In the beginning, God created the
heavens and the earth.
He filled the heavens with phenomenal solar systems, planets, moons,
and stars.
He covered the earth with magnificent seas and various kinds of dry
land. He
stocked the sea and the land with an unfathomable array of plant and
animal
life. Then He said, “We are going to make a man and a woman
in our image,
according to our likeness; and we will give them authority over all the
forms
of life in the water, in the air, and on the land.”
So God created a male and a female
in His own image. He
blessed them. Then He instructed them on how they should live in the
world He
had made. Included in what He told them was one instruction about
eating fruit
from the trees in the Garden. Adam and Eve were free to eat from any
tree in
the garden with the exception of one tree in the middle of the garden.
This was
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now one of God’s
creations was more clever and cunning
than any of the other animals that lived on the earth. This cunning
creature
was the serpent. One day, the serpent came to the woman whom God had
made and
said, “Didn't God specifically tell you not to eat fruit from
the trees in the
garden?” “Oh no!” the woman replied.
“We can eat fruit from every tree in the
garden except from the tree that grows in the middle of the garden. God
told us
not to eat from that tree. We aren’t even to touch it,
because if we do we will
die.”
Then the serpent said,
“About that tree in the middle of
the garden – you won't really die if you eat some of its
fruit. God just said
that to keep you away from it. He knows the fruit of that tree is able
to make
you very wise. In fact, if you eat some, you will know as much about
good and
evil as He does.”
When the woman inspected the fruit,
she found that it
looked more appealing than all the other fruit in the Garden. Aroused
by its
looks and excited by the expectation that she could know what God knew
about
good and evil, she took a piece and ate it. Then, she took another
piece, found
her husband, and gave him some to eat. As promised by the serpent, both
of their
minds were filled with new insight and understanding. And with this new
knowledge came the realization they were naked. So they made coverings
for
themselves from fig leaves. That evening they heard God walking in the
garden.
Knowing they had disobeyed Him by eating what He had forbidden, they
hid from
Him. (Note: Genesis 3:1-8)
This well-known story about Adam
and Eve tells us about
the entrance of sin into the human heart and the human race. And though
this
story is about a onetime occurrence, its essence has been replayed
billions of
times all around the world since that day. Subsequent sinners have
concocted
many variations of the original, but the basic pattern has remained
unchanged.
It begins with discontentment or disillusionment with what God has
done, is
doing, is allowing, or has commanded which feeds a distrust of God that
promotes self-centered choices and behavior that enable us to do for
ourselves
what we think God cannot or will not do for us.
From this story we can discover six
things about sin.
First, we discover what sin is. Second, we learn what there is in us
which
makes sin so appealing to us. Third, we see that the power of sin to
tempt us
primarily comes from what it promises to do for us. Fourth, we are
shown the
grim truth about what sin actually does for us. Fifth, we discover that
others
are adversely affected by our sin. And finally, we come to understand
the
necessity of punishing those who sin.
In its simplest form, sin is
knowing the right thing to
do yet not doing it. According to the most commonly used Greek word in
the New
Testament for sin (hamartia), sin is missing the
mark – as if one were
shooting an arrow at a target and missing the target. The
“mark” most likely
represents the will of God or the commands of God, and missing the
“mark”
speaks of doing something other than the will of God, or disobeying the
commands of God. In its purest form, sin is any thought, attitude,
choice,
word, or deed, or any combination thereof, which results in unnecessary
harm
being done to anyone who is in any way adversely affected it.
In an effort to enlarge and make
this purest definition
of sin clearer, consider the following three truths.
First, we are created beings made
in the image of God for
the purpose of willfully and cheerfully participating in relationships
of
intimate communion and companionship – first with God, then
with all who love
as God loves, and finally with all who will join us in such a
relationship. In
other words, we have been created to live within a community
– a community
whose first and foremost member is God, whose unifying, stabilizing,
protective
agent is love, and whose goal is mutually shared loving relationships.
For this reason, everything we do
affects God in some
way, whether we are drawing near to Him or moving away from Him,
trusting Him
or distrusting Him, loving Him or hating Him, submitting to Him or
rebelling
against Him, serving Him or serving ourselves, loving others as
ourselves or
mistreating them in some way. Everything we do has some effect on our
relationship with God. And this is true whether we are a believer in
God or an
agnostic, a Christian or a non-Christian, Protestant or Catholic, Hindu
or
Muslim, animist or Satanist, New Age or someone who has never heard
about God.
None of us can do anything which does not in some way affect our
relationship
with God, and in so doing affect God, himself. Therefore, the “anyone
who is
in any way adversely affected,” inescapably and
without exception includes
God along with whomever else is affected.
Distrust of God opens the door to
putting our trust in
the next most powerful being who can and will look out for our
well-being in a
manner we desire. That next “most powerful being”
is ourselves. Upon turning
from trust in God to trust in self (be it in one area or many),
we step
into the place of God and do for ourselves what we think God is failing
(because
He is either unwilling to unable) to do for us. However, we
cannot set God
and His ways aside in favor of self and our ways without also setting
the good
of others aside in favor of our good. In other words, distrust of
God’s ability
or willingness to promote and protect our happiness and well-being in
anything
leads to a self-centered pursuit of self-interest in that thing or area
of
life. Therefore, our sin is driven by self-centeredness driven which is
being
driven by distrust of God.
Contrary to what many of us think,
the opposite of love
is not hate. The opposite of love is selfishness or a self-interest
which makes
the interests of self a priority regardless of the effects or cost to
others.
To make this point even clearer consider the following definition of
love. Love
is seeking the good of everyone who in any way is affected by our
choices and
behavior. Therefore, choosing some form of self-interest over the good
of
others is, in essence, seeking our good at the expense of others
– be it a
deliberate or negligent choice. Choosing some form of self-interest
over the
good of others is also a choice to willfully disobey God’s
law to love others
as ourselves. Therefore, when we choose some form of selfishness or
self-interest over the good of others or to the harm of others, we are
unnecessarily harming all who are in some way adversely affected by our
self-seeking choices and behavior. This is sin.
It is easy to see and even harder
to deny the direct
impact of sin on those who had nothing to do with committing the sin.
Examples
of this are murder, rape, robbery, divorce, dishonest business
practices,
alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual abuse of children, and physical
abuse of
spouses. These kinds of sins have a profound and often immediate effect
on
those directly harmed.
However, too many among us find it
easy to deny or ignore
the indirect, future, and sometimes subtle suffering caused by sin
– especially
when it is our sin that is causing the suffering. Yet consider the
parents or
spouse of someone who is murdered or raped. The sin was not
deliberately and
directly committed against them, but they suffer greatly just the same.
