Tag Archives: Sin

I Am Resolved

Posted on by under Christian Living

          There is a song that we sing in our assemblies that speaks of being resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world’s delight. Instead, the song says that I will hasten to Him. It is a song about being resolute in leaving the world’s charms behind and pressing on to be with the Lord. As we look out upon another year ending and a new one just beginning, what resolutions are we making for the New Year? What are we leaving behind in 2023, and what are we pressing on towards?

     In the Philippian letter, Paul writes, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). We might look back at last year’s resolutions and see how we did. Perhaps our resolution only lasted a couple of weeks or a month. Maybe we were resolved to lose ten pounds last year, and now we are only fifteen pounds away from our goal. But, forgetting those things that are behind us, let us look forward to the opportunities in the New Year to be resolved to do better.

     In 2024 let us then be resolved to:

   · Lose the weight of sin in our lives (Heb. 12:1)

   · Exercise greater discernment between good and evil (Psalm 34:14)

   · Improve our spiritual health (1 Peter 1:13-16)

   · Help save the souls of those around us (Mat. 28:19-20)

   · Stop making excuses and abound in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58)

  I am reminded of an old commercial that showed a man at his desk and each year the pile of papers grew higher. Each year he stated that this was the year he was going to hunker down and get something accomplished. Is 2024 the year that we will grow closer to the Lord? Or will 2024 be like every other year? The choice is ours. The next year is ready and waiting. Are we resolved no longer to linger?

Why Was God Pleased to Injure Christ?

Posted on by under Love of God

nails     During this time of the year when many people are thinking about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, many might read from Isaiah 53, which predicts the Christ’s ordeal on the cross. Have you ever read that account, however, and wondered about just what it says? In verse 4 we read that Christ was, “Smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4, NKJV). Later it declares, “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). “He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8). On and on we read within Isaiah’s prophecy about how Jesus was going to be mistreated by mankind. But then we read the statement, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10, emphasis added). Just how could this bloody sacrifice of His one and only unique Son be pleasing to God?

     There are many events recorded in the Bible, with which God was not pleased. He was not pleased with the idolatry of the Israelites. Whether at the base of Mount Sinai during their exodus from Egypt, in the high places during the time of the divided kingdom, or in the temple during the reign of Manasseh, God was not pleased with idolatry. There were times when the Israelites did not offer their best in sacrifice to God, but instead brought the lame and sick as a sacrifice (Malachi 1:8; 3:8-9). In this God was not pleased, because their heart was not in what they were doing, and they were not showing God the proper respect. “Therefore, when He [Jesus] came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure’” (Hebrews 10:5-6). Here Jesus is saying to the Father that the Father did not desire or have pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices.

     So what are we to make of this? God did not have pleasure or desire for burnt offerings and sacrifices, which He commanded, but it pleased the Lord to bruise Christ. Even though God commanded the children of Israel to make burnt offerings and sacrifices, He did not take pleasure in them. Their sacrifices represented failure on their part to keep His law. They were required because of the sins of the people. They were necessary because mankind will always fall short. God takes no pleasure in man’s sin. This is why God through the prophet Samuel says, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). God would rather that man obey Him than to make the best animal sacrifice he could offer. God also did not have pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices because they could not get the job done. Just before stating that God has no desire for nor pleasure in those offerings, the Hebrew account tells us plainly, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Those animal sacrifices could not take sin away and could not make those who offered them perfect with regards to the conscience (Hebrews 9:9; 10:1-3). There was still a remembrance of those sins, and so year after year the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of the sacrifice (Hebrews 9:7). God was not pleased because the reconciliation between God and man was not complete.

