Sermon Illustrations on Sin — page 8

Spiritual Land Mines

1 John 2:15

It was one the causes Princess Diana was most passionate about. A little-known organization that addresses this issue won the Nobel Peace Prize. It's not an issue we think much about, but it's one that costs countless lives every year - land mines. They are the deadly leftovers of old battles, and many innocent people are injured or killed by them. A land mine is, of course, not where you can see it coming. It's buried. You're just walking along and suddenly the ground beneath you explodes, maiming or destroying an innocent person.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Spiritual Land Mines."

Sudden and unexpected destruction - it happens spiritually, too. Spiritual land mines are under the surface as well, but when they go off, they do an awful lot of damage. They come in the form of three unholy loves. Whenever a follower of Christ blows up, or a ministry or ministry leader blows up, it's usually because one of these three loves erupted.

1 John 2:15-17, our word for today from the Word of God, exposes the unholy love that destroys what God is trying to build. "Do not love the world or anything in the world." God is talking here particularly about the world's values, the world's system, the world's way of doing things. "If anyone loves the world, the love of our Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

Let's try to bring "the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting" right down to where we live. The three unholy loves that are land mines in any life or ministry - the love of money ... the love of the opposite sex ... and the love of power. Think about the spiritual falls you've known about - most, if not all, of them are traceable to one or more of these unholy loves.

Usually, if your sin is because of your love for money, you'll leave a trail and you'll eventually be caught. Usually, if your sin is one of the love of the opposite sex, it will ultimately be exposed and punished. But perhaps the most insidious spiritual land mine of all is the love of power. That one's hard to prove, hard to confront - but a prideful, power-loving spiritual leader can often maim and scar and even destroy people for a lifetime without ever being stopped.

Many of us bring our pre-Christian baggage with us into our Christian life. If we don't repent of it, we usually try to baptize it and make it something spiritual. Consequently, for example, there are many people who were control freaks before they knew Christ and they carry that addiction to control right into their Christian experience - and even their leadership. Except now we can dress it up as being a strong leader or having strong convictions. But underneath it is still the life-destroying, unholy love of power and control. It's the cancer that afflicted Diotrephes in 3 John - "Diotrephes loves to be first." (3 John 9) There are still plenty of him around.

These three land mines hide beneath the surface for a while - but eventually they go off and they scar families, they split churches, they discredit ministries, and they hurt the name of Christ. Would you join me in searching your heart to see what land mine is there ... and would you repentantly surrender it to Jesus today - before it does any more damage.

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No Spin On Sin

It's definitely the age of doctors who are specialists. Including one of the latest new specialties - the spin doctor. The spin doctor is actually to be found in the world of politics. As soon as some news breaks that might be damaging or embarrassing to a political leader or candidate, someone on their staff talks to the press about it - and they find a way to put a positive or undamaging "spin" on those revelations ... to put their man or woman in the best possible light. The more powerful you become, the more "spin doctors" you need. And depending on how good the "doctor" is, a lot of people may end up believing the "spin" rather than the truth!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "No Spin On Sin."

These days, "image" is often what matters more than the real condition. Except to God. When it comes to sin, there is no "spin" you can put on it that will work with God.

In the Old Testament, King Saul had been commanded by God to go perform spiritual surgery on the Amalekite nation that had openly defied God and morally poisoned many around them. God had promised they'd be destroyed, and He sent Saul and his army to fulfill that promise. They were to destroy everything, and keep nothing from their conquest. Saul didn't do everything God told him to do, but just like us, he tried to put a convincing spin on his sin.

According to our word for today from the Word of God from I Samuel 15 beginning at verse 13, as God's man Samuel approached, "Saul said ... 'I have carried out the Lord's instructions. But Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? And what is this lowing of cattle I hear?"

Saul and his men had brought back some of the goodies that they were supposed to have destroyed. But does Saul confess he's disobeyed the Lord? Oh no! He comes out with a very positive testimony! "I've done what the Lord said." Great spin - not true. Oh, he had partially obeyed the Lord, but he tries to cover up his disobedience with impressive spiritual words. Some of us have learned just the right things to say in Christian settings ... how to even give a pretty impressive testimony, but God knows that spin is covering up a dark disobedience in our life.