Consider the children who are raised in alcoholic, drug addicted, or
abusive
homes. They grow up mimicking or over-compensating for their
parents’ failures,
and as a result harm their own spouse and children. Even though the sin
of the
alcoholic, drug addict, or abuser was not directed at their son-in-law,
daughter-in-law, or grandchildren, these indirectly become suffering
victims
just the same. Consider the couple who get divorced. Their children
suffer as a
direct result of their deliberate choice, while the grandparents and
other
extended family members suffer as an indirect result of the divorce.
Nevertheless, those who suffer indirectly, in the future, or in subtle
ways are
suffering unnecessarily. This is the heinous side of sin.
We may not premeditate these sins
of neglect, yet the sin
which results from neglect is just as much a failure to do what we know
is
right as when we knowingly and deliberately sin. We may not
deliberately plan
to harm others, but the suffering caused by neglect is just as painful
as that
caused by deliberate sin directed at someone. In addition, sins of
neglect,
carried on too long by those who know or should know better, eventually
take on
the look of calculated, premeditated, deliberate sin.
Finally, we can negligently and
indirectly harm others
with our sinfulness. Parents who do not teach their children to respect
authority, or who don’t teach their children how to take
responsibility for
their choices and behavior are negligently and indirectly sinning
against all
whom their children will harm through their disrespectful,
irresponsible behavior.
The man who takes pleasure in pornography is negligently and indirectly
sinning
against females by developing an attitude which views women as objects
to be
used for one’s own pleasure. His
“I-can-use-you” attitude will affect how he
treats women in general, even though he may never mistreat them
sexually. The
father who teaches his sons that real men are macho men is negligently
and
indirectly sinning against any women his sons will harm through their
subsequent macho behavior. The mother who keeps the home peaceful
through
passive acceptance of her husband’s wishes is negligently and
indirectly
sinning against the spouse of any of her children who follow her
example. By
example she will have taught her children a method of conflict
resolution which
does not work, for it not only leaves the conflict unresolved, it
prohibits the
growth of mutual love and trust between a husband and wife.
Though we are often far removed
from the ones harmed, we
are as responsible for our sin which negligently and indirectly harms
others as
we are for the sin which deliberately and directly does its damage. And
if we
want to be treated in just and fair ways, then we ought to be held
responsible
for unnecessarily, unjustly, selfishly harming others. Do we not feel
wronged when
someone unnecessarily, unjustly, self-centeredly harms us? Do we not
want to be
treated with love, respect, and fairness? We may not be offended by
one’s first
or second offense against us, but are we not deeply hurt when someone
dear
continues to mistreat us, even when it is a little thing. If we give
ourselves
the freedom to mistreat others for some personal gain, are we not
holding a
double-standard – one which condemns selfishness
when we are the victims
and one which applauds selfishness when we are the benefactors?
Finally, if we
have the right to live by a self-serving double standard,
doesn’t everyone? And
if everyone does, how will the unnecessary suffering ever end?
Directly connected to the harm done
by sin is the damage
done to relationships. The unnecessary suffering caused by sin has a
damaging
and sometimes a destructive effect on whatever level of relationship
did exist
or could have existed between the sinner and the ones harmed by the
sin. In
other words, sin damages or destroys relationships –
dividing nations,
ruining communities, alienating co-workers, splitting churches,
disrupting
friendships, breaking apart families, and ending marriages.
Do not let anyone deceive you about
this. When you sin,
you are damaging and/or destroying what should be or could be a
meaningful
relationship built on mutual love and trust with someone. This is a
heinous
evil, because meaningful relationships built on mutual love and trust
are a
primary reason God created us and they provide one of the primary
ingredients
which ensures the good of everyone in the community – be it a
community of two
or a community of millions.
And just in case you still do not
see the truth of all
this, consider that the damage done by your sin is not limited to its
effect on
others. You are affected too. The sadness, distress, discouragement,
despair,
hate, hostility, revenge, injury, disease, perversion, calamity, and
physical
death which we all experience in this life is the sole result of sin
– your sin
and my sin. The destructive forces set in motion by your sin turns on
you and
becomes a devouring force in your life. You suffer the consequences of
your own
sin just as certainly as others suffer because of your sin. (Note: Galatians 6:7-8)
Once again, in its simplest form,
sin is knowing the
right thing to do yet not doing it. In its purest form, sin is any
thought,
attitude, choice, word, or deed, or any combination thereof, which
results in
unnecessary harm being done to anyone who is in any way adversely
affected it.
May we hate sin and all of its
accompanying evils just as
God hates sin. May we pray for, ponder, and pursue the kind of sight
and
insight that sees through the deceptions of the devil, the allurements
of the
world, and the desires of the flesh so that we recognize the evil of
sin and
the goodness, health, joy, peace with God, and inward peace of
righteousness.
God’s definition of when
we sin is very simple. We sin
when we know the right thing to do yet do otherwise. This definition
applies
whether our sin is premeditated and deliberate, negligent and careless,
or the
result of living in denial and being self-deceived. It also applies
when we
choose some form of non-involvement so as to do nothing when we ought
to do
something.
When we know what is right, there
are only two
explanations for not doing it. We either have intentionally chosen or
carelessly neglected to do what we know is right. In either case, we
have
chosen to do something other than what we know is right. Therefore, we
sin when
we know what is right yet choose to do something other than what we
know is
right. (Note: James 4:17)
In Adam and Eve’s case,
they knew the fruit on the tree
in the middle of the garden was forbidden. God had told them not to eat
it, and
warned that if they ate from that tree they would die. Adam and Eve
knew the
right thing to do. Yet they chose to do something other than what they
knew was
right, and in their choosing they sinned. Therefore, when we know what
is right
yet choose to do something other than what we know is right, God
rightly holds
us accountable for having sinned.
Though this definition of when we
sin is straight forward
and simple, it raises an important question. Who decides what is right
and what
is wrong?
God decides, and as the supreme
being and the one who
created us, it is His right to decide. However, He is not just the
supreme
being who created us, He is completely selfless – the only
one who perfectly
and faithfully seeks and secures the good of everyone who is in any way
affected by anything and everything He says or does. He is profoundly
wise –
having wisdom and discernment based on knowing the end from beginning,
the
eternal from the temporal, and the truth even when obscured by
convincing lies.
