Tag Archives: Sin

The Last State of the Apostate

Daily living, Encouragement, Sin, ,

The most pitiful man in the world is one who, having known and obeyed the truth, turns from it and resumes a worldly life. Here is a man without excuse. He has placed himself away from God. Like the prodigal of Luke 15:11 ff, he has traveled into a far country where trouble and strife await. This lost soul has not been separated from God by others or even by Satan, but by his deliberate choice. How sad.

Consider four examples of those who have apostatized.

Apostate: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

This young man lived in comfort and plenty, yet he was unsatisfied. When he comes of age, he demands his share of the father’s estate. He sought freedom from his father not knowing that he would soon be bound to his own poverty and despair. Upon traveling to a far country, he finds himself befriended by unworthy scoundrels happy to spend his money. The money ran out, and so did the friends. Only then did the young man discover his own poor state.

It was at this moment he realized the error of his choices.

“How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger” (Luke 15:17)!

Despite his impoverished solitude, this young man enjoys the clarity of thought. He knew what he must do. He must go home! (Luke 15:18) He arose and found his father waiting for him. The father would not go with him into despair but waited for his return. When he returned, a joyous banquet awaited.

He chose to leave. It was up to him to choose to return.

Apostate: Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

A married couple entangled in the world. They saw the commendation of Barnabas when he sold land and gave the money to the church (Acts 4:36-37). Desiring the praise of men yet unwilling to part with worldly gain, they hatched a scheme to lie. Their story was simple: Sell a plot of land and give part of the money to the church. But they would lie by claiming they had given all the money from the sale. Now they could profit and receive praise.

Oh, the errors we make when we seek the praise of men and not Jesus! Oh, the errors we make when greed rules our lives! Pause and consider the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

Both Ananias and Sapphira died immediately when confronted with their lies. These were among the first Christians. They saw the works of the apostles and may have even seen the risen Christ. Yet, they fell back and were lost because of their greed.

Apostate: The Once Enlightened (Hebrews 6:4-8)

The Hebrews writer envisions a Christian who falls. Notice the description in Hebrews 6:4, 5.

  • Enlightened
  • Tasted the Heavenly Gift
  • Shared in the Holy Spirit
  • Tasted the goodness of the word of God
  • Tasted the powers of the age to come.

Can anyone truly believe these were not Christians? They were! But more to our point, they fell away. They became crucifiers of Christ (Hebrews 6:6)!

What a contrast. From the light of His love to the darkness of sin. Truly, the one who knows the Lord and leaves him is pitiable.

Apostate: The Vomiting Dog (2 Peter 2:20-22)

Peter writes plainly in 2 Peter. In our present text, 2 Peter 2:20-22, he uses a grotesque illustration to make his point that a Christian who falls back into the world is a nauseating spectacle. We need not amplify his illustration of a sickened dog. We note that this describes the state of a person who once knew the truth and, later, rejected it.  If the illustration parallels man and dog, we would also see the parallel of sin and vomit. What a horrid though true thought.

Two additional phrases are worthy of our consider.

“the last state has become worse for them than the first” (vs. 21)

“it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness” (vs. 22)

How sad to think that there is a state worse than that of the alien sinner. There is a condition more damning than the ignorant heathen who has never known salvation. What can be worse than being lost? Being lost after you knew the truth. Being lost with the knowledge of what you turned your back on. We beg the weak and failing Christian to come home. Find strength for your travails in Christ and do not fall back into the world.

To the errant soul who has already left his Lord, we likewise plead. While there is breath left in your body, there is hope. Like the father of the prodigal son, Jesus stands looking for your return.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @J_Bryant_Evans.

What Has Been Done, Will Be Done

Judges, ,

 

Solomon nailed it:

      “What has been is what will be,

      and what has been done is what will be done,

      and there is nothing new under the sun. “ (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Everything we see and marvel at today is old news. It has happened before and will continue to happen over and over.  Irish statesman Edmund Burke expanded the idea with his famous statement that “those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”  The Old Testament, with its history of the ups and downs of God’s people, is more important in light of Solomon’s and Burke’s assertions. By observing the Israelite successes and failures, we learn to avoid the bad and accentuate the good.

One feature of Israelite life was the infamous cycle of disobedience. Although present from their Sinai beginnings, the cycle is most evident during the period of the Judges. In Judges 2:11-23 we see a divine explanation of the problem. Israel departed from God’s law and began to serve idols. God punished them by the hand of the remaining pagan nations. They would cry out to the Lord for deliverance and he would raise up judges to deliver them. Typically, they remained faithful for many years and then drifted back into their old ways. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over.