When Samuel confronts the evidence of Saul's sin, Saul answers, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle ... but we totally destroyed the rest." Spiritual words ... and now let's try to turn God's attention to what others are doing wrong. Let's talk about them, and maybe I can get off the hook. Let's pass the buck. "They did it." ... "God, it's her fault ... it's his fault ... it's because of them." But God doesn't buy that anymore than He does the beautiful spiritual speeches.

Saul made one last try at being his own spin doctor. "'But I did obey the Lord,' Saul said. 1 went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites ... the soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God.'" How about this one: "I did this so we could do something really spiritual - have a big sacrifice to the Lord." See, we seem to think that if we get busy doing some real Christian things, God may give us a pass on the sin.

But God allows no spin on sin. Samuel answers, "To obey is better than sacrifice ... Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king." God's message is clear. No amount of godly words ... no pointing at the sins of others ... no amount of spiritual activity can cover or make up for that sin that you have not repented of.

If this message is meant for you, I know God's Holy Spirit is letting you know what sin that is. Living in an age where image is what matters and a good spin can rescue you from the ugly truth, you may have hoped that might work for you with God. It didn't work for God's chosen king of His people ... and it will not work for you.

It's time to bring that sin to the foot of Jesus' cross where He died for it ... and dump it all out at Jesus' feet. A spin on your sin never fools God ... it just deceives you into thinking that you're getting away with what God will surely deal with.

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The Increase of Narcissism

Luke 9:25

“Narcissism is increasing,” concluded W. Keith Campbell, head of the department of psychology at the University of Georgia, “notably in the form of grandiose narcissism and NPD [narcissistic personality disorder].”

Campbell made those observations in a recent article for the British newspaper The Independent, titled “Are we more narcissistic than ever?” He noted that American college students in the 2000s were more likely to be narcissistic than their counterparts in the 1980s.

Narcissism, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “an excessive self-admiration; excessive self-love; and exceptional interest in and admiration of yourself.”

Campbell, who along with Jean M. Twenge wrote the book “The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement,” believes there are three types of narcissism.

“Grandiose narcissism is the outgoing, extraverted form,” Campbell wrote in The Independent. It “starts with an inflated image of oneself. The narcissistic individual believes he or she is smarter, better looking and more important than others. And, of course, deserves special treatment for this fact.”

The second form, “vulnerable narcissism,” is “harder to see than grandiose narcissism. Vulnerable narcissists think they are entitled to special treatment ... but actually have low self-esteem and are not typically extraverted,” Campbell observed.

A vulnerable narcissist is likely to be argumentative and is a prime candidate to become an Internet troll who is hyper critical of others. The vulnerable narcissist seeks to display expertise without the risk of criticism or failure, Campbell wrote.

“The third form of narcissism occurs when narcissism is extreme and causes clinically significant problems in a person’s life -- marriages fall apart, friends are lost, a career gets derailed,” Campbell wrote.

“When this occurs narcissism can be diagnosed as a personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder (also known as NPD),” he wrote. “NPD contains a mix of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, but researchers are still debating the ideal grandiose/vulnerable ratio.”

Few would argue with the professor concerning the prevalence of narcissism. Evidence abounds to support his conclusions.

However, the Bible first pointed out the reality that academics refer to as narcissism. Scripture used a much more succinct term to describe man’s adoration of himself: sin.

I believe the Bible goes further than psychologists and psychiatrists in describing man’s propensity for self-love. I believe it depicts men and women as addicted to self. They live for self in every way possible.

While Campbell believes narcissism is on the increase, I believe its rate of incidence has held steady for thousands of years. Indeed, every single person must contend with the siren song of self. Sin infects every person from the moment they are conceived.

But I do believe the unabashed, unashamed display of narcissism is on the rise. One reason for this is that social media has provided more outlets than ever to parade self-absorption. Self-addicted people saturate social media with constant comments, photos and videos about one thing -- themselves.

Another reason for the increased display of narcissism is that people encourage it. Parents used to discipline toddlers for their self-absorption. Now too many view self-centered behavior as cute, video it and share it via Facebook and Twitter.

What is the answer to the rising tide of narcissism in our culture? How can it be stemmed?

Socialization of toddlers can help keep narcissism in check, and we can try to ignore adults who take pride in their self-addiction. But the only remedy, according to the Bible, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

People must confess that their sin and selfishness are destructive and offensive to God. They must repent of this addiction to self, seek the forgiveness of the Lord and cry out for deliverance and change.

Jesus died on the cross to set people free from an addiction to self, which academics call narcissism. The Bible calls it sin.