     By contrast then, God was pleased with the sacrifice of Christ. Because of what Jesus did for mankind by dying on the cross as our perfect offering, there is a cleansing of the conscience and the sins of man are remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:12). The sacrifice of Jesus was perfect and complete. There no longer remains a need for another sacrifice, because Jesus offered Himself for us once for all (Hebrews 9:11-15). Because of the redemptive work of Christ, man and God are reconciled to one another (Ephesians 2:16). In this the Lord is pleased. This is how God can say that He was pleased to bruise Jesus for our transgressions. It is not that He was pleased by Christ having to endure the cross and the pain and the shame. But God was pleased in the result in that mankind has a path back to the Father. Will you follow God’s Path to Salvation? Will you take the only way that we can go to find eternal life (John 14:6)? God has done His part by offering His one and only unique Son for our behalf (John 3:16). In this He was pleased. Will you do your part to accept His sacrifice and apply the blood to cover your sins through simple obedience to the Gospel? If you want to be pleasing to God, you will.

The Sinner’s Prayer

Posted on by under Doctrine

prayer     Many times we may hear those in the world refer to salvation by simply praying Jesus into our hearts, or by reciting the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ Is this really all there is to salvation? Is this all that God requires of man for accepting His grace? While there are many places in scripture we could look for the answer to this question, let us consider just one example.

     The story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus is fairly well known. Saul was on the road to Damascus when he was surrounded by a bright light and heard a voice from heaven. It was the Lord instructing Saul to go into Damascus, where it would be told to him what he must do in order to be saved. Once he had arrived in Damascus, Saul prayed to the Lord and fasted for three days (Acts 9:8-11). Then Ananias come to Saul and told him, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16 NKJV).

     Notice in this account that Saul saw the Lord, he heard the Lord speak, and he prayed and fasted for three days. And yet Saul was not saved from his sins until he was baptized. This should indicate to us that simply trying to pray Jesus into our hearts will not absolve us of our sins. Nowhere in scripture do we find any reference to the ‘sinner’s prayer,’ or the idea of salvation by prayer alone. It should seem obvious that if Saul had to be baptized after his religious experience to have his sins removed, then we must be baptized for the remission of our sins as well.

Who Is To Blame?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events

JManziel     When things go wrong it seems that the one thing we never run short of is blame. Just take the Cleveland Browns, for instance. When things go wrong in Cleveland, as they often do, everyone looks for who is to blame for this year’s fiasco. From the ownership, to the general manager, to the head coach, to the assistants, to whomever played the most games at quarterback that year there is always plenty of blame to go around.

     How is it with us when things do not go as planned? When we fall short of the mark, or we do the wrong thing, are we also playing the blame game? The blame game is nothing new. Indeed we do not have to read much in the Bible before seeing the “it’s not my fault” principle play out. In Genesis 3 Adam is hiding from God in the garden, because he has eaten from the forbidden fruit and realizes that he is naked (Genesis 3:8-11). God asks, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:11b, NKJV). Notice that Adam first blames Eve for his sin. “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Adam also accuses God, since Eve is the woman whom God gave to him.

     Instead Adam should have realized the need to take responsibility for his actions. The same is true with us today. When we sin it is not the fault of someone else who “made us do it.” The Devil does not make us do it, as Flip Wilson used to humorously state. Nor can we blame God for our sin. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:13-14). What causes us to sin is the same thing that has caused mankind to sin throughout all of history. It is our own desires that lead us to sin. It is “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,” in our own hearts which leads us astray (1 John 2:16). Let us look to ourselves and take responsibility for our actions. Let us confess our sins and be forgiven of them instead of playing the blame game (1 John 1:9).

What Is Sin?

Posted on by under Culture, Doctrine

 

     If you ever want to bring a conversation to a screeching halt, just talk to someone about the issue of sin! In our politically correct, nothing is ever wrong, who are you to judge me world, the topic of sin or of pointing out that something is morally wrong has been equated with hate speech. Thus we are left with an “if it feels good, do it” society that does not understand the difference between right and wrong.

arrows missing target

     Just what is sin? The first mention of sin in the Bible has to do with Cain’s undesirable sacrifice. God says, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7, NKJV). The word ‘sin’ in this passage carries with it the idea of a crouching beast, waiting to pounce on its prey. In archery, the term ‘sin’ is used when the archer misses the mark and fails to hit the target. With regards to us, we sin when we miss the mark and do not live up to God’s desire for us. Sin is breaking the law of God. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). These are sins of commission (something that we did). There are also sins of omission (failing to do what is right). “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