The pattern is seen again in Judges 3:7-11 and in passage after passage. A reader is inclined to think that Israel must have been mentally deficient in some way. Why else would they persist in behaviors they knew were sinful and would bring the wrath of God upon them and their children?

“what has been done, will be done”

Solomon’s message explodes with meaning now. The Israelite sin is our sin! They are us and we are them! The only difference is that our punishment does not come as quickly and as obviously as theirs. In a sense, Israel was blessed because their sin and punishment were constantly before them. We are lulled into a deadly sleep of comfort that soothes our conscience. Danger lies ahead just a certainly as wicked nations lay in wait for Israel.

Paul says we are not to sleep for we are children of the day. We are to be alert, sober and prepared for the coming of our Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:5-11).

History is repeating itself. Each day the same struggles arise. Let us learn from the troubles of those before us and let us resolve to be prepared for those same troubles when they come our way.

 

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Confusing Love and Tolerance

Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, Jesus, , ,

 

Reading Glasses Resting On Open BookJesus is the greatest example of love ever known. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  But Jesus went beyond that. He died for his enemies too. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). The Golden Text of the Bible, John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…” Truly, Jesus shows his love in undeniable ways.

What is the purpose of his love? What is it that Jesus is trying to accomplish through his love? Is it not our salvation? Does the Lord not weep at the consequences of sin? Does Jesus, despite his love, tolerate or condone any sin? No!

It is Jesus’ understanding of sin that makes him intolerant of transgressions. Sin cannot be ignored.  [bctt tweet=”It is Jesus’ understanding of sin that makes him intolerant of transgressions. “]

“Tolerant” is the current buzz word of western culture. Each of us is to accept, without question, any action or lifestyle no matter how sinful it may be. That tolerance now has the imprimatur of law. I can no longer expect to practice my faith apart from some federally backed demand for tolerance.

Worse yet is the idea that I must tolerate sin because Jesus taught love. In truth, I must oppose sin because Jesus taught love. You see, I can know the ultimate outcome of sin (Romans 6:23), I can know that sin brings eternal punishment. Jesus’ own words ring clear. The sinner will be cast out, “depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

The Jesus of love never accepted sin because he knew the everlasting consequences of sin. [bctt tweet=”The Jesus of love never accepted sin because he knew the everlasting consequences of sin.”]

The woman caught in adultery is instructive. There is nothing in the text (John 8:1-11) to suggest she was innocent. She was not. She was caught. She was guilty. Jesus showed his love to her by defending her against the angry mob. Yet, he did not accept her sin. His final words to her? “…go, and from now on sin no more (vs. 11). There can be no question that Jesus loved the woman and had compassion on her. But he did not accept her sin. She was told to stop. We all have friends and family caught up in sin. We love them and would do anything to help them. Yet we reject their sin. To tolerate sin is to usher a man swiftly down the broad way of destruction.

The Christian must stand with Jesus against all sin while showing great love to all men. Nothing cheapens love more than our tolerance of sin. [bctt tweet=”Nothing cheapens love more than our tolerance of sin.”]

To those caught in any sin we plead for your repentance and for your submission to our Lord. While we are often imperfect ourselves, we still love you deeply and pray for your redemption. There is freedom from sin in Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). But to the one who ignores the gospel call there is only heartache and eternal damnation. Please understand, we will always accept the seeker of truth but we cannot, must not, will not, accept any sin or lifestyle that conflicts with Jesus’ words. He calls you to a changed life. Will you reject his love?

 

Foolishness

Culture, Daily living, Government, Jesus, , , ,

standing aloneThe mind of the Christian is vastly different from the mind of the worldly person. In our conversion and sanctification we have been changed. We do not see life the same way as before. And, as we mature, our thinking changes more and we become more like Christ in our thinking and actions. Today, we see this clash of worldviews clearly in the way  society thinks and the government governs. But this conflict is not new. It has been a problem for centuries. Paul sees at least four ways our thinking is different from the world.

The World Thinks the Cross is Foolish

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing…but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

“But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23)

I am not sure there could be any greater disunion between Christians and the world than our views of the cross. We cherish the cross; the world scorns the cross. We weep at the cross; the world laughs. In fact, the word that is here translated folly (foolishness in some translations) is from a Greek word, moros, which comes to mean “moron” in our modern tongue. In other words, people think the crucifixion is a moronic idea.