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[Original illustration at this number was deleted for being obsolete]

The Cancer Breakthrough

Romans 6:23

It's the word you hope you'll never hear when you're in your doctor's office - cancer. But recently there's been a beautiful four-letter word that may go with that ugly word. It's the word "cure." The possible breakthroughs have to do with one of the greatest killers of women - breast cancer. But the discoveries may turn out to open up ways to cure other cancers, too. This entirely new approach to fighting cancer - one that has shown promising results in lengthening the lives of terminally ill cancer patients - has been described as "attacking cancer at its genetic roots." The gene is called HER-2, and it produces this protein on the surface of cells that ultimately helps accelerate that abnormal growth that becomes cancer. Scientists have now developed a treatment that attacks this genetic malfunction that causes some cancers. One researcher offers hope to millions who have cancer or who may develop cancer when he says, "If we understand what is broken in the malignant cell, we may be able to fix it." They're calling this one of the hottest areas of cancer research. And it makes sense - stop the cancer by stopping its genetic root.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The Cancer Breakthrough."

Now you may be one of the blessed people like me who when you hear about cancer, you can say, "Not me." I wish I could say that about the cancer that infects all of us - the deadliest cancer there is. I guess we might call it "heart cancer." It's that spiritual cancer in the human heart that causes so much hurt and guilt and shame, and brokenness. The Bible calls it sin - middle letter: "I." When Pat Riley took over as coach of the New York Knicks some years ago, he said their problem was a disease they all had - "the disease of me." Actually, it's a disease we all have.

We were created by God to live life His way. According to the Bible, we've all said, "No, no. Not God's way. My way." That's the root of our deadly spiritual cancer. And it's terminal. No matter how religious or how nice we are, God makes it clear that "the wages of our sin is death" (Romans 6:23) - that's death as in being eternally cut off from God, His life, His love.

This is the cancer that devastates our self-respect, our family, the people we love the most - and often hurt the most - our inner peace, our eternity. And like mankind's battle against physical cancer, the battle against this "disease of me" has been going on for a long time.

Romans 7:15, our word for today from the Word of God: "What I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate I do." Sound familiar? That's our losing battle against this dark disease in our heart. The writer of these words is desperate for a cure, and he asks, "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24) Just like us, he's found no cure that can get at the root cause of all the dark things that come out of us.

Then comes the announcement of the cancer breakthrough. As this fellow sinner asks, "who will rescue me?" He answers, "Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Jesus has pioneered the cure for this spiritual cancer that has seemed so unstoppable, so incurable. He shed His blood on the cross, absorbed all the sin, all the punishment, and attacked the root causes of the actions and the attitudes we hate - and broke the power of sin by taking all its punishment.

So many people - maybe even people you know - have opened their lives to Jesus and found forgiveness and moral victory that is changing their lives. It can be yours today if you'll tell Jesus you're trusting Him to do that for you. If you want to begin this relationship with Him, I want to send you the booklet I wrote about it called "Yours For Life" if you'll let me know you're ready.

The "disease of me" is ravaging spiritual cancer. It's terminal, but the cure is within your reach. The only reason you'd go one more day still dying is if you refuse to reach out to Jesus for the cure.

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Not Restoring Is the Greatest Offense

In his novel "Too Late the Phalarope," Alan Paton writes of a respected man who commits what his society sees as an unpardonable sin: adultery. When the affair is brought to light, the man's family is devastated. His friends leave him, his relatives spurn him, and his father dies in shame. Yet a neighbor agonizes over the incident: "An offender can be punished," he says. "But to punish and not to restore, that is the greatest of all offenses... If a man takes unto himself God's right to punish, then he must also take upon himself God's promise to restore."

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The Souvenirs of Sin

Job 14:16

If you grew up on a farm, there's probably a dog in your memories. For my farm girl, Karen, that dog was a Collie cattle dog named King. King was great at rounding up her Dad's cattle. All Dad would have to do was to whistle that certain whistle, and King would start circling and circling those cattle until he herded them in. But there was a problem. One day a chicken got out, and King killed that chicken - which gave that valuable dog the taste of blood. They tell me if you can't cure that in a dog, you can't afford to keep it. The dog either has to be killed or disciplined so he'll never forget. So Dad took that dead chicken and tied its legs around King's neck with some twine. Needless to say, the dog tried everything to shake that dead chicken, but as the day wore on, the bird he killed did not, uh, improve with age. By the end of the day, King's head and tail were hanging low. It's a painful way to learn the seriousness of what he had done ... but not nearly as painful as the alternative.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The Souvenirs of Sin."