     How then do we judge between what is right and what is wrong/sinful? It is not according to our own wishes and desires, for we are mere men. Who are we to determine what is right or wrong and to be the judge of it? We need a higher standard than what man deems right or wrong. Solomon has said, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Jeremiah prophesied that it is not in man to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23). Thus we need to turn to God’s word, and His Holy Standard in order to see what is right and what is wrong. Paul wrote that he would not have known what was sin had God’s law not revealed that to him (Romans 7:7).

   We have an obligation to check these things out in the Bible. Let us allow God’s word to give us our direction regarding what is right and wrong. Let us not lean upon man’s understanding and end up in sin. Sin leads to death (James 1:12-15; Romans 6:23). Obedience to God will lead us to life (Romans 6:16). Let us reject sin and live!

I Am Resolved

Posted on by under Christian Living

new-years-day-1054594_960_720     There is a song that we sing in our assemblies that speaks of being resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world’s delight. Instead, the song says that I will hasten to Him. It is a song about being resolute in leaving the world’s charms behind and pressing on to be with the Lord. As we look out upon another year ending and a new one just beginning, what resolutions are we making for the New Year? What are we leaving behind in 2015, and what are we pressing on towards?

     In the Philippian letter, Paul writes, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). We might look back at last year’s resolutions and see how we did. Perhaps our resolution only lasted a couple of weeks or a month. Maybe we were resolved to lose ten pounds last year, and now we are only fifteen pounds away from our goal. But, forgetting those things that are behind us, let us look forward to the opportunities in the New Year to be resolved to do better.

     In 2016 let us then be resolved to:

  • Lose the weight of sin in our lives (Heb. 12:1)
  • Exercise greater discernment between good and evil (Psalm 34:14)
  • Improve our spiritual health (1 Peter 1:13-16)
  • Keep our souls safe and help save the souls of those around us (Mat. 28:19-20)
  • Stop making excuses and abound in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58)

I am reminded of an old commercial that showed a man at his desk and each year the pile of papers grew higher. Each year he stated that this was the year he was going to hunker down and get something accomplished. Is 2016 the year that we will grow closer to the Lord? Or will 2016 be like every other year? The choice is ours. The next year is ready and waiting. Are we resolved no longer to linger?

What is Man’s Greatest Problem?

Posted on by under Christian Living

IRAQI FREEDOM

     If we were to take a survey and ask folks their answer to the question above, we would likely get many different responses. Some would claim that the terrorism that we see in our world today is mankind’s greatest problem. Others might say something related to the economy, the jobless rate, global warming, a want of political leadership, or the lack of unity among us as Americans that threatens to destroy us from within. Above and beyond all of these particular problems, though, is one problem that plagues all of mankind no matter where we live on the globe. That is the problem of sin.

     While all of those worldly problems may threaten us while we are here, the problem of sin transcends this world and has implications in the life that is to come. The Bible says that all the things of this life are going to be destroyed someday. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10, NKJV).   Sin has eternal results. Sin separates us from God. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

     Before you say that you have no sin in your life, consider what the Bible says about that as well. God’s word says that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). If we claim to not have sinned, we lie and the truth is not in us, and we are calling God a liar (1 John 1:8-10). Because of the sin problem that all men have, we need to have Jesus so that we can overcome it. We have to believe in Him and His power to cleanse us from sin if we will walk in the light (1 John 1:7). Jesus said, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Don’t die lost in your sins. Come to Jesus for His healing power and receive the gift of life instead!

Why Did He Do That?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Love of God

Set-Free     Have you ever wondered just why Jesus came to earth, especially at this time of the year when the world is thinking about Him? Consider for a moment what Jesus already knew before He ever left heaven. He knew that men would seek to kill Him as a toddler (Mat. 2:16). He knew that He would not be received by His own people (John 1:10-11). He knew that He would be rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3-5). He knew that He would be put to death on the cross, not for any wrong that He had done, but for the sins of mankind (Isaiah 53:9; 2 Pet. 2:22-25). And, yet, He came anyway. Why?