But for the Christian, the cross is the pivotal moment in history when God’s glory shined upon the lost. The crucifixion was a required moment when God was shown as just in his actions and the moment when he justified us (Romans 3:25, 26).

Far from being a stupid idea, the cross is the power of God on display. [bctt tweet=”Far from being a stupid idea, the #Cross is the power of #God on display.”]

The World Thinks Preaching is Foolish

 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21)

It’s not hard to imagine that the world thinks preaching is foolish too. After all, if we preach Christ crucified and if the world things the crucifixion is foolish, it is obvious they would think the preaching was foolish too.

Honestly, some preachers seem to think Biblical preaching is foolish. They have exchanged the old rugged cross for the comfort of soft, easy words. In their judgment, the preaching of sin and sanctification is too hard.

The message is not ours. That pulpit belongs to Christ. For Jeremiah, the Lord’s words were a “burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9; Lamentations 1:13). Peter and John could only “speak of what we have seen and heard” from Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:20). Paul determined that his preaching was only about Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). [bctt tweet=”The message is not ours. That pulpit belongs to #Christ.”]

Let the world laugh at the preaching of truth. We know God’s word makes the spirit of man alive!

The World Thinks the Things of God’s Spirit are Foolish

“And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

The Gospel message is not of human origin. It was delivered by the Holy Spirit to inspired men who then wrote it down for us (2 Peter 1:20). Paul’s message was not his own but rather that of the Spirit. By extension, the Bible is not from men as some assert, but a message from the Creator Himself. The worldly man will not understand, nor does he desire to, but the man of God will drink deeply at the well of God’s wisdom.

Spiritual discernment is a characteristic of maturity. Solomon prayed for a discerning mind as he led God’s people. He did not ask for worldly wisdom but Godly discernment (1 Kings 3:9-12). Paul called on us to be a changed people of transformed minds so that we can discern the will of God (Romans 12:2). This Godly ability is not cultivated by my own thinking or analysis. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to those in the body of Christ, the church.

The World’s Wisdom is Foolishness to God.

“For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:19, 20).

Inspiration now turns the tables on the world. It is not godly wisdom that is folly but the wisdom of the world! From God’s perspective – the only perspective that matters – it is the world that is foolish.

Notice the last word, futile. It means useless or empty. It is a perfect description of fleshly thinking. At the very best the world can only offer temporary happiness and fulfillment. It offers nothing beyond the here and now. Only the wisdom of God sustains for eternity.

A quick look at where society is today should confirm the view that the world is devoid of wisdom. Wickedness is growing, abortion is prevalent, drugs and alcohol are destroying lives and divorce is shattering homes everywhere.  Goodness is not possible through worldly thinking.

What is your worldview? Is it God’s or is it the world’s? Choose wisely.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

The Insolent

Church Bulletin, Daily living, ,

FistInsolent. It is not a common word. But the Holy Spirit used it quite a bit. It’s found, in some form, 22 times in the Bible (ESV). Almost a third of the time it is found in Psalm 119 which is where I stumbled across it. English dictionaries define the word as someone who is proud, disrespectful or arrogant. The Hebrew lexicons would add over-confident, shameful and unrestrained. When viewed in the context of Psalm 119, those definitions fit perfectly. They describe one who is prideful toward Jehovah and one who thinks, speaks and acts in a way that ignores or even opposes the Lord. The insolent will not be restrained because, in his over-confidence he is certain of his course and will not be slowed. Let’s look at how the Psalmist used the word in chapter 119.

“You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.” – (21)

“The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.” – (51)

“The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts.” – (69)

“Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.” – (78)

“The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.” – (85)

“Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me.” – (122)

The picture of the insolent person is ugly. They are viewed as dishonest, opposing good, sinners and even as accursed. They are never viewed in a positive light. They are mentioned in those dark verses at Romans 1:30 where they are associated with those who hate God. Insolence is not a good characteristic. It is not a quality of the faithful servant of God. To be insolent is shameful and despicable.

I suspect few people think of themselves as insolent. Yet there are many who oppose God because of their arrogance and pride. They refuse counsel (Proverbs 15:22; 21:30; Psalm 5:10; Job 12:13). In their pride, they will be shattered.