He is absolutely impartial – holding everyone to the same
standard of right and
wrong. And added to all this, He is the perfect, loving father
– gentle,
patient, merciful, and sympathetic toward weaknesses while continuing
to show
us the way of righteousness. Without a doubt, He is the only one worthy
of the
responsibility to decide right from wrong.
Yet not everyone sees God this way.
Many see God as good
but not completely good, as wise but not perfectly wise, as loving but
not
always worthy of our trust, and as faithful but not always dependable.
Some see
a darker side to God. To them, He is an all-powerful being who often
uses His
power to punish us, to take good things away from us, or to keep good
things
from us or from happening to us.
In spite of what some people think,
God does not act on
impulse or capriciously. He is not cavalier, or cruel. He is not an
egotist,
narcissistic, or vain. He is not a tyrant or a power-hungry dictator.
He does
not act arbitrarily, irrationally, or selfishly. He hasn’t
even a smidgen of
angry impatience, arrogance, or spite. And He finds no joy in punishing
wrongdoers. Why? Because God is love.
When God decides right from wrong
or when God tells us
what to do, it is always for our good – to make life better
for us personally
and for everyone effected by our choices and behavior. God sincerely
cares
about our good as much as He cares about His own good. He is devoted to
promoting and protecting our good as if our good were His own good.
Indeed, He
seeks the good of each one of us within the context of seeking the good
of the
larger community – be it our family of origin, our family by
marriage, our
extended family, our co-workers, our neighborhood, city, state, nation,
continent, or our world. This means I can trust God to promote and
protect your
interests, but never at my expense. In the same way, you can trust God
to seek
my good, but never at your expense. We are, individually and as a
group,
perfectly safe and wholly secure in God’s decisions
concerning right and wrong.
(Note: Romans 13:10; I Corinthians 13:4-8)
And beyond this, God yearns for a
relationship of
reciprocal love and trust with each of us. Such is the character of God
–
desiring and seeking shared, meaningful, even intimate relationships
built on
mutual love and trust. Truly, God wants to be the loving father of a
huge
family. He wants to gather together a never-ending community of
like-minded
people drawn together by love and held together by loving relationships
of
intimate communion and fellowship. We see the truth of this in the fact
that He
has done everything possible and reasonable to show us how much He
loves us and
to invite us into a meaningfully intimate relationship with Himself.
Therefore,
when God decides what is right He makes that decision according to love
– love
which promotes and protects everyone’s good on an individual,
household,
community, worldwide and eternal basis.
At best, we are mixed-motived, or
as the Bible says,
double-minded. In other words, we can be acting out of the noble motive
of love
while making sure that the despicable motive of selfishness is lurking
in the
shadows in case we want it to take over should the way of love begin to
cost us
more than we are willing to pay. We can know the truth about love and
all the
joy it will bring to our lives and the lives of those we claim to love,
yet
still cherish selfishness in one or more areas of life. We can know
what is
right, yet for self-serving reasons choose to do what is wrong in
certain
situations. Truly, none of us is free enough from self-centeredness to
hold the
position of “the final decider” of right and wrong.
We need a guiding light
that is not tainted by selfishness. We need someone who is virtuous,
just,
unbiased, and morally incorruptible, to tell us right from wrong. We
need is
God.
A young mother came and asked for
help. She wanted to
work on her emotional and mental health so she could divorce her
husband with
the minimal amount of personal suffering. He was an emotionally and
verbally
cruel man who had hurt her deeply and frequently over the years. By the
time
she came to me she had a detailed description of his problems. She knew
every
possible reason why he was never going to change. She had what she
believed to
be bullet proof arguments why life would be much better for her and the
children if she divorced him. She was convinced there was no other way
to solve
this problem.
I asked some questions. As I
listened it became clear
that she was part of the problem. Her husband was not just a cruel
ogre. He had
feelings and wants, and was hurting just like she was. True, he was an
angry,
mean man who had hurt her deeply – but partially
(though inexcusably) in
response to the way she treated him.
I pointed this out. After some
moments of silence, she
admitted it was true. But that was not what she came for.
I pointed out that divorce hurts
everyone, especially the
children. I showed her the many ways her children would suffer as
innocent
victims, carrying their hurt into their adult life. She said she was
sure she
could help her children overcome those hurts and live emotionally
healthy
lives. I pointed out that God was against divorce because it cheapened
relationships and caused unnecessary problems and pain for everyone
affected.
Although she did not consider herself a Christian, she did believe
divorce was
wrong. Yet that was not what she came for.
She wanted relief from her pain.
She wanted out of the
marriage. She knew divorce would hurt the children and the
grandparents. But
she was determined to do what she knew was wrong to get the relief she
wanted.
I suggested alternatives that would
protect her and the
children and possibly save her marriage. One of my suggestions included
the
idea that she stop doing the things she knew were wrong and offensive
to her
husband and start doing some of the reasonable things she knew he
wanted her to
do. True, all the suggestions I offered required change on her part.
They
required hard work. None of them could guarantee they would produce all
the
results she hoped for. None would bring immediate relief. Yet each of
the
suggestions were sin-free, that is, none of them would lead her into
choosing a
solution she knew was wrong.
I reminded her again that God
forbids divorce under her
circumstances, not because He wanted her to suffer but because divorce
would
compound her problems and unnecessarily cause deep-seated, long-lasting
problems for her children, her extended family, and the community. Then
I
acknowledged that sinful solutions to life’s problems most
always bring some
form of immediate relief, but they also cause more and greater problems
for all
involved.
She got mad. Even if she had wrong
attitudes and
self-defeating beliefs, even if she made selfish choices and did
hurtful
things, the wrongs she wanted to right were her husband’s
wrongs, not hers. And
even if she wanted to change something in herself, she did not want to
wait any
longer to get free of this one person who was making her life
miserable. It did
not matter that it meant doing what she knew was wrong. Her driving,
compelling
concern was her own happiness, and she had no intention of letting her
husband
continue to get in the way.
When you know the right thing to
do, it is your
responsibility to do it. To decide to do something other than what you
know is
right is to voluntarily, knowingly, and deliberately do what is wrong.
When you
voluntarily, knowingly, and deliberately do what is wrong, you have
sinned.
But what about those times when you
don’t know better?
What about doing wrong unknowingly and therefore unintentionally? Is
that sin,
too? Yes, it is. Even though you are not knowingly and deliberately
doing what
is wrong, it is sin. It is sin because the effect on others is just as
harmful,
just as unjust, and just as unnecessary as deliberate sin.