     Jesus left the beauties of heaven to come to earth below for one main reason. He came because He loves us all. A very popular scripture tells us that God loved us so much that He gave us His one and only unique Son, so that we might believe in Him, obey Him, and have everlasting life (John 3:16)! Because He loves us, He wants for all of mankind to be saved. The Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9b, NKJV). While we were yet sinners and undesirable, He came and died for us (Romans 5:8).

     Thereto is another part of the reason that Jesus came to earth. We are sinners. As human beings no matter how hard we try, we are not able to be perfect in obedience to God’s word. In Romans 3:23 we read, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Farther along we read, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). Our sins bring us death, because they separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Since we all have sinned and separated ourselves from God, and since the just payment of our sins is death, Jesus came to take that penalty away and to reconcile us to back to God. Jesus came so that we might live.

     All Jesus asks for in return is that we believe in Him and obey Him. That is all He wants in return for His great sacrifice. If we claim to love Him, this we will do. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

I Beg Your Pardon

Posted on by under Doctrine

     Richard Nixon is credited with once saying that if the President did it, it was not illegal.  However, after months of investigative journalism, congressional hearings, subpoenas, and contemplation of impeachment, he found out otherwise.  Nixon eventually resigned as President.  The only thing that kept him from suffering the same legal consequences as his cohorts, was a presidential pardon by his successor.

     This bit of history shows us that no one is above the law.  Without a pardon from above, we will all suffer the consequences of our actions.  We know that all have sin in their life.  The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJV).  Furthermore, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).  Our natural state, without that pardon or forgiveness from above, is to be dead in our sins and in a lost condition.

     But thanks be to God that forgiveness is available!  We need to be willing to confess our sins rather than trying to cover them up (1 John 1:9).  We need to be willing to repent of those things that are contrary to God’s word (Luke 13:3; 2 Corinthians 7:10).  Having godly sorrow will lead us to a change of mind, a change of direction, which is what repentance is really about.  It is more than just being sorry that we were caught with our hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

     We need to seek out God’s pardon and forgiveness, because none of us is perfect.  We must throw ourselves on His mercy in order to have that eternal life we so desire.  We must be willing to change our lifestyle, to do our best to go our way and sin no more.  God offers us a pardon from our sins.  Are you willing to do your part to receive that forgiveness?

Marriage Matters

Posted on by under Culture

Panorama_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_Building_at_Dusk     Over the course of the past two weeks there has been much discussion to be found regarding the issue of marriage and the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage in all fifty states. Additionally, there has been a wide range of responses offered by the Christian community. There have been some who have embraced the high court’s mandate, others have railed hard against it, and a third group has declined to address the issue. It leads us to wonder just what should the Christian’s reaction be to what is going on?

     If we are to be Christians, then we need to speak where the Bible speaks. If we only looked at Romans 1 we would be able to get a picture of what God says about homosexuality. Paul writes, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:26-7 NKJV).  He starts off by saying for this reason.  It is because mankind has ignored God, even though they once knew Him, and even though there is evidence in the creation to point to Him.  Because they have rejected God, He has allowed them to walk away.  They have instead been given over to vile passions.

     In looking at this passage we should notice four things about God’s opinion of homosexuality. First, He calls it a vile, or degrading passion.  This word can also mean dishonorable, disgraceful, or shameful.  This is not something that God sees as desirable. Second, He calls it unnatural.  This is simple science and biology.  Nature itself declares that the union of woman with woman or man with man is unnatural.  Their bodies are not designed to fit together as God intended.  Thus, nature even shows us the compatibility of man’s body with that of woman, and that is the only way to procreate and bring forth a child. Third, God calls homosexuality shameful.  That which is shameful is an indecent act; it is unseemly.  This particular word is never used for anything that is acceptable to God, but instead refers to that which is rejected by God.  Man has acceptable passions, but lust for another man is not one of those. Fourth, He calls homosexuality an error.  The Greek word here also indicates that it is a perversion, a delusion or deceit.  It shows a deviation or leaving of God’s Divine pattern.  It says that they receive “in themselves the penalty of their error.” Could this be a reference to STD’s and particularly the AIDS virus?