Fortunately, insolence can be broken. It need not be a permanent condition. Paul, speaking of himself, said, “…though formerly, I was a blasphemer, persecutor, insolent opponent” (1 Timothy 1:13). If Paul was once insolent and rose above it, so can you. Only trouble and heartache awaits the insolent. But freedom and liberty await the one who can shelve his pride and begin to trust in God.

First, we are unknowing and ignorant of tomorrow. At best, we can guess what the future holds but honestly, we know that great uncertainty marks our path. Second, God knows the future. Consider Psalm 37:37, 38: “Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But the transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.” Third, God can and will deliver us from troubles of our own making. Despite the horrors of David’s sinfulness, he delivered him. As David sought God, let the former insolent man seek his face. Let the insolent man stop and fall to his knees in prayer. God is the healer. He will heal and restore.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans

Church and Government

Abortion, Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, Government, , ,

3D_Judges_Gavel (1)It’s time to talk about the church and government. It seems we are confusing the two. As a result, many Christians are wringing their hands over a federal judge who decided to mandate same-sex marriage in Alabama. There are some facts we should keep in mind.

The Church and Government Are Not the Same

While both are from God and even though Christians are subject to both, the church and government are not identical. Each has responsibilities which complement each other but are unique. For example, government has no responsibility for evangelism and the church has no responsibility for policing citizens.

Neither Sin nor Righteousness Can Be Legislated.

One of our greatest failures is the idea that we can make people holy through legislation. We cannot. [bctt tweet=”We might be able to make people conform, but we cannot save them through the legislative process.”] We have argued elsewhere that morality must be based in God. We may extend that to argue that such God-based morality is the foundation of many of laws in the past.

Today, government is populated by throngs of godless men and women who no longer stand on Biblical morality. To them, there is no moral anchor for their actions. The single determining factor is personal desire. Whatever most people want is what they will get. The danger of this populist approach to right and wrong is that anything becomes legally possible.

It is the populist approach that gave us abortion on demand and now homosexual marriage. One can only speculate at what future wickedness will be condoned and even supported by our government. We should not be surprised that evil is slowly consuming both our culture and government.

Christians must be the Conscience of Culture

What then is the role of the Christian in our country? Christians desire that all live righteously. That is the will of Christ and is appropriately the will of his followers. Jesus said that his followers should be both salt and light (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus did not say that his people were to be politicians. It may be that Christians can affect the world through political activism and participation, but they must never confuse their Christianity with their politics.

Philip Yancey, in Vanishing Grace wrote, “The church works best as a separate force, a conscience to society that keeps itself at arm’s length from the state.” I think he has a fine point. Our task is not to run the state but to prod the state into Godly conduct. Sometimes our saltiness is successful. Sometimes our light is seen. Sadly, it doesn’t always work that way.

Our true battle is not in the smoke-filled back rooms of government. Our battle is in the hearts and minds of individuals.

Christians Live and Thrive Despite Government

I wonder if we think we are saved by government. Do we think the church needs government? The church does not need government. Every time the church gets close with the state the church loses. The one time the church actually merged with government we ended up with the Crusades.

But consider the original Christians. The church began with opposition from both the Jewish and Roman governments. Jesus, as Lord of the church and its founder, was crucified by the Romans at the insistence of the Jews. The Jewish persecution of the church began immediately with, at a minimum, the permission of Rome. Later, as Christianity spread far beyond Judea and Galilee, Rome took up the persecution under such infamous leaders as Nero and Domitian.

It was in the pressure cooker of governmental assault that Christianity grew rapidly.[bctt tweet=”It was in the pressure cooker of governmental assault that Christianity grew rapidly.”] It was also in this environment that Paul wrote, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). Earlier, Jesus noted the separation between the church and government when he answered his critics by saying, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). The Christian walks two paths, that of the heavenly way and that of state citizen. For almost all Americans, these current rulings approving sinful acts have no direct impact on how they live or worship. It may anger us, sadden us, disappoint us or sicken us, but these laws do not require us to sin or violate our faith.

But It’s an Abomination!

True enough, homosexuality is an abomination. The Bible is clear in Leviticus 18:22; 20:13. But other sins are also abominations, i.e. dishonesty in business (Leviticus 25:16), idolatry (Deuteronomy 27:15, 32:16), a devious person (Proverbs 3:32), haughtiness, a lying tongue, shedding innocent blood, devising wicked plans, those that practice evil generally, a false witness and one who causes discord among brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).

