I think sometimes Christians, even devote ones, become jaded to the scriptures. We hear them over and over again until by way of familiarity we come to accept them without examining them or applying them to our lives. Consider, if you will, this passage from John 8; 3-11:
I think often times as Christians we forget our purpose and our calling. The Christian is not on earth to endure suffering, though that is part and parcel of our faith. A Christian is not here to read his Bible, or to pray, or to go to Church though those practices help us even if they do not define us. We are here for one purpose, to seek and to save the lost at the direction and leading of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, both through the edicts in his Holy Word and by the direction of the Holy Spirit.
The Jewish Leaders who brought this woman before Jesus claimed she should die by the Law of Moses, but why was the Law of Moses given? Not to kill women or to tempt our Lord but to give direction to the children of Israel that they might become a blessing to themselves and to the world. Was adultery wrong? Yes! Was this woman guilty? Yes! But Jesus was more interested in saving her, in giving her direction, than He was in condemning her.
Would that more Christians understood this basic truth!
As Christians we condemn sin, as we should. The Bible states clearly that the wages of sin are death. To continue in sin is to face eternal judgment. What we fail to see is that this is the last thing God ever intended for us or our lost brothers and sisters.
When a Christian takes a stand against sin it is important to remember that we do so not to condemn actions, but to warn others of the terrible price that will one day be paid for wrongdoing. The act of condemnation of sin should always be out of the desire to help the sinner first and anything else second!
Now some of you may be wondering how all this applies to your lives. It honestly may not. Many of you may be living exactly as God wills, but consider this. I recently had lunch with a few friends and the subject of Reverend Jimmy Swaggart came up. It was the opinion of one man present (and a just and Godly man he is) that Reverend Swaggart was not a fit minister. For those of you who are too young to remember, Jimmy Swaggart was an evangelist who committed a sin, the same sin for which the adulteress was brought before Christ. And once more, after being exposed and openly repenting of his sin, he was caught committing it again. It has been a long time since that second violation and in that passage of days Brother Swaggart has proved himself to the Church a hundred times over, but the stain on his record is still present in the eyes of many.
But I ask you, have you ever heard the man preach? I have, not in person, but even through impersonal means I have been blessed by every word I have ever heard him speak. No man can say the things he says or stir the conviction in a man's soul as Reverend Swaggart does unless he is sent by God!
One asks, ‘But can God use such a man?’ He used a man who betrayed him three times to help build his Church. He took another man who had been a killer of Christians, a murderer of the faithful, and turned him into such an evangelist that world has rarely seen his like. The Bible records both these cases and in the selection of Peter and Paul as ministers we have no argument. How can we? They were two of the founding fathers of the Church, Holy Apostles, and servants of the Almighty God. But they were also men and men sin. It is an ugly truth.
Do not take this to mean that I am giving sin a pass. In fact, I would say that the Church does not rail hard enough against the evil in our world, but I would say this if you will hear me. Everyone reading this message is a sinner. I am a sinner. We have all sinned. But you say, “My sin is not so bad. I only fib a little here and there. I don't steal and I've never killed anyone.” Do you not know what the scriptures say? These are the words of Christ:
If you have ever been angry with anyone who took too long digging for change in the checkout of a grocery line, in God's eyes, you have murdered that person in your heart! If you have ever been angry riding behind another driver who wasn't going as fast as you liked, in God's eyes you have slain him!
It is a sobering thought.
You see most Christians are quick to judge because from their standpoint they think they’re doing pretty good. It's the other person whose sin is too great, the other person who can never be redeemed. The Bible warns us that with the same measure by which we judge others we shall be judged of God; for we were redeemed by Christ, who, when he lay dying on the cross turned his eyes to Heaven and cried, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!"
Jesus Christ never sinned, Jesus Christ was perfect, and everything that he did was not about rules or religion, it was about our own good! The next time you confront someone about their sin (And let me emphasize if you are a true Christian that's exactly what you must do) I urge you speak out of humility, rather than condemnation; speak out of love, rather than self righteous judgment.
It has been said to be a Christian is to be a hypocrite and that is not a lie. We tell others not to sin and yet we sin ourselves. It has also been said that the only difference between a Saint and a Sinner is that the Saint knows who to go to for forgiveness when he sins and there is truth in that also.
That does not give Christians a pass on sinning rather it should make us strive to sin less so that we may be good servants, even if we cannot be perfect servants. A man who takes advantage of God's grace will soon find himself heartily immersed in the Lord's disfavor. But to a man who is humble in spirit, who recognizes that he does sin, tries not to, and repents quickly when he fails; to a man or a woman who confronts other sinners out of concern for their souls rather than concern for the rule of Law, that person will find favor in the sight of God and that person may expect when he does sin that the Lord will speedily forgive and instantly restore him!
