From the pulpit, 3-18-17

Sparks From The Gospel Anvil

Proverbs 14:9

One thing that a Christian must continually monitor is our attitude toward sin. How we view sin is of the utmost importance! So, do we view sin as a frivolous thing? Do we make “light” of it (as the fools do in our verse)? Or do we view it on the serious level?

As many of you know we live in a day and age where sin is not a serious topic and people do as they please to please themselves. There are some people that have said to me, “it is of no importance as to what I do with my life.” We do live in a time where the consensus of the world’s scholars say, “do as you please, fulfill your desires, there are no absolutes, there is no right or wrong.”

If sin wasn’t so deceitful, it wouldn’t be so attractive. You see the devil doesn’t let a man or woman, boy or girl, stop to think what they are doing, that in every added indulgence in their sin that person will grow weaker and weaker. So, think about this for a moment.

Who knows that the “wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” I think we need to remember that sin promises cheer, but it brings sorrow; sin promises health, but it sends disease; it is a dirty liar, it degrades, it is God’s worst enemy and it’s the devil’s best friend.

Sin spares neither youth nor the elders, but we should all know that the curse of Almighty God is on sin; sin is headed for hell and by the grace of God I am going to give it a push to help it go there.

Anyone who has the right attitude toward sin, is going to be ashamed of their past. It disturbs me to hear professing Christians bragging about their past experiences in sin. Such bragging not only constitutes a very light view of sin — sin for which Christ died on the cross – but a very light view of Christ’s sacrifice for sin.

We would do well to accept Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:11,12, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Our boasting should not be in sin, but in the Savior! Sin in general and especially past sins should never be exalted or glorified, but viewed with utmost contempt. How can one rejoice in the sins that Christ has died to be put away? There is only one acceptable attitude toward sin and especially past sin – that of shame, regret that results in real repentance.

Our attitude towards present sin should be of sorrow, and there is no place to gloat over our sins or anyone else’s. True godly sorrow seems to be in very short supply. Believe it or not, the Bible has a great deal to say about how we should feel in relationship to sin. (reference Psalm 34:18; James 4:8-10).

Mark it down, we do not really repent of that which we are not sorry of! Peter shows us this in Luke 22:62, a broken heart over one’s sin makes us acceptable to God! Our attitude towards potential sin should be shunning it. We do not wait until we sin to determine what our attitude should be, we should be constantly shunning even the very thought of sinning against God. (reference 1 John 2:1).

The truth is, if we shun sin, we won’t have to worry about being ashamed or having to be sorry. The availability of God’s forgiveness is not a license to sin. (reference Romans 6:1,2,15). God has only one attitude toward sin – He hates it and we should too, but He is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. (reference 2 Peter 3:9b).

(Lieutenant Charles Smith is commanding officer of the Salvation Army of El Dorado).

Ancient Words — A New Covenant Sealed with Blood

The book of Hebrews provides the most excellent reasoning for why a new covenant was needed and how a new covenant was established. Remember, God is a covenant maker and of course he, as Creator, has that very right. Why should not a creator have the desire and privilege to establish covenant with that which he has created?

The Creator has established covenant with his creation over the course of time in various ways. Adam and Eve were given covenant to not eat of the tree of knowledge — good and evil — but broke that covenant. Death then entered a perfect garden of life and changed the human race for all time.

About 1,500 years later the entire human race, save Noah and his family of eight, broke covenant with their Creator through rampant wickedness and sexual immorality, so God just started all over again. Today’s rainbow in the sky remains as God’s covenant, to man and all creation, that never will He destroy the entire earth again by water. God makes new covenants with Abraham and then about 400 years later with Moses. The well-being of men and women is always the ultimate purpose for God when he makes covenant. He is Creator and the Creator wants prosperity, joy, peace and order for all of his creation.

Jesus, God’s Son, enters earth’s scene over 2,000 years ago to usher in the greatest and final covenant for all of earth’s inhabitants. If there had been nothing wrong with the previous covenants, no place would have been sought for another covenant (Heb. 8:7).

“But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs (of former covenants) of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises….By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear (Heb. 8:6,13).

“For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant (Heb. 9:15). Without blood there can be no remission of sins. Without remission of sins there can be no holiness. Without holiness no one will see God. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This is a covenant statement made by Jesus, himself. For this covenant to come into effect, please take note of Heb. 10:9-10, 19-25: “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He (God) sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Jesus’ last hours on earth sealed the final yet new and precious covenant for the Creator with his creation. “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:28).”

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day (John 6:54).” Peter recounts in his letter, “For you know that it was not with perishable things….that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (1 Peter 1:18-20).”

The Ancient Words reveal God’s final covenant with his creation! Death is now removed and the perfect garden restored for eternity. Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift – offered through the new covenant. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood…..(Rev. 1:5-6).”

(Scott Johnson is pastor at East Faulkner Church of Christ and author of the BRG Bible).

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