Remember, whether done knowingly
and deliberately or
committed in ignorance, sin is anything which unnecessarily and/or
unjustly
harms another person. We unnecessarily harm others when we:
1.
directly mistreat, injure, or offend them
(do to them what we would not want them to do to us
– treat them in ways we
do not want to be treated)
2.
refuse to help when it is obvious to us
they need help (refuse to give them whatever it is
they need to whatever
extent we can give it so they can get on with life when we would want
help from
someone if we were in their situation)
3.
become so focused on our own interests
that we overlook and neglect the needs and interests of those around us
(so
self-focused that we hardly, if ever, think about the needs and
interests of
those around us - including those closest to us who
depend on us for
love, affirmation, emotional support, financial support, and a sharing
of the
work-load)
Therefore, all sin is heinous
whether done knowingly or
ignorantly. It causes unwanted problems and unnecessary suffering for
all who
are ill-affected in any way by the sinner’s sin. It
needlessly makes life more
difficult and painful for those the sinner sins against, be they
family,
friends, neighbors, co-workers, community, nation, or world. Sin also
boomerangs on the sinner, adding to his troubles and making his life
more
difficult.
If someone sins unintentionally and
subsequently becomes
aware of his sin, he is to offer a one year old female goat for a sin
offering.
And the priest will make atonement before the Lord for this person who
has
sinned unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. But the person who is
defiant
and sins intentionally, that person is desecrating the Lord. Such a
person
shows that he despises the Word of God by willfully breaking His
commandments.
This person must fully bear his guilt by being completely cut off from
the
people. (Note: Numbers 15:22-31)
God, through the apostle John, made
this same point in
the New Testament. In
John's first
letter we read:
If we admit that we willfully
sinned, that we are without
excuse, and that we intend to do what is right hereafter, we can depend
on God
to faithfully and justly forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. (Note:
I John 1:9)
It is self-evident that we can only
admit to having
willfully sinned if we know we have willfully sinned. We cannot confess
to
doing something we have no knowledge of, and God doesn't expect us to.
What He
expects is for us to take responsibility for the wrong we knowingly
have done.
When we do, He forgives all our sin – known and unknown.
(Note: Matthew
11:20-24; Luke 12:47-48; Hebrews 10:26-29)
Now consider this matter of known
sin as it relates to
unbelievers. When an unbeliever responds to the Gospel, he may only be
aware of
participating in a few sinful practices. Yet if he takes appropriate
action in
dealing with the sin he is aware of, he is doing all God asks him to do
about
his sin at that time. This principle is shown in the story of Zaccheus.
Zaccheus, a Jewish tax collector
working for the Roman
occupation government, collected taxes from his own people. Somehow he
heard of
Jesus’ teachings and responded by trying to see who this
Jesus was. Being too
short to see over the crowd, he climbed a tree to get a glimpse of
Jesus. As
Jesus passed under the tree, he looked up and asked Zaccheus to come
down and
take him to his house. On their way to Zaccheus’ home,
Zaccheus acknowledged
and repented of two known areas of sin in his life. The first area of
sin was
his desire to acquire and accumulate wealth. The second was his
unscrupulous
business practices. He told Jesus he would give half his possessions to
the
poor, and if he had cheated anyone in his tax collections he would
repay them
four times as much.
Now it is reasonable to assume
Zaccheus had many other
sins to deal with, but that was not the important issue at the moment.
The
important thing was that he seriously and aggressively dealt with the
sin he
was aware of. In response, Jesus proclaimed salvation had come to him
that very
day. (Note: Luke
19:1-10)
The message is clear. When
Zaccheus, an unbeliever, dealt
seriously with the sin he was aware of, Jesus counted him among those
who
believe in God unto salvation. When we admit and repent of the sin we
have
knowingly and deliberately committed, God forgives us and cleans us up
so it is
as if we are sinless – in spite of sins committed in
ignorance.
Most of us know more about right
and wrong than we easily
or even willingly admit. Yet in spite of our self-imposed and supposed
ignorance or denials we expose how much we know when we criticize,
judge, and
condemn others for the wrong we see in them.
A pastor and an elder had been
close friends for four
years. They worked together for the good of their church. They and
their
families socialized together. They helped each other in times of need.
They
publicly proclaimed their love for each other. Then a conflict arose
between
them – driving them far apart. Where once they saw each other
as dear friends
they began seeing each other as enemies. After two years of living in
this
state of hostility and alienation they asked for outside help from
Christian
Conciliation Services in resolving their differences and reconciling
their
relationship.
Being one of the designated
“third party conciliators” I
was part of the process of reconciliation. Our first meeting consisted
of
sitting with each of them separately and hearing their side of the
story. Each
was free to say anything he wanted. The elder was the first to meet
with us. He
presented about eight pages of information. His presentation was about
how the
pastor had mistreated and wronged him, the character flaws which
predisposed
the pastor to this kind of sinful behavior, and the evil motives or
intentions
which were behind the pastor’s past and current behavior.
Near the end of his
presentation, he said he had weaknesses of his own and possibly had
hurt the
pastor somehow. When he was done, I asked him to name one sin he had
committed
against the pastor over the past six years. He could think of nothing.
He could
see eight pages worth of weaknesses, flaws, evil motives, and sin in
the
pastor, yet he saw nothing like that in himself.
I wish I could say the pastor was
different, but I can’t.
He did almost the same thing. The one difference was that he had seen
in the week
before our meeting that his gifting and the elder’s gifting
were very
different. He then surmised that this difference in gifting may have
caused
some conflict. He felt he had tried to make the elder operate according
to his
(the pastor’s) gifting. When he was
finished with his presentation I
asked him to name one sin he had committed against the elder over the
past six
years. He could think of nothing. I then directed his attention to his
admission of expecting the elder to operate according to his (the
pastor’s)
gifting and his relationship destructive response when the elder failed
to live
up to the pastor’s expectations.
The pastor remembered having
realized this failing on his
part. I then asked if he had gone to the elder, confessed his sin, and
asked
for forgiveness. He said no. I asked why. He said the elder had not
opened the
door for such an encounter. I asked what he meant by that. He said the
elder
had not made it safe for him to confess his sin and ask for
forgiveness. When I
pressed further as to what this meant, it turned out that the pastor
had
avoided seeking forgiveness for known sin because he felt the elder
would see
this as a weakness on the pastor’s part and use this against
him. In other
words, the pastor felt the elder was so evil that his own sin could be
overlooked.
Two church leaders – each
presenting scathing reports
about the other. Yet each was blind to his own sin in the matter. Yet
before
God, each was guilty of self-deception in that each one had failed to
apply the
same standard of judgment to himself as he had to the other. They knew
how to
identify sin. The problem was that they were not willing to identify
sin in
themselves.
