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EXCUSES BECOME YOUR OWN PROSECUTOR"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3 KJVOne of the most dangerous habits a person can develop is the habit of making excuses for sin. An excuse often sounds harmless: "Nobody's perfect.” "I'm only human.” "Everyone does it.” "God knows my heart."But an excuse is frequently nothing more than a justified lie we tell ourselves to avoid dealing with a sinful habit that has gained control of our life.Excuses never remove guilt. They only postpone repentance. The drunkard excuses his drinking. The adulterer excuses his lust. The liar excuses his deception. The bitter person excuses his anger. The proud man excuses his arrogance.Yet every excuse becomes evidence that the heart knows it is wrong.Think about it: if there were nothing wrong with the behavior, there would be no need to excuse it. The very excuse becomes a witness against us. Instead of confessing sin, we defend it. Instead of forsaking sin, we explain it. Instead of repenting, we justify it.In the end, our excuses become our own prosecutor, testifying that we knew the truth but chose to defend the sin.God is not looking for excuses. He is looking for repentance.The good news is that what excuses can never cover, the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse. Stop defending the sin. Stop explaining the sin. Bring it to Christ.The sinner who makes excuses remains in bondage.The sinner who repents finds mercy." He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13