There are many sins that are not illegal. In fact, among the 10 Commandments, only two are actually illegal (killing and stealing). The point is simple: any sin offends God and is an abomination to him. But government is not the church and has never made most sins illegal. In our country today it is perfectly legal to engage in adultery or fornication. It is allowed to lie or shade the truth. It is legal to covet anything and everything your neighbor has. One may worship idols and even offer animal sacrifices to those idols and not be guilty of a crime.

Brethren, we live in a broken, corrupt world where Satan, our adversary, rules (1 John 5:19, Ephesians 2:2).

It Will Get Worse

It is not a happy thought, but our world will continue to grow darker (2 Timothy 3:2, 13). Most will be lost (Matthew 7:13, 14).

In my lifetime, these teachings have been proving again and again. Abortion on demand takes millions of innocent lives annually, fornication and adultery are commonplace. Honesty is almost unheard of, homosexuality is accepted and glorified, morality has fled from the public square. I do not like where our world has gone, yet I live here and will glorify God as long as I can.

Being Salty

Jesus told us to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). But where do we sprinkle that salt? If I buy a hamburger and fries I might sprinkle salt on the fries but not in my Mountain Dew. Likewise, let us sprinkle our salt where it is most needed and most effective.

You are most effective when touching the hearts of someone you know. A one-on-one relationship makes all the difference. Writing letters to Congressmen and Senators is easy and requires no investment, but impacting the life of a living being person you know is hard.[bctt tweet=”You are most effective when touching the hearts of someone you know”]

If tomorrow we awoke to find that Congress had passed, and the President had signed, a bill to make all sin illegal, would it change anything? Would sin decrease? Would all 320 million Americans suddenly be saved? No!

Reforming government is a distraction. You cannot bring America to Christ. You bring individuals to Christ. You bring your spouse, your children, your brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, co-workers, neighbors and fellow students to Christ. We are not saved as a nation but as individual souls in need of a savior.

When I look at Jesus and his apostles I never once see them arguing for some candidate or petitioning for a law to end some sin. But I do see Jesus interacting with a Sanhedrin leader (John 3:1ff). I see Paul one-on-one with a Centurion (Acts 10:1ff), a Roman proconsul (Acts 13:12) and I see him before a King (Acts 26:1). The gospel is shared with individuals, not governments.

I, like you, am saddened when I see those who glorify sin win any battle. But I know that my task is to evangelize, not to govern. My Lord is enthroned in glory (Acts 7:55; Revelation 1:12-16) and is victorious. Do not be discouraged by battles lost in Satan’s world. Know that there is ultimate victory in Christ!

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

 

Is Suicide A Sin?

Culture, Daily living,

Depressed_(4649749639)If you know me, you know I do not judge the eternal destiny of individuals. That is God’s job and I am happy to leave it to him. My knowledge is never complete so I observe and warn but do not presume to judge.

That’s especially true with suicide victims.

There are some who teach that suicide is always a sin and that since those who commit that sin cannot repent and seek forgiveness they must be lost eternally. I’m not so sure. In my thinking, death by suicide may be no more condemning than death by heart attack or stroke.

We know that suicide is an occasional outcome of severe clinically diagnosed depression. Such depression is a medical condition much like heart disease, cancer, stroke, etc. When someone dies because of cancer, we grieve over their loss and we never suggest their death was their own fault or their own weakness. May I suggest we view mental health issues in the same way.

I have lost at least two people I cared for to suicide. They were clinically depressed yet hid that depression beneath a veneer of calm and caring. They loved people and seemed to be fine. They did not want to be pitied. When word came that they had taken their own life it shocked those of us who knew them. We never saw it coming.

Perhaps the death of Robin Williams will ignite a conversation about the realities of depression.

Now before some self-righteous know-it-all wants to pounce on me for these thoughts stop and think. Choose your words carefully. Not all suicide is the result of clinical depression. But if the will to survive is the strongest innate mechanism in the human psyche, what does it mean when it breaks? What does it say about a person’s ability to choose and be responsible when the very foundation of their emotions are shattered? Have the answers before you rebuke me.

As for me, I will leave the judgement to our God.

The Struggle

Church Bulletin, Daily living, Jesus, Romans, Salvation, ,

Almost everything in life is a process. Our physical growth is a process occurring over decades. Education is a process spanning years and years. In the same way, spiritual development is a process. It takes time to purge the bad habits and develop new, godly habits. Sometimes we become impatient with ourselves and with others when progress doesn’t come fast enough. We want to be perfect now. We expect perfection in others as soon as they become a Christian.