The way we expect to be treated
reveals how much we know
about how to treat others. Every time we criticize someone for doing
something
wrong we reveal the extent of our knowledge about right and wrong. When
we
judge others as having knowingly and deliberately done what is wrong
and hold
them accountable for what they have done, we reveal how much we know
about
right and wrong and the level to which we should be held accountable
for our
behavior. When we condemn those who both wrong us and refuse to take
responsibility for their behavior, we set the standard of
accountability to
which we must live. Truly, the extent of our knowledge of right and
wrong is
clearly shown through our criticism, judgment, and condemnation of
others. Yet
there is more.
Who hasn’t used the
behavior of others people as
justification for his own wrong behavior? Such blaming usually follows
one of
two formats. The first format places the blame on another person as if
his
behavior is the direct cause of our behavior. For example, Jimmy
justified
hitting his sister when he said, “But she hit me
first!” The second format points
to the behavior of the majority as vindication for personal behavior
that is
equally wrong. Jane did this when a co-worker confronted her over her
extended
lunch breaks. She defended herself by saying, “But everyone
does it.”
Most, if not all of us have blamed
our circumstances as
the cause of our wrong behavior. Christine blamed her circumstances
when her
husband accused her of being a nag. She said,
“Don’t act so uppity and
judgmental with me. If you had the day I had you would be acting far
worse!”
Mike blamed his circumstances when he explained to his Bible study
group why he
separated his business life from his Christian life. He said,
“I tried doing
business according to the teachings of the Bible, but I learned you
cannot
succeed when you do business that way.”
And when we run out of people or
circumstances to blame,
we tend to make our feelings the justification for saying or doing
something
that offends or hurts another person. It usually goes something like
this: “What
am I supposed to do, pretend everything is okay?
I’m really angry, and I’m just telling
you
how I feel. I’m
sorry, but that's the
way it is!”
All of us at one time or another
have pointed to the
behavior of others, to our circumstances, and to our feelings as the
driver or
justification for our behavior. We act as if these things justify, and
even
vindicate our bad, sinful behavior. Yet who among us, after being
wronged, has
not felt doubly wronged when the one who wronged us excuses his
behavior by
placing the blame on us, others, his circumstances, or the way he
feels?
When someone hurts us or mistreats
us and then justifies
his wrong treatment of us by putting the blame somewhere else, we
don’t like
it. In fact we see right through such blaming and call it what it is
– a
self-justifying excuse. The double-standard here is that we are often
quick to
excuse our own wrong behavior yet we want those who wrong us to take
responsibility for theirs. We want them to admit they knew better and
should have
done better. We want them to ask for forgiveness and put an end to
their
mistreatment of us.
We are guilty of a double standard
when we excuse our
behavior on the basis of other people’s behavior,
circumstances, or our
feelings while expecting those who wrong us to take responsibility for
what
they have done. And when we do this, we are holding others to a higher
standard
of right and wrong than we hold ourselves. When we know enough about
right and
wrong to hold others to such a standard it means we know enough to hold
ourselves to the same standard. And when we do not live up to what we
know, it
means we are deliberately doing things we know are wrong.
Therefore, the extent to which we
criticize, judge, and
condemn others reveals a lot about how much we know about right and
wrong. This
makes the ‘criticism of others factor’ a
universally fair basis for determining
a person’s understanding of right and wrong. And when we say
it is unfair or
become angry when others do not hold themselves to the same standard of
right
and wrong that they require of us, we show our agreement with this
principle.
However, in relation to sin and what we know about right and wrong, the
problem
is not what we expect of others or what others expect of us, the
problem is what
we expect of ourselves.
As the scripture says,
“To one who knows the right thing
to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Therefore, God
expects us to live
up to what we know, and what we know about right and wrong is
undeniably
revealed in our judgement of others. God affirms this when He says He
will
judge us according to the severity with which we judge others. (Note:
James
4:17; Romans 2:1-4; Matthew 7:1-5, 7:21-23, 13:40-43; Jeremiah 17:9-10;
Ezekiel
18:30-32; II Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7-8; Revelation
20:12-15)
Beyond the criticism of others
factor there is a second
criterion for determining what we are rightly held accountable for in
relation
to what we know. This criterion is ‘age’. We find
this in the story of Israel’s
first encounter with the Promised Land.
After fleeing Egypt and crossing
the Red Sea, the
Israelites were to follow God’s leading into the Promised
Land. As they
approached the Promised Land, God directed Moses to send twelve spies
into the
land to help them prepare for the unknown. After spying out the land
for forty
days the spies returned saying the land was just as good as God had
promised.
But ten of the spies went on to say the Israelites would be destroyed
if they
tried to move into the land. These spies said the land was filled with
giants
and huge fortified cities. Upon hearing this report the Israelites
cursed God
and Moses for leading them out of Egypt only to be destroyed in a
foreign land.
Their fear of the giants and what appeared to be certain death and
enslavement
for the women and children prompted them to begin looking for a new
leader to
lead them back to Egypt. Two of the twelve spies tried to reason with
the
people, but the people became so angry with Moses and these two spies
that they
picked up stones to stone them. At this point, God intervened.
In response to the
Israelites’ distrust of His ability to
bring them safely into the Promised Land (as shown by their
fear of being
destroyed and anger over having been put in such a dreadful situation),
God
brought judgment on them. He said that everyone, twenty years old and
upward
who believed the bad report and distrusted God, would experience the
very thing
they feared. They would die in the desert. To fulfill this judgment in
a
natural way God made the Israelites wander in the desert for forty
years, one
year for every day the spies spied out the Land. (Note: Numbers 13
& 14;
take special note of Numbers 14:29)
Why didn’t God hold
everyone old enough to express an
opinion responsible for the decision to replace Moses and return to
Egypt? Why
didn’t He condemn everyone who was old enough to turn their
backs on Him, take
matters into their own hands, and go their own way? It is reasonable to
assume
that older children and teens, at least among themselves if not with
the
adults, discussed and debated the gravity of the situation and the best
possible solution. It is likely that many teenagers, especially those
sixteen
and above, believed they had a good understanding of the problem and
knew the
right solution. It is reasonable to assume that most of them, like the
adults,
feared God had failed them. It is probable that many of them felt anger
at God
for putting them in such a hopeless situation. Yet God did not hold
anyone
nineteen and under responsible for siding with the majority against
Him. God
only held those who were twenty years old and up responsible for their
unbelief
and sinful actions. Why?