     If we are to go by God’s word, then we cannot rejoice or embrace the decision. There are many on Facebook and other social media outlets who are expressing joy over the decision, because now their gay friends can get married. They change their profile pictures to show a rainbow to illustrate their support. This is not Christian behavior. The Christian cannot rejoice or embrace what God has condemned and described as degrading, unnatural, indecent, and error. The Bible is clear that God will punish those who practice such activities, but will also hold those who approve of them just as guilty as those engaged in the act (Romans 1:32).

     While we are called to preach the truth, we are to do it in love. This does not mean that we are to soft peddle the truth. This does not mean that we are to shy away from what we have to say. God said that we are to love one another (see the whole letter of 1 John). But there is a vast difference in that Agape, all encompassing, self-sacrificing, love that God wants us to have, and the erotic love that is only meant to be shared between a husband (male) and his wife (female). Imagine that you saw someone in a burning house. How would you react? Would you call out, “Hey, friend. Maybe sometime we should talk about the danger of fire.” Are we to think that we cannot call out in haste that they need to flee the burning building now? Do we think that we are being hateful by telling them to get out now? Then why would it be hateful to point out to them their lost condition and their need to escape from the eternal flames of hell? If we truly love people the way the God described, then we need to tell them what is best for them to know. If those who claim to love their “partner” really loved them, then they should be willing to change their relationship in order for that person to make it to heaven. God makes it clear that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). But then He says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). They were able to change their lifestyle and be sanctified and made holy. If they could do it then, people can do it now.

     We cannot just ignore the issue and hope it will go away. Some do not want to address the issue for fear of appearing as if this is all that Christians talk about. We don’t want to single out one sin and ignore all the others. However, no one is trying to force us to accept the lifestyle of murderers as normal. No one is telling our first graders that lying is just an alternate method of communication. No one is mandating that we never speak out against those living in adultery, or else be accused of hate speech. While I would agree that this is not the only sin, and that it is not any more important than any other sin, it is one that the world wants us to accept and embrace as normal, and that does make it different. We have an obligation to speak the truth in love, but sometimes we swing the pendulum too far in one direction or the other. We do need to speak out on this issue. If we do not, then who will warn the world? See Ezekiel 3:17 and Matthew 5:13-16.

     Why does it matter? Many will ask the question of the Christian, “Why do you care if two people get married?” “How does that affect you?” Here is the thing. To be a Christian means that you belong to Christ. He is your Lord and Master. How can we then divorce ourselves from God and act as if something that He has called an abomination has no affect on us? Can we really ignore or rejoice over something that grieves God’s Holy Spirit, and still call ourselves one of His? (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). It matters because of our struggle against the darkness of this world. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Our struggle is for the souls of mankind, and in that struggle we must be on God’s side if we are to be one of His children.

     Additionally, it matters because as a nation we will all be subject to the consequences of God’s wrath. When the Israelites conquered Jericho they were told not to take of the accursed things that were in Jericho. However, Achan took of the spoils and the whole camp was affected by the punishment for that sin (Joshua 7). When God’s patience ran out on the nation of Israel and all of their idolatry, they were taken away into the Babylonian captivity. Not all of the Israelites were guilty of idolatry, but they still suffered the consequences of the sins of that nation. Today, we say, “Well, what affect does it have on me if two men want to get married?” Make no mistake about it, God will punish sin. “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). God’s patience eventually ran out with Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and Israel. You can read about that in the pages of the Old Testament. When God decides that His patience with America has run out, it will affect us all. It is up to us to try to return our nation to the principles of God before it is too late. It would do us well to heed the words of God, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Marriage matters to us, because marriage matters to God.