But it doesn’t work that way.

A hurry up approach to Christian growth is often deadly. Rushing the process almost never works.

Sins Are Forgiven but Habits Remain

The Bible teaches that our sins are paid for at baptism (Acts 2:38). All our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11). It is the blood of Jesus that removes the sin (1 John 1:7). The beautiful gospel message is that every sin can be forgiven. No matter how terrible or embarrassing, all sin can be washed away.

But just because the sin vanishes it doesn’t mean that our bad habits disappear as quickly. Indeed we all struggle. Consider the man who has lived most of his life without Jesus. His language is filthy and his words harsh. Would you imagine that it will take time to change his language?

The Lord envisions the struggle and provides for our needs. Notice 1 John 1:7:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

This wonderful passage envisions someone who is in fellowship with Jesus but who still sins! But that sin is constantly being forgiven by the blood of Jesus! As the bad habits are fading, the Lord is still providing cleansing if we are walking in the light or in fellowship with Jesus.

Evil is Always Near

I have been intrigued lately with Romans 7:15- Romans 8:11. Paul declares himself a wretched man because he cannot escape his own sinfulness. He tries, but fails to live perfectly. He realizes that sin is never far from him and even lies close by when he is striving to do good (Romans 7:21).

Do we not suffer in the same way? Have you ever noticed that no matter how hard you try, sin still seems near? Sin arises from within us and from within our own desires (James 1:13-15) so it is never far away.

The very struggle that Paul faced we face. It is the same struggle that new Christians face and it takes time to overcome.

There is Hope

Go back to the Romans passage. After wrestling with his own sin a defects he suddenly declares “There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus!” (Romans 8:1). How can that be? How can it be that in spite of bad habits, sin and lurking evil there is no condemnation? It is because we are no longer of the flesh but of the spirit. We walk in Christ and live in him. Our desire is for Christ and our goal is to walk daily worthy of our calling in him (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12).

Rejoice in your salvation and seek each day be transformed more and more into the image of Christ (Romans 12:2).

There is Also Danger

This salvation found in Christ must never be used as an excuse for sin. We must never deliberately sin while counting on the blood of Jesus to save us anyway (1 Peter 2:16).

Remember, the blood of Jesus washes us while we walk in the light. When we step out of the light and live in a worldly, fleshly way, we have no sacrifice on which to depend (1 John 1:6; Hebrews 6:4-6).

As the Christian grows and develops the blood of Jesus will keep right on cleansing him. It may be that the type of sin changes but sin is never far away. Yet, for the one striving to love his Lord and to be obedient to him, there is no condemnation.

Walk in inexpressible joy and never venture from the light!

 

The Devil Is In Charge!

Church Bulletin, Jesus, Satan, , ,

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Devil_Goat.pngA provocative title wouldn’t you say? But it is very true. Christians often respond with shock and surprise at the wickedness that runs rampant in our world. We shouldn’t be. It is expected that any environment under the influence of evil will, itself, be evil. Our world, our society, our culture, and sometimes even our homes and churches, are in the grip of the evil one.

It’s time we revolt.

When Adam and Eve committed the very first sin (Genesis 3:6) God brought punishments immediately (Genesis 3:8-19). Mankind died that day. He became separated, by his own sin, from God. Hard physical labor and the pain of childbirth are evident too. But the immediate impact of sin was seen in the very next generation when the first child Cain killed the second child, Abel. The murder was in response to Cain’s faithless worship.

The world has been going downhill ever since.

Today, sin has spread like a stain throughout our world. Not one person has remained unscathed by its relentless march against righteousness. The beauty and calm of the Garden of Eden has been replaced by ugly chaos and sin. It is all around us.

Paul speaks of the “power of the prince of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) which is surely Satan, and notes that he works in and through the unrighteous. There is no doubt that Satan has control of the wicked. Later, Paul speaks of our warfare against the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Three times John speaks of the ruler of this world (John 12:31, 14:30; 16:11) who is clearly a reference to the devil. There is also the third temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:9-11 when Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for Jesus bowing down and worshipping him. Many argue that Satan did not have the power to deliver on this temptation. They say Satan was bluffing. I disagree. If Satan were lying would it not be evident that Jesus would know he was lying? Such a transparent lie would be no temptation at all to Jesus. It is clear from the John passages above that Jesus viewed Satan as the ruler of the world. Satan’s power was extreme. His influence over the world was so great that he could have delivered entire kingdoms to anyone he wished.