God’s design of the
family provides an answer to this
question. The family is designed so parents, the adults in the home,
have
children and raise the children. God did not design the family so that
children
would be responsible to raise themselves, or other children, or their
parents.
Therefore, parents are held accountable for what goes on in their home.
Parents, because they are equipped
to do so, are
responsible for such complex and demanding things as discerning right
from
wrong for themselves and their children, education and preparation of
the
children for adulthood, employment, the provision of food and shelter
and clothing,
location of the family home, future needs of the family, and how to
balance the
pursuit of individual happiness with the good of the family. Therefore,
God
held the Israelite adults responsible while over-looking the response
of the
children and young people. (Note: Deuteronomy 6:4-11; Proverbs 3:12;
22:6,15;
29:15; II Corinthians 12:14; Ephesians 6:1-4;
I Timothy 5:8)
This same principle of age and
responsibility is revealed
in the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. Zacharias was a
priest in
the House of God at Jerusalem. He was married to Elizabeth, and they
had no
children because she was infertile. While fulfilling his priestly
service an
angel appeared to him and told him his wife would bear a son. This son
was
special, for he was God's chosen servant to prepare the way for Jesus.
They
were to name him, John (he became John the Baptist).
After the angel told
Zacharias that he and Elizabeth would experience a miracle and have a
baby,
Zacharias questioned the angel’s words by asking,
“How can I be sure that what
you are saying will really happen? I am an old man and my wife is old,
too.”
The angel told Zacharias that he would not be able to speak until the
day the
child was born because he had not believed the angel’s word.
(Note: Luke
1:5-25)
About six months later this same
angel appeared to Mary,
a virgin engaged to be married to Joseph. The angel told Mary that she
would
become pregnant and bear a son. His name was to be Jesus. Upon hearing
what the
angel said, the essence of what Mary said to the angel was,
“How can I become
pregnant when I have no husband and I am not sexually involved with any
man?” The
angel told Mary that this would be a miracle baby. She would become
pregnant
through a miracle work of the Holy Spirit, not through intercourse with
a man.
The angel went on to say that Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, was
experiencing a
miracle baby of her own – though under different conditions.
And after a few
more words, the angel departed.
Notice any similarities in these
two situations? Both
Zacharias and Mary questioned the probability of the angel’s
words in light of
their individual circumstances. And what were their circumstances? Zacharias and his wife
were too old to have
children. Mary was a virgin and intended to stay that way until she was
married. From the human perspective the probability of either of them
having a
child was zero. Yet Zacharias was punished for unbelief and Mary was
given an
explanation to help her believe. Why? Did they not both question the
veracity
of what the angel said? I believe so. Then, what made the difference?
I believe the age difference
between Zacharias and Mary
made the difference in accountability. Age made the difference between
how much
each one knew about God’s past dealings with Israel. Age made
the difference
between the extent of each one’s personal experience with
God’s faithfulness.
It was Zacharias’s job to know the Old Testament scriptures,
including the
history of Israel. He was aware of God’s miracle baby, Isaac,
and how Abraham
and Sarah had Isaac in their old age. He knew old age was not a problem
for God
when God wanted a special child brought into the world for special
service.
Zacharias was aware of the many other recorded miracles God had
performed in
securing provision and protection for the nation of Israel and
individual
Israelites over the years. And Zacharias had personally experienced a
life time
of God’s promised provision and protection. He was in a
position to teach
others who came to the temple and needed instruction or encouragement
in this
matter of trusting God. Yet he himself doubted. At his age with his
knowledge
and his experience he had no excuse for doubting. God held him
accountable and
disciplined him with the loss of his voice until the birth of his son,
John.
Mary was much younger. She was not
educated in the
scriptures like Zacharias. She was not a teacher of the scriptures. She
was a
simple, godly girl living in Nazareth, engaged to be married to a
carpenter. At
her age with her limited knowledge and her experience, God justly
looked past
her skepticism. He answered her question, without judgment, to aid her
in believing.
(Note: Luke 1:26-38)
When the disciples asked who was
greatest in God’s
kingdom, Jesus reinforced the differences in accountability due to age.
He
called a child to come stand in their midst. Then he referred to the
child to
make several points. One of the points he made was that it would be
better for
an adult to die prematurely than to entice a child to sin. In this
statement we
see God’s concern for the vulnerability of children who are
not yet adequately
prepared to understand the ramifications of choosing wrong over right.
We also
see the accountability of adults who entice others to do what they know
is
wrong. (Note: Matthew 18:6-10)
In taking the age factor further, a
study of Jesus’
ministry reveals he directed his message to adults. He talked about
kingdom
living in a way that only adults could understand in practical and
applicable
ways. The Sermon on the Mount, one of Christ’s first
teachings, is a clear
example of this. Neither children nor young teens can comprehend the
true
implication of Jesus’ words as they relate to one’s
family, social, economic,
occupational, and political settings. This message was directed at
adults. They
have the understanding necessary to be held accountable for what they
heard. If
you need another example, consider these words from Christ:
He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy
of me. He who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
If anyone
wishes to come after me he must first deny himself, take up his cross,
and
follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it. Whoever
loses his
life for my sake shall find it. No one builds a skyscraper without
first
calculating the cost to see if he has enough to finish it. No one sets
out to
war without first comparing the quantity and quality of his troops
against
those of his enemy lest he set himself up for certain defeat. So
therefore, no
one can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
These are powerful words, life
giving words, words which
set us free from the bondage of self, words which take us to the core
of the
Christian motive for living. Yet these words require an adult mind to
comprehend their profound, far-reaching implications. So why would
Christ speak
to adults when his message is life-giving and essential for everyone?
The age
factor. Part of growing up is gaining the knowledge and experience
necessary to
be held accountable for what we know. Therefore, God does not hold
young people
accountable like He holds adults accountable. (Note: Matthew 5:3-7:27;
Luke
14:25-33; Matthew 10:37-39; 16:24-26)
If the criticism factor were the sole basis of judgment, children should be held as accountable as adults, for without a doubt they can criticize others with passion and accuracy. Yet children are not equipped intellectually, emotionally, or experientially to be held accountable (in the same way we hold adults accountable) for the way they deal with the temptations, challenges, freedoms, privileges, and responsibilities of life. By God's design, children are to become increasingly equipped to handle such things as they approach adulthood. But in the interim, children are not held responsible for their choices and behavior in the same way adults are held responsible.
God has provided various means to
teach us everything we
need to know about right and wrong. He teaches us through creation, our
conscience, our intellect, self-love, our parents, older people with
experience
and wisdom, history, government, the Bible, and the Church.