If you have to carry some of the consequences of what you've done wrong, it can be powerful incentive not to do it again - which can save you from consequences that will be far worse. Now that's why God sometimes allows you and me to experience some unpleasant results of our sin. It's not that He hasn't forgiven us or that He doesn't love us. It's because He does.

God had great plans for Jacob - among other things, he would father the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. But all his life this stubborn, self-willed, survival-oriented man had been wrestling with God for the control of his life. And then came the final wrestling match. Our word for today from the Word of God, Genesis 32:24 and following - "Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man."

Eventually, Jacob realizes who he's been wrestling with that night - and all those years. The Bible says, "Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared ... He was limping because of his hip." (Genesis 32:30-31) As far as we know, Jacob walked with a painful limp for the rest of his life. Was he right with God? Well, he asked for God's blessing that night, and God changed his name from Jacob, the cheat - to Israel, which means prince with God.

But even though it seems Jacob had made his peace with God, he was like that old Collie, King. In essence, he carried the dead chicken around with him the rest of his life to remind him of how much it hurts to be self-willed and stubborn and manipulative. It wasn't that my father-in-law didn't value that dog - he did value the dog. That's why he made him live with those consequences - the alternative was destruction.

And that may be why God has allowed you to continue to experience some of the scars and pain and consequences of your sin. If you have brought that sin to Jesus' cross in true repentance, God promises that He will "remember that sin no more." (Hebrews 8:12) You are forgiven ... you are clean ... your sin is forever covered by the blood that Jesus shed for it. But God doesn't ever want you to go back where you were. So maybe today there are still the memories, the regrets, some of the brokenness, the scars. God has left you with that aftermath so you will be protected by those consequences from ever doing that again. You won't forget how much it hurts and how much it costs.

It's another dimension of that same grace that forgave you and cleansed you. It's God's keeping grace ... enough pain from the past to keep you from ever going back to what would destroy you. Sometimes God in His grace saves us from the consequences of our sin and sometimes He leaves the consequences there. Either way, it's His love.

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Doctor's Orders

In a recent sermon, my pastor told of a frantic phone call he received from his mother several years ago. "Peter, you must come home right away!" she said. His elderly father had been knocked out, badly cut, and relieved of thousands of dollars. He was lying in critical condition in a local hospital. Peter caught the next plane home and congratulated the men who did the deed.

"You see," he explained, "they were cardiac specialists. By operating so quickly after his heart attack, they saved my father's life."

Last summer I too had an encounter with masked men bearing scalpels. A surgeon operated on my foot, not my heart, and my life was never in danger. Yet the horizontal recovery time did give me a chance to reflect on pain that we choose voluntarily, sometimes for our own good and sometimes to our peril.

While rehabilitating, I often did exercises that hurt because I knew that working through the soreness would allow my foot to regain its usefulness. On the other hand, the surgeon warned against bicycling, mountain climbing, running, and other activities that might endanger the healing process. Basically, anything that sounded fun, he vetoed.

On one visit I tried to talk him into granting me a premature golf match. "Some friends get together once a year. It's important to me. I've been practicing my swing, and if I use only my upper body, and keep my legs and hips very still, could I join them?"

Without a flicker of hesitation my doctor replied, "It would make me very unhappy if you played golf within the next two months."

"I thought you were a golfer," I said, appealing to his sympathies.

"I am. That's how I know you can't swing without rolling that foot inward and putting weight on the parts that are trying to heal."

Later, I told my wife about this strange way of expressing disapproval. "Why should I care if my doctor is unhappy?" I joked. "I'm not his psychiatrist."

The point was obvious. My doctor has nothing against my playing golf; as a fellow golfer, he sympathizes with me. But he has my best interests at heart. It will indeed make him unhappy if I do something prematurely that might damage my long-term recovery. He wants me to play golf next year, and the next, and the rest of my life, and for that reason he could not sanction a match too soon after my surgery.

As we talked, I began to appreciate my doctor's odd choice of words. If he had issued an edict - "No golf!" - I might have stubbornly rebelled. He left me the free choice and expressed the consequences in a most personal way: Disobedience would grieve him, for his job was to restore my health.

