God's cure for an Achan heart

Our Passage comes from 

Joshua 7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Joshua 7

Israel Is Defeated at Ai

 ¹ But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel. ² Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “^[a]Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. ³ They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up ^[b]to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.” ⁴ So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled ^[c]from the men of Ai. ⁵ The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them ^[d]from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
 ⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. ⁷ Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord ^[e]GOD, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing ^[f]to dwell beyond the Jordan! ⁸ O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their ^[g]back before their enemies? ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?”
 ¹⁰ So the LORD said to Joshua, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. ¹² Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their ^[h]backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. ¹³ Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God of Israel, has said, “There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” ¹⁴ In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. ¹⁵ It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

The Sin of Achan

 ¹⁶ So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by ^[i]tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. ¹⁷ He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken. ¹⁸ He brought his household near man by man; and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken. ¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”²⁰ So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and^[j]this is what I did: ²¹ when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.” ²² So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath it. ²³ They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before the LORD. ²⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his^[k]oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up tothe valley of ^[l]Achor. ²⁵ Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned ^[m]them with stones; and they burned them with fire ^[n]after they had stoned them with stones. ²⁶ They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of ^[o]Achor to this day.

Achan has sinned and Israelites are defeated by Ai. Therefore they were commanded to sanctify themselves.

Strict set of guidlines to follow:

Joshua 6:18-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁸ But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not ^[a]covetthem and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”

What it meams to have an achan heart: 

It is a secular, proud and rebellious

Doing God's work but not in God's will

It is a secretive heart

Achan hid his sin under his tent but Achan's secret was revealed

Ecclesiastes 12:14

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁴ For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Its is a selfish heart

Thinking of "self"; he does not consider the implications that his sin could bring upon his own family and friends

Galatians 2:20

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and ^[a]thelife which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

How to avoid achan heart?

1. Do not rationalize sin
A. When we rationalize sin : we disregard God's message!
Not tithing, pornography, disrepect to authority, adultery, unfaithfulness to church etc.

B. We disrespect God's man: God sent you pastors and leaders to watch over you to guide you to grow; you have a man who is called commisioned, and equiped to deliver His Word; don't ignore or avoid the message of God's annointed servant

C. Disrupt God's program
God allowed a set back to re-focus His beloved children
God's people had been faithful, but they were about to undergo a painful pruning in order to bring about more fruit
One mans sin stopped the forward movement of God's people and temptation disrupted God's plan

2. Do not hide sin

Proverbs 15:3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³ The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.

God's knows about your sin

God hate our sins 

Proverbs 6:16-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 ¹⁶ There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination ^[a]to Him:
¹⁷ Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
¹⁹ A false witness who utters lies,
And one who ^[b]spreads strife among brothers.

God does not overlook sin

Proverbs 6:14-15

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁴ Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who ^[a]spreads strife.
¹⁵ Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.

God punishes our sin 

Galatians 6:7-8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Reality:

Our sin affects those around us

Our sin hinders God's work

Matthew 13:58

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁵⁸ And He did not do many ^[a]miracles there because of their unbelief.

We must deal with our sin 

1 Corinthians 11:34

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³⁴ If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

God can forgive our sins

1 John 1:9

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God wants you to confess your sin not bury it
He would much rather forgive you, than punish you
That's why Jesus died upon the cross. Jesus paid the debt that our sin had racked up
Confess and turn from the sin in your heart

3. A sinful heart must be mortified

Romans 8:13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[a]must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Colossians 3:5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 ⁵ Therefore ^[a]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to ^[b]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which ^[c]amounts to idolatry.

We are not told to learn how to live with our faults and failures - we are told to kill them!

Proverbs 16:18-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

There's no power of Satan too great for us to overcome in the power of the spirit of God. But there is no power of Satan too small that we can overcome it in the power of our flesh

1 Peter 5:8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Be Blessed