If we are sensible and realistic in
using these means we
will grow in our understanding of right and wrong. The more we
understand, the
more we can apply what we understand to our choices and behavior. The
more we
apply, the more we will understand why right is truly right and the
path of
life and love, and why wrong is actually wrong and the path of
corruption,
destruction, and death. The more we understand why right is right and
wrong is
wrong, the more we understand the mind, the whys, and the ways of God.
The more
we understand the mind, whys, and ways of God, the more we live to love
and
please God. The more we live to love and please God, the more we
experience a
personal and intimate relationship with God and the more we will love
others as
we ought. The more
we love others as we
ought, the more good we will do in promoting and protecting the
well-being of
everyone affected by our choices and behavior.
Therefore, God’s
provisions for our growth in the knowledge
of right and wrong are vital to our own growth in godliness, our love
of God
and intimacy with Him, and our love and treatment of others.
From the first moment God created
it, the universe has
revealed His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and His divine
nature. By
thoughtfully observing the heavens and the earth and all the life
therein, we
can discover the existence of God and gain insight into His wisdom, His
love,
His faithfulness, and how He wants us to live. Because God reveals His
presence, His character, and His purpose for creating us through what
He has
made, everyone has the opportunity to discover His existence and gain
at least
a minimal knowledge of what He wants them to know. Everyone has the
opportunity
to ask those who are older and wiser to teach them what they have
learned about
God from observing creation. Therefore, if we do not make a reasonable
effort
to discover what God has revealed about Himself in creation or ask
those wiser
for help, we are without excuse for not knowing what we could know
about right
and wrong had we made the effort.
(Note:
Romans 1:20)
God gifted us with a conscience and
an intellect. Our
conscience notifies us when we are going off the path of doing what we
know is
right. Our intellect gives us the ability to think, reason,
conceptualize and
remember. When
properly used, our
conscience and intellect together enable us to learn more about right
and wrong
and improve the use of what we know. In fact, God’s intent is
that we grow from
babes and children to become like Jesus in how we think, speak, and
live.
There are some who argue that to
expect Christ-likeness
in this matter of choices and behavior is to expect perfection, and
perfection
is impossible for humans. But such an argument is an effort to cover up
laziness in regard to righteousness and the desire to participate in
known sin.
God does not demand flawlessness of us any more than good parents
demand
flawlessness from their children. What God requires is exactly what we
require
of others: to do what we know is right, and when we choose (willfully,
voluntarily, intentionally) to do otherwise, to take
responsibility for
doing what we know is wrong. Taking responsibility means confessing we
knew
better but did what was wrong anyway. It includes making things right
with
those we have sinned against, getting back on the path of doing what we
know is
right, and taking steps to strengthen our resolve to say
‘no’ to sin. This is
as close to perfection as any human can get. But it is also as close to
perfection as we ought to be, because we have the ability to get there.
Therefore, we are without excuse if
we do not use our
conscience and intellect to get this close to perfection. We are
without excuse
if we do not make a sincere effort to do what we know is right, and
when we
don’t to take full responsibility for doing what we know is
wrong. We are
without excuse if we do not do what we can to approach Christ-likeness
in our
understanding and application of right and wrong. (Note: Romans
2:11-16,
Ephesians 4:11-13)
Self-love is a very personal,
practical, and proficient
means of learning right from wrong. Its ability to instruct comes from
its
primary characteristic – knowing in the most fundamental and
practical sense
what is best for self. This is as it should be, for it is not self-love
that is
sinful but self-centeredness. Using our love of self as an instructor
and
primary influence on how to love others builds within us an ever
improving
understanding and practical application of right and wrong. The reason
self-love is a good instructor is because it tells us how we want to be
treated, and then we can use this knowledge in determining how to treat
others.
Self-love is a powerful influence
because its primary
focus is our good, and we can re-direct this focus outward to determine
what we
must do to promote and protect the good of everyone affected in any way
by our
choices and behavior. And because everyone has self-love, everyone
knows the
difference between right and wrong based on their beliefs about how
they should
be treated. Therefore, if we do not thoughtfully examine how we want to
be
treated and then apply what we learn to how we promote and protect the
good of
others, we have no excuse for not doing what we know is right according
to our
expectations of how we want others to love us. (Note: Mark 12:31)
Our conscience, intellect, and
self-love are internal
resources for learning about right and wrong. God has
provided external
resources as well.
Children are brought into this
world through parents.
Sadly, some parents are irresponsible and are such a bad influence on
their
children that their children learn more about wrong than right from
them.
However, most parents have enough good in them to teach their children
many
worthwhile things about right and wrong. If we had such parents, they
were a
vital resource for teaching us some of what we need to know about right
and
wrong.
Everyone lives in a country, and
every country has some
form of government. Here again, not all governments are good and
responsible.
Yet when a government is responsible it becomes a source for learning
right
from wrong. If we ignore our parents or the government so as not to
take to
heart the good things they have or are teaching us, we are responsible
for what
we could know if we listened. (Note: Ephesians 6:1-3; Romans 13:1-7)
God has given us the sacred
writings of Scripture for the
purpose of teaching, admonishing, correcting, and training us in the
knowledge
and practical application of what is right. The intended result of
studying
God's Word is that we enlarge our understanding and strengthen our
commitment
to choose and do what is right and good. And of course, the more we
study the
more opportunity we have to enlarge our understanding and strengthen
our
commitment. But if the Bible is to teach us about right and wrong, we
must read
it, study it, ask God to give us insight and understanding into what we
are
studying, ponder and meditate on what it says so as to gain the most
comprehensive understanding possible, consider how to apply what we are
reading
to the way we live, and then we are to put what we are learning into
practice.
Of course, this cannot be done
where there is no access
to a Bible. But when we (people with a conscience and an
intellect) have
access to a Bible, we are without excuse for not knowing and applying
–
according to our age and maturity – what the Bible has to
teach us about right
and wrong. (Note: II Timothy 3:16-17)
Along with parents, government, and
the Bible, God uses
the Church to teach us about right and wrong. Sadly, just as some
parents and
governments are irresponsible, so some church leaders and teachers are
irresponsible. It is wise to be cautious, but never to the extreme of
thinking
that all church teachers and leaders are untrustworthy. If you want to
avoid
being led astray, persistently ask God to protect you and your church
from
falsehood. Ask God to work through your leaders and teachers to
accomplish His
purposes in you and your church. And do not neglect your own study of
the
Scriptures to see if what you are being taught agrees with what God
says.