The role of a doctor may be the most revealing image in thinking about God and sin. What a doctor does for me physically - guide me toward health - God does for me spiritually. I am learning to view sins not as an arbitrary list of rules drawn up by a cranky Judge, but rather as a list of dangers that must be avoided at all costs - FOR OUR OWN SAKES.

Dr. Paul Brand told me about attending a meeting of government health experts. He compiled a list of all the behavior-related problems on the agenda: heart disease and hypertension exacerbated by stress; stomach ulcers and cancers associated with a toxic environment; aids; sexually transmitted diseases; emphysema and lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking; fetal damage stemming from maternal alcohol and drug abuse; obesity and other diet-related disorders; violent crime and automobile accidents involving alcohol. These were the endemic, even epidemic, concerns for health experts in the United States.

A comparable gathering of experts in India, he knew, would have dealt instead with malaria, polio, dysentery, tuberculosis, typhoid, and leprosy. After valiantly conquering most of those infectious diseases, the U.S. has now exchanged its old health problems for new ones-most of which involve personal choice.

Sin represents a grave danger to my spiritual, and perhaps my physical, health. The more I see my sins in this light, the more I understand God's strong words against them. I find myself gazing into the grieving eyes of a Doctor whose patients are destroying themselves. As Jesus said, applying the doctor image to himself, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Sometime today, sometime tomorrow, I will recreate the original rebellion of Eden and act by my standards and my desires, and not God's. God cannot overlook such behavior; it must be accounted for. But in that reckoning he aims not to destroy but to heal. No surgeon who wills the health of a patient can effect it without some pain.

The wounded surgeon plies the steel

That questions the distempered part;

Beneath the bleeding hands we feel

The sharp compassion of the healer's art.

- T.S. Eliot, THE FOUR QUARTETS

'Leyla, you've paid your dues': mother of toddler who froze solid flees Edmonton

Scorned in her hometown of Edmonton as a prostitute, a drug addict and a criminal who deserves to be sterilized, Leyla Nordby, the mother of Erika the "Miracle Baby," the infant who froze on a winter night but recovered in hospital, has sought refuge with her family in a Saskatchewan village.

Recently charged with personation and obstruction of justice over an incident four years ago, she left the furor in Edmonton that made life there unbearable.

In the living room of her modest bungalow in tiny Canwood, a village of 345 people about 150 kilometres north of Saskatoon, Leyla Nordby reflects on her life. At 26, she has had six children with six different men. One daughter, Kayla, was born with a heart defect and died shortly after birth. Erika very nearly died from exposure. An eight-year-old son is the subject of an assault charge against her.

"I don't care what people think. I am an awesome mom," she says, putting a bottle to the mouth of her 17-week-old daughter, Elyssa. "I didn't even really know how to be a mom. I had no mother, I had no brothers and sisters, nothing. But I'm learning, I take the tools that I get and I go on."

Erika, now 19 months old, wandered from their temporary home in Edmonton in the middle of a -24C night in February. The girl froze and was clinically dead. She was resuscitated by emergency and medical workers.

Ms. Nordby, who has three of her children in her care, said she came to Saskatchewan to escape the intense scrutiny that followed Erika's miraculous recovery.

She was featured on U.S. network television and in newspaper reports around the world.

But not all the attention was positive. Letters to newspapers in Edmonton questioned Ms. Nordby's suitability as a mother. Some suggested she should be sterilized. People came up to her in the street and told her she was not fit to be a mother.

It grew worse when details emerged about Ms. Nordby's past drug use, her former life as a prostitute and the criminal charges that have dogged her from when she was on the street in 1997. On June 1, Edmonton police laid charges against Ms. Nordby in a four-year-old case for personation -- impersonating someone else -- and obstruction of justice after an officer recognized her from media coverage, she said.

Ms. Nordby says she could no longer shop or play bingo in Edmonton without ridicule.

"I came to get away. People were really bugging me, saying awful things about me. I just wanted to be left alone," Ms. Nordby said.

She admits she was working the streets of Edmonton in 1997 and that she gave a false name to a police officer. She then failed to attend court on Aug. 8, due to a misunderstanding with her lawyer, she says, prompting an Edmonton judge to issue an arrest warrant. Ms. Nordby has since turned herself in to police. She was released on a promise to appear in court in September.

She has asked to have the charges moved to a court in Saskatchewan, where she says she will plead guilty. "I might as well. I did it," she said.

Ms. Nordby is also facing an assault charge for an incident involving her eight-year-old son in December. She was embroiled in a custody battle with the boy's father at the time.

