Beware of thinking lightly of sin. When we are converted, our conscience is so tender that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy inhibition, an appropriate fear that they might offend God. But alas! Very soon, the tender bloom on these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world. The sensitive plant of young devotion turns into a willow—too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true that even Christians can grow callous, little by little. The sin that once startled us no longer alarms us in the least. By degrees, people get familiar with sin; the ear in which the cannon has boomed will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we are saying, “Isn’t it just a little one?” Then comes another, larger sin, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as only a small problem. And then comes a most unholy presumption: “Well, we have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a bit, but we’ve generally stood upright. We may have uttered an unholy word, but most of our conversation has been consistent.” So we excuse sin; we throw a covering over it; we call it by gentle names. Christian, beware how you think about sin. Be careful that you don’t fall, little by little. Sin is a small thing? No, it’s a poison! Who can fully know its deadliness? Sin is a small thing? The little foxes spoil the grapes (Song of Solomon 2:15). Tiny coral build colonies that can wreck a navy. Little strokes fell mighty oaks. Continual water drops wear away stone. Sin is a small thing? It surrounded the Redeemer’s head with thorns and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. If you could weigh the smallest sin in the scales of eternity, you would run away as you would from a serpent, and hate even the slightest appearance of evil. Look at all sin as what crucified the Savior—and you will see how terrible sin really is. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
So what is God saying to you? Believe me, my friend, He is talking to you. Can't sleep? Can't figure out why? Quit denying that there is a conversation to be had.
We, in our finite wisdom, cannot understand the infinite wisdom of God.
There's great danger in living for ourselves. Living as only we want to live. Inevitably we encroach upon someone else who is after the same and friction happens. Starts with bad feelings, moves on up to confrontations. More bad feelings. Possible physical consequences.
But the world says we ought to accept however anyone wants to live and be like!
That's not what God says. In the world of fixing things, the Service Manual is THE rule book. It was written to enable qualified people to restore that particular broken object to like new conditions. It contains specific instructions on disassembly and procedures on assembly. On testing, on calibration.
The Bible is that for the human race.
Every aspect of troubleshooting a human being is found in the Bible. Every aspect of science long before it was called science is found in the Bible. God's feelings about you are found in the Bible.
We have a problem we are born with calling sin. It's the worst form of cancer. It is a guaranteed death sentence. Nobody escapes it alive. There is, however, a cure for it. Found in the owner's manual of life, the Bible. But you have to read about it yourself. You have to seek it yourself. You have to ask for the cure yourself. The cure is free, and it's supplies aren't running out.
You see, Spurgeon has said it right. We don't take sin seriously. It's not the other person's problem. It's their problem and our problem. This world has felt the curse of sin since day one of Adam and Eve sinning. It would not yield its full potential to them. They would have to toil all their days to bring about food from it. Work for everything. Sounds like your days too doesn't it?
My friend, time is growing short. The candles of the light of truth are growing dim in a world bent on doing what's right in their own eyes. The same as it was in the days of Noah. Exactly as the Bible describes before Christ returns.
Are you living for Jesus or yourself?
Easy enough question. Is your job all consuming? Is sports all you find that you are passionate about? Physical fitness is good, but if it's all that drives you, it's become a god to you. If your family is more important to you that anything else in this world, there is a chance it's become a god to you. If the things that seriously offend you don't offend God, then more than likely you have created a god in your life. You have become dull in your sensitivity towards the real problem. Which is sin.
Jesus spells it out plainly. If we love anything or anyone more than Him we are not worthy of Him.
We really don't need Satan's help in deceiving ourselves. We can do a great job in that category on our own. He will just fan the flames. You see, Satan does need the permission of Jesus to do something to a believer. But a believer can go down the wrong path on their own without that permission. Jesus is still with such a one, His promise to never leave us nor forsake us still is binding. But He won't be blessing us for our disobedience.
We can find excuses for sin. Read the owner's manual. It's in many troubleshooting examples in the Bible.
My friend if you are living for today with only you in mind, stop. Just stop.
Look at what you have built your life upon.
Is it really the life you were expecting?
Are you struggling every day? Truthfully?
But I am happy! You may say. I got what I wanted! It's not right by that Bible you talk about but life is good! Really? Is it? That same God of that Bible grants you the very breath you breathe. There's many examples in the Bible about people such as you my friend. A man who built up a great deal of wealth, was building larger barns to store his things, thinking that the world was his oyster. Things just can't go wrong. Was told by God that he really was a fool. His life was required of him that very night. Then who would be really getting all he put his heart and soul into?
He didn't put his faith in God and now he was going to die and spend his eternity in Hell. You see there's consequences to a life that refuses to go by the owner's manual.
Drive a car by ignoring the warning lights and you will pay a hefty price.
Drive a car by ignoring the service manual schedule and you will pay a hefty price.
You ignore The manual on Human beings, and you will pay the price.
The Bible says to not be deceived, what a man sews, he will reap. To those who refuse Christ they will indeed reap destruction...a life in Hell. To those who come to Christ, they will spend eternity in Heaven with Him.
Look at your life. Who are you living for?
Are you living for Jesus or you?
Are you?
Are you taking sin seriously? Are you finding out about the needs of you from the owner's manual? Or are you ignoring the warning lights and all the rest?
The interesting thing to me is even our bodies know what the soul often tries to ignore. That truth of Jesus. Apart from God you can do nothing.
So where are you today?
What is God saying to you?
Get out that manual and find out what the warning lights are saying.
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