NKJV)
• If we daily spend time at the throne of God in prayer and allow Him to speak to us and guide us by His Holy Spirit, we will begin to develop a close, dynamic, and loving relationship with Him that will truly revolutionise our lives. When we do this we allow God to create in us a new and a pure heart. We will be inspired to live holy lives that are totally pleasing to God, and He, will plant within our hearts and minds a desire to NEVER want to do anything that will hurt God and grieve His Holy Spirit.
• If we ask God to fill and baptise us in The Holy Spirit, we will experience the power of God in our lives to overcome all of the temptations of the enemy, just as the early disciples did after they were filled with The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. This happened in accordance with the promises of our Saviour in John 14: 16-17, and Acts 1: 4-5. Here Jesus promised his disciples and followers that he would soon leave them for a time and return to the Father, and that after he was gone he would send The Comforter and baptise them in the Holy Spirit, so that we would receive the necessary strength and power we would need to have victory in our lives and overcome the world.
• When we live by these bible-based principles and apply them to our lives, we will be able to stand against all of the wiles of the enemy, resist any of his suggestions that might entice us into sin and disobedience, we will enjoy victorious lives full of the joy and peace of God, and will become a powerful influence for God to the world.