Ms. Nordby, unemployed and single, reluctantly became famous in February after Erika, her then 13-month-old daughter, was found lying outside in the snow.

Erika had climbed out of her mother's bed in the strange house that was their temporary home and toddled outside before collapsing in the snow and slowly freezing. Clad only in a diaper and a tiny pink T-shirt, Erika's core temperature fell to just 16C. Her lifeless body was so cold paramedics could not force a breathing tube between her pale blue lips.

The incident drew massive attention and even inspired singer Stompin' Tom Connors to write a song in Erika's honour. But it did not take long for the miracle tale to turn sour. Even while Erika was still in the hospital, the mean-spirited letters began to arrive.

"We got letters from people saying, `Oh Erika, you are such a beautiful baby. But your mom is such a slut,'" Ms. Nordby said.

This week, as Erika climbed on top of a coffee table in the living room of their home, Ms. Nordby admitted she has a checkered past. She left home at 12 and delivered her first son, Matthew, at age 13. The boy is being raised by his grandmother. Ms. Nordby had a second son when she was still in her teens. He is with his father.

In 1994, at age 20, she had a daughter, her third child. Kayla survived for 34 days before life support was removed and she died of heart failure.

"I just went loopy, you know what I mean?" Ms. Nordby said. "It's been like that all my life; one thing after another."

Ms. Nordby says she became addicted to amphetamines and worked as a prostitute to support her addiction, going for long periods without seeing her children.

"I used to dream about filling the pipe the way you dream about coffee," she said.

By 1998, she discovered she was once again pregnant. "I was 106 pounds, sitting in jail in Fort Saskatchewan. I came out at 125 pounds and I just decided it was time for a change."

Ms. Nordby has had a child in each of the past three years. She was pregnant with the most recent of her children when Erika froze. Erika has fully recovered, but has scars on her left foot. She shows the same determination that allowed her to survive her chilly ordeal.

"In fact, she's driving me nuts," her mother said lovingly.

Ms. Nordby says she has avoided drugs since Elyssa was born in 1998. She wonders why no one has been critical of the four men who have abandoned their children to her care without offering any support. Two of the fathers are in jail and two have ignored orders to pay child support, she said.

Ms. Nordby now lives in a tiny white bungalow with a neatly trimmed yard. Her father has co-signed a mortgage so she could buy the home from her grandmother. But even this quiet refuge is not without trouble: Some of Ms. Nordby's family is upset because they wanted to take over the house, she says. Neighbours who know about her story are not always friendly.

Inside the house is the chaos one would expect in a household containing three children under three years of age. Ms. Nordby wipes Erika's face and says her children saved her life. They keep her straight, she says.

"When I'm with my aunt and I've had a couple of beer, I stop. I know I would be no use to them the next day if I'm hung over. I won't let that happen now.

"I'm not denying anything that I've done. But like my aunt says, `Leyla, you've paid your dues.'"

Pet Snake Suffocates Owner

DENVER - A 10-foot-long Burmese python killed its owner Sunday by coiling so tightly around him that the man could not breathe, authorities said.

"He was handling the snake and showing it to someone when the snake wrapped around his chest," said Rory Chetelat, spokesman for the Aurora Fire Department.

Firefighters said the owner was a big man in his 40s, Chetelat said. His name was not immediately released.

The snake weighed 75 to 80 pounds.

Six firefighters and police officers were needed to remove the snake and free the man.

"Two police officers tried to place their batons between the snake and the man's neck so he could breathe," police spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh said.

The man died of asphyxiation, said Bev Petry, spokeswoman for the Medical Center of Aurora in suburban Denver.

Firefighters later herded the snake into its cage and turned it over to animal control. Walsh said an Aurora ordinance bans owning pet snakes longer than 6 feet.

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In the same way, sin can suffocate the believer.

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Our Job Is To Sin

A young boy was explaining basic Christian Theology to his younger sister:

"You see, it was Jesus' job to die for our sins; it's our job to sin."

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Keep It Out!

Colossians 3:1

Read: Colossians 3:1-11

Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. —Romans 6:12

Guam is crawling with snakes. Slithering brown tree snakes are killing the birds of the beautiful island nation and threatening the citizens’ way of life. The people, of course, want to keep the snakes out.

These snakes are not native to Guam. They came as stowaways on airplanes from Micronesia, and they have multiplied by the thousands. Known for their voracious appetites, the snakes have wiped out 9 of the island’s 11 native bird species. They also threaten other islands with which Guam trades.