Those who teach God's Word from a
pure heart can teach us
powerful, life-changing truths. They can teach us how to apply God's
truth in
realistic and practical ways. They can answer many of our questions and
show us
how to do what is right in situations where it seems there is no right
or easy answer
as to what we should do. Therefore, it is our responsibility to learn
what they
can teach us about right and wrong. If we neglect to learn what we can
from
those God has given to teach us, we are without excuse for not knowing
what we
would know if we paid attention. Ignorance resulting from negligence is
no
excuse for doing wrong. (Note: Ephesians 4:11-13; Hebrews 13:17)
If you keep seeking for more truth,
you will find it. If
you keep knocking on the doors of those who are wiser, asking questions
and
listening to what they say, you will learn far more than you already
know. If
you persist in asking God to teach you as much as it is humanely
possible to
know about right and wrong, He will. (Note: Matthew 7:7-8)
Are you choosing to make reasonable
use of your God
provided resources for growing in the knowledge of right and wrong? Are
you
applying what you know to what you do so that when you know to do right
you do
it? Are you making the same effort to learn about right and wrong as
you expect
from those whose choices and behavior affect you? Are you applying what
you
know to what you do with the same diligence you expect of others? When
you do
what you know is right as you expect others to do what they know is
right, you
fulfill your responsibility to live up to what you know.
No one who has repented, trusted in
the saving work of
Jesus Christ, been reconciled to God, and puts his faith in God for
daily
living (become a Christian) repeatedly does what he
knows is wrong.
Rather, out of the fear of God, love for God, and wanting to please
God, he
resists the devil, flees youthful lusts, abhors what is evil, clings to
what is
good, and pursues righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who
call on
the Lord from a pure heart. And as for the practice of known sin, he
runs from
it as if it were a hungry lion looking for dinner. He knows that the
only goal
of sin is to maim, destroy, and ultimately kill whereas the way of God
is the
path of life – life that is abundant. Besides, he cannot
practice any known sin
because God is in him. (Note: James 4:7-10 ; John 10:10; Romans
8:12-13, 12:9;
2 Timothy 2:21; 1 John 3:9; 5:18; Galatians 5:24)
This doesn’t mean
it’s impossible for Christians to
knowingly, deliberately, and voluntarily sin. What it means is that
Christians,
having repented of sin, ought no longer to be of the mind to want to
sin. They
no longer look at sin as beneficial, helpful, or wise because they now
see how
vile, ravaging, self-destroying, and relationship damaging it is
– no matter
how much pleasure, profit, power, or fame is gained from sinning.
Therefore,
they purpose in their heart to no longer allow sin to be an established
practice or defended habit. They rely on the provision and presence of
God to
enable them to do the will of God. If they sin, they respond in a
responsible
way as soon as they come to their senses. This means confessing their
sin to
God, making any wrongs right with whomever they have hurt, reaffirming
their
commitment to live a righteous and loving life, and taking whatever
steps
necessary to get back on the track of promoting and protecting the good
of
everyone affected in any way by their choices and behavior.
Do not be lulled into thinking you
can get away with
willfully doing what you know is wrong. To go your own way in
deliberate
disregard of what you know is right is like laughing in God’s
face. It is the
ultimate show of disrespect for God and His love for all mankind. For
the sake
of everyone whose well-being is jeopardized by your selfish choices and
sinful
behavior, God cannot allow you to continue unchallenged doing what you
know is
wrong. To discourage selfishness and sin, and encourage godliness and
love, God
has so designed life that whatever you sow you reap. If you know what
is right
yet continue to willfully do what is wrong, you will reap corruption
(the slow
process of self-destruction). It may take many years for the sown seeds
to yield
their crop, but just as rust destroys metal so sin destroys sinners. In
the
end, nothing of worth is left. This is the high price of continuing to
do what
you know is wrong. However, if you make it your practice to do what is
right,
you will reap eternal life. (Note: Galatians 6:7-8)
Not everyone who calls Jesus,
‘Lord,’ or considers
themselves to be a born-again Christian will live forever with God.
Only those
who faithfully do what they know is right will live with Him forever.
Many will say to Jesus on the
judgment day, “Lord, how
can you turn us away? Check
your notes!
You will see that we prophesied in your name, we cast out demons in
your name,
we did miracles in your name, we taught Sunday School in your name, we
witnessed to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers in your name,
and we
served as Deacons and Elders in your name.” Then Jesus will
say to them, “I
know you did wonderful things in my name, but at no time did I
recognize you as
belonging to me. You never repented of sin. You never took seriously
your
responsibility to become like Me in the knowledge and practical
application of
right and wrong. You have always acted as if sin was a good choice in
spite
knowing it was the wrong choice. You thought you knew more about what
was best for
you than I did. You only obeyed Me when you thought that what you got
out of it
was more than what you had to put into it. Therefore, I must banish you
from
God’s presence because all those years when you told yourself
you were
following me, you were really following your own selfish inclinations
and
fleshly desires. True, you turned away from certain sins, especially
those you
deemed heinous. But generally, you only forsook sin when it was
convenient, or
when it wasn’t too costly, or when it served some selfish
purpose. In all your
years you never turned away from selfishness. You never treated me as
your
Lord. You never stopped deliberately and repeatedly doing what you knew
was
wrong. The reality is, you never loved Me supremely or your neighbor as
yourself.”
This is the high price of continuing to do what you know is wrong.
(Note:
Matthew 7:21-23)
Sin is any thought, attitude,
choice, word, or deed, or
any combination thereof, which results in unnecessary harm being done
to anyone
who is in any way adversely affected it. The opposite of sin is love,
for love
does no wrong to anyone. Therefore, love fulfills all the requirements
of God.
(Note: Romans 13:10)
You are accountable to God for what
you know to be right
just as you hold others accountable to do what they know is right
– especially
when their wrong behavior adversely affects you.
The extent to which you criticize
others reveals the
extent to which you know right from wrong. Therefore, your criticism of
others
further clarifies the extent to which you are rightly held accountable
to do
what you know is right.
God has provided sufficient means
for you to gain an
accurate understanding of right and wrong. You bear the responsibility
to make
good use of these means so you can continue to improve and mature in
your love
for others.
Are you living
according to the
knowledge you have? Are you purposefully seeking to increase your
knowledge of
right and wrong so you can grow in godliness? Is there something you
are doing
that you know is wrong? Is there something you are not doing that you
know you
should be doing? Are you promoting and protecting mutual relationships
of
communion and companionship? Do you love God enough to say no to
everything
which harms Him and harms even one of those whom He loves?
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