But we are immeasurably blessed that the prince of the power of the air was stopped by the Prince of Peace. Consider the Father’s work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and placed him “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named” (Ephesians 1:21). In Revelation 20:1-3 Satan is seen as bound and cast into a pit for a thousand years. He is not destroyed but imprisoned. His eternal punishment comes later (Revelation 20:7-10). ((I do not pretend to understand every scintilla of the record here but the passage is clearly symbolic, not literal and shows the ultimate end of evil.)) Satan is now bound but still wields great influence in our world. While Jesus has triumphed over evil (Colossians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 15:56-57) there are multitudes that reject Him and are still governed by the evil one.

But for the Christian, there is victory and there is protection from Satan. We are not ignorant of his work (2 Corinthians 2:11) and have been well warned (1 Peter 5:8). God protects us from Satan’s power (1 Corinthians 10:13). We are children of the King and look forward to a home where nothing evil can approach (Revelation 21:27). The devil may be in charge for some people – but not us!

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

What Is Sin and Why Should I Care?

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Evangelism, Jesus, Salvation, Sin, ,

Moses Breaking TabletsPreachers are fond of saying that sin is the universal scourge of mankind. We talk a lot about sin and its impact on our world. We remind listeners that sin condemns. But it may be that some people, especially those fresh to thinking about spiritual matters, may not understand the entire idea of sin and may be a little confused by what we mean. Let me help.

Sin Offends God

At the most basic level, sin is any violation of God’s law. Put another way, sin is anything that offends the glory of God and his righteousness. In the Old Testament, Joseph is tempted to commit adultery with his boss’s wife. Most of us agree that adultery is a bad thing. Adultery is specifically mentioned in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:14). But when Joseph is confronted with the temptation, he asks, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God (Genesis 39:9)? In his thinking, sin is always against God. Others may be affected, but the sin is against God.

Bible study will reveal that God is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45). This is a trait of God which means he is set apart from anything evil. He is even set apart from you and me because of our sin. God is so holy that he cannot bear to look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Sin then, is what God cannot tolerate. Therefore, he has taught us to avoid sin so that we might enjoy a relationship, even an eternal relationship, with him.

Sin Is Always Bad

Some sin doesn’t seem so bad. Some people will justify sinful relationships on the grounds that it “feels so right.” R&B singer Luther Ingram had a hit in 1972 titled, “(If Loving You is Wrong) I Don’t Want to be Right.” It extolled his desire for an adulterous relationship over his desire for righteousness. Many think the same way today. Others commit sin in the pursuit of happiness. Many say, “God wants me to be happy!” They then live in violation of God’s laws under the assumption that their happiness is more important than God’s will.

Little white lies and occasional dishonesty on tax forms and expense reports don’t seem so bad. After all, everyone cheats a little don’t they? This kind of thought illustrates a common mistake. Sin is not determined by what others think or do. It is quite possible that I can sin and never offend another person. The opposite is also true. I can offend people but never offend God. Consider Moses and his confrontations with Pharaoh. The king was constantly offended by Moses although Moses was doing precisely what God told him to do (Hebrews 3:5). Jesus offended many and angered some to the point that he was killed. Yet he was doing the will of God (John 4:34; 17:4). The only way to truly know sin is to learn from God’s word. Even preachers cannot be entrusted apart from the Word of God (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Sin Has A Price

So sin offends God. But why is that such a big deal? Good question. God is our Creator. He formed us from the nothingness of chaos. He instills within us an everlasting soul. That soul lives beyond death. It does not die but is eternal. After death our soul will either exist with God or without God. There are only two possible destinations after death. Unforgiven sin will cost us the ability to live with God eternally and consign us to the only remaining eternal place – hell (Revelation 20:10, 15).

With such a massive price, we see why it is so important to study God’s word so that we will know and avoid sin.

Sin Has A Solution

Jesus saves! You have heard that many times and probably seen billboards and placards at ballgames proclaiming salvation in Jesus. It is true. All sin is eliminated for those in Christ. The Bible says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1).

Whatever sin you have committed, Jesus will take it away. When men realized they were guilty of killing Jesus they pleaded to know what they could do. The answer was simple, “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). A person today with the same kind of submissive heart, can be saved by Jesus. There is a solution! Jesus saves!