Just as these deadly snakes are a danger to Guam, so our sins are a danger to us if we don’t deal decisively with them. Sins such as lust, sexual impurity, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying can show up in the lives of Christians (Colossians 3:5-9). Like snakes, such sins can grow, multiply, and eventually dominate us. They can also destroy our effectiveness in serving Christ and damage our testimony for Him.

The solution is to say no to sin (Romans 6:12). We also need to focus on Christ and His Word, setting our minds “on things above, not on things on the earth.” We must also “put to death” the sins that seek to invade our lives (Colossians 3:2,5,16). That’s the way to keep sin out! — JDB

We can’t afford to play with fire

Nor tempt the serpent’s bite;

We can’t afford to think that sin

Brings any true delight. — Anon.

Sins are like weeds in a garden; keep them out or they will take over

Grace - Greater Than All Our Sin!

Romans 5

”… where sin abounded, grace did much more abound … “ (Romans 5: 20, KJV)

— For reading & meditation: Romans 5:12-21

We are meditating on how to recover from the brokenness caused by the memory of some deeply grievous sin. By that we mean a sin which God has forgiven but which, for some reason, still burns in our memories.

The first principle is this: realize that God can do more with sin than just forgive it. I heard an elderly minister make that statement many years ago, when I was a young Christian, and at first I resisted it. I said to myself: “How can God use sin? Surely it is His one intolerance?” Then, after pondering for a while, I saw what he meant. God uses our sin to motivate our will toward greater spiritual achievement, to quicken our compassion toward sinners and to show God’s tender heart for the fallen.

We must be careful, of course, that we do not fall into the error which Paul refers to in Romans 6:1-2: “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (KJV). If we sin in order that God may use it, then our motives are all wrong and we fall foul of the eternal purposes. If, however, we commit sin, but then take it to God in confession — really take it to Him — then He will not only forgive it, but make something of it.

Is this too difficult for you to conceive? Then I point you to the cross. The cross was the foulest deed mankind ever committed, yet God used it to become the fulcrum of His redemption. It was our lowest point — but it was God’s zenith. Hallelujah.

PRAYER:

O Father, I am so relieved to know that You take even my sins and make them contribute to Your purposes. Grace turns all my bad into good, all my good into better and all my better into the best. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY:

Heb. 10:1-22; Isa. 43:25; 44:22; 55:7

1. What will God not remember any more?

2. What is the “full assurance” we can have?

Sammy's Big Catch

Sammy was a good-looking young boy who lived in the deep south. His summer days were filled with times of walking through the woods, playing with friends, and fishing in the pond down the dirt road Fishing was by far his favorite thing to do. Just about every day during his summer vacation, he would dig up some worms and head off, pole in hand, for a day of fishing.

This steamy hot day was like most others during Sammy’s summer break. Waking early, he could hear the pond calling him to come fish. Sammy quietly walked out the front door, grabbed his pitchfork and worm pail from the porch, and walked into the woods to search for bait. He turned over old stumps and dug under leaves hoping to find worms. Under one old stump he hit the jackpot. The ground was writhing. In two minutes he had all the bait he needed, and in 15 minutes he was at the pond.

Reaching into his bait bucket, Sammy pulled out a big worm. He double hooked it and tossed it into the water. He noticed a stinging in his hand, but filled with the excitement of the moment, he paid no attention to it. Within 30 seconds, Sammy had a strike and pulled in a nice catfish. Wow, he thought, a fish in the first minute. This is unbelievable!

He put the catch on his stringer, hurried to rebait his hook, and Tried his luck again. Once again he felt a stinging sensation in his hand as he threw his hook into the pond. He didn’t have time to worry about it. Within just a few seconds, he had another huge fish. He fumbled the next time he baited his hook — his hand felt numb and stiff. But Sammy was too excited about catching another fish to give it much thought.

At the end of only an hour of fishing, Sammy had caught eight large fish. This was definitely his best fishing day ever. He was so proud of his accomplishment that, even though there was plenty of day left to fish, he threw the heavy stringer of fish over his shoulder and dashed down the dirt road toward home to show off his catch to his mom and dad.