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him (Jesus) a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They said unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
I think often times as Christians we forget our purpose and our calling. The Christian is not on earth to endure suffering, though that is part and parcel of our faith. A Christian is not here to read his Bible, or to pray, or to go to Church though those practices help us even if they do not define us. We are here for one purpose, to seek and to save the lost at the direction and leading of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, both through the edicts in his Holy Word and by the direction of the Holy Spirit.
This they said, tempting him ,that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.
The Jewish Leaders who brought this woman before Jesus claimed she should die by the Law of Moses, but why was the Law of Moses given? Not to kill women or to tempt our Lord but to give direction to the children of Israel that they might become a blessing to themselves and to the world. Was adultery wrong? Yes! Was this woman guilty? Yes! But Jesus was more interested in saving her, in giving her direction, than He was in condemning her.
Would that more Christians understood this basic truth!
As Christians we condemn sin, as we should. The Bible states clearly that the wages of sin are death. To continue in sin is to face eternal judgment. What we fail to see is that this is the last thing God ever intended for us or our lost brothers and sisters.
When a Christian takes a stand against sin it is important to remember that we do so not to condemn actions, but to warn others of the terrible price that will one day be paid for wrongdoing. The act of condemnation of sin should always be out of the desire to help the sinner first and anything else second!
Now some of you may be wondering how all this applies to your lives. It honestly may not. Many of you may be living exactly as God wills, but consider this. I recently had lunch with a few friends and the subject of Reverend Jimmy Swaggart came up. It was the opinion of one man present (and a just and Godly man he is) that Reverend Swaggart was not a fit minister. For those of you who are too young to remember, Jimmy Swaggart was an evangelist who committed a sin, the same sin for which the adulteress was brought before Christ. And once more, after being exposed and openly repenting of his sin, he was caught committing it again. It has been a long time since that second violation and in that passage of days Brother Swaggart has proved himself to the Church a hundred times over, but the stain on his record is still present in the eyes of many.
But I ask you, have you ever heard the man preach? I have, not in person, but even through impersonal means I have been blessed by every word I have ever heard him speak. No man can say the things he says or stir the conviction in a man's soul as Reverend Swaggart does unless he is sent by God!
One asks, ‘But can God use such a man?’ He used a man who betrayed him three times to help build his Church. He took another man who had been a killer of Christians, a murderer of the faithful, and turned him into such an evangelist that world has rarely seen his like. The Bible records both these cases and in the selection of Peter and Paul as ministers we have no argument. How can we? They were two of the founding fathers of the Church, Holy Apostles, and servants of the Almighty God. But they were also men and men sin. It is an ugly truth.
Do not take this to mean that I am giving sin a pass. In fact, I would say that the Church does not rail hard enough against the evil in our world, but I would say this if you will hear me. Everyone reading this message is a sinner. I am a sinner. We have all sinned. But you say, “My sin is not so bad. I only fib a little here and there. I don't steal and I've never killed anyone.” Do you not know what the scriptures say? These are the words of Christ:
But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement.
Matthew 5:22
If you have ever been angry with anyone who took too long digging for change in the checkout of a grocery line, in God's eyes, you have murdered that person in your heart! If you have ever been angry riding behind another driver who wasn't going as fast as you liked, in God's eyes you have slain him!
It is a sobering thought.
You see most Christians are quick to judge because from their standpoint they think they’re doing pretty good. It's the other person whose sin is too great, the other person who can never be redeemed. The Bible warns us that with the same measure by which we judge others we shall be judged of God; for we were redeemed by Christ, who, when he lay dying on the cross turned his eyes to Heaven and cried, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!"
Jesus Christ never sinned, Jesus Christ was perfect, and everything that he did was not about rules or religion, it was about our own good! The next time you confront someone about their sin (And let me emphasize if you are a true Christian that's exactly what you must do) I urge you speak out of humility, rather than condemnation; speak out of love, rather than self righteous judgment.
It has been said to be a Christian is to be a hypocrite and that is not a lie. We tell others not to sin and yet we sin ourselves. It has also been said that the only difference between a Saint and a Sinner is that the Saint knows who to go to for forgiveness when he sins and there is truth in that also.
That does not give Christians a pass on sinning rather it should make us strive to sin less so that we may be good servants, even if we cannot be perfect servants. A man who takes advantage of God's grace will soon find himself heartily immersed in the Lord's disfavor. But to a man who is humble in spirit, who recognizes that he does sin, tries not to, and repents quickly when he fails; to a man or a woman who confronts other sinners out of concern for their souls rather than concern for the rule of Law, that person will find favor in the sight of God and that person may expect when he does sin that the Lord will speedily forgive and instantly restore him!
0 comments:
Post a Comment