The local sheriff happened to drive up alongside Sammy and started to congratulate him on his catch of fish. With a smile and a victory whoop, Sammy held up the stringer. The sheriff gasped, parked his car and strode over to Sammy. His eyes hadn’t deceived him — Sammy’s arms really were red and swollen to about twice their normal size. Exactly where have you been and what bait did you use to catch all those fish?” the sheriff asked Sammy, already guessing the answer.

I found some special bait under an old stump,” Sammy boasted. “These worms really wiggle good,” he commented, handing up the bait bucket for inspection. After a close look at the worms, the sheriff went into fast-forward. Securing the bucket in his truck, he then scooped Sammy and his stringer of fish into the backseat of his patrol car. Spinning a U-turn on the gravel road, he sped off to the hospital, but Sammy was already dead.

What the sheriff had discovered was that Sammy had been fishing with baby rattlesnakes. Sammy’s deadly bait brought him a good morning’s fishing but cost him his life. Had Sammy stopped fishing after that first sting, he could have been saved. One bite from a baby rattler won’t kill a person who gets treatment in time. But Sammy was having fun and didn’t bother himself with the small voice of pain in his hand. Then, as his hand grew numb, even that small voice was silenced.

Playing around with sin is like using baby rattlesnakes for bait. Sinning seems harmless to young people who don’t recognize sin and are unaware of its deadly consequences. The more sin you get into, however, the more numb you become to its sting. In the excitement of the moment, you ignore the still small voice of God warning you of danger and encouraging you to choose life instead of death.

Recall Notice

The maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to the serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

This defect has been technically termed, Subsequential Internal Non-Morality,’ or more commonly known as S-I-N, as it is primarily symptomized by loss of moral judgment.

Some other symptoms include:

(a) Loss of direction

(b) Foul vocal emissions

(c) Amnesia of origin

(d) Lack of peace and joy

(e) Selfish, or violent behavior

(f) Depression or confusion in the mental component

(g) Fear

(h) Idolatry

The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service, free of charge to correct this SIN defect.

The number to call for the recall station in your area is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN by pressing R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E. Next, download J-E-S-U-S into the heart. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, the JESUS repair will replace it with:

(a) Love

(b) Joy

(c) Peace

(d) Longsuffering

(e) Gentleness

(f) Goodness

(g) Faith

(h) Meekness

(i) Temperance

Please see operating manual, HOLY BIBLE, for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human unit without correction, voids the manufacturer’s warranty, exposing owner to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on J-E-S-U-S.

DANGER: The human units not receiving this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect must not enter heaven or else heaven will be infected.

Author: The Creator.

The Devil Made You Do It?

1 Peter 5:9

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:9

I cannot accept someone saying, “The devil made me do it.” No, he didn’t make you do it; you did it. Somewhere along the line, you chose to give the devil a foothold. He merely took advantage of the opportunity you gave him. You have all the resources and protection you need to live a victorious life in Christ every day. If you’re not living it, it’s your choice. When you leave a door open for the devil by not resisting temptation, accusation or deception, you are vulnerable. And if you continue to allow him access to your life, he can gain a measure of control over you. You won’t lose your salvation, but you will lose your daily victory.

Many Christians today who cannot control their lives in some area wallow in self-blame instead of acting responsibly to solve the problem. They berate themselves and punish themselves for not having the willpower to break a bad habit, when instead they should be resisting Satan in an area where he had obviously robbed them of control. Anything bad which you seemingly cannot stop doing, or anything good which you cannot make yourself do, could be an area of demonic control.

God’s protection from demonic attack is not something you can take for granted irrespective of how you behave. This protection is conditional on your willingness to respond to God’s provision. We are told to put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14), to put on the armor of God and to stand firm (Ephesians 6:11), to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). If we irresponsibly ignore God’s resources by failing to obey these commands, how can we expect Him to protect us?

A Believer Like Zacharias

Luke 1:6

A gentleman who believed himself perfect called to see an old Christian neighbor. They began talking about the interesting subject of the believer's perfection. "Can you point to a single perfect man or woman in the Bible?" inquired the aged saint. "Yes," readily answered the other, "turn to Luke 1:6 and you will read there of two-Elizabeth and Zacharias-who walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." "Then you consider yourself a believer like Zacharias?" "Certainly I do," said the visitor. "Ah," replied the old man, "I thought you might be; and we read a few verses further on that he was struck dumb for his unbelief."

Are You Sinless?

1 John 3:6

A lady came to her pastor after he had preached one day and said, “But does not John say, ‘Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not’ (1 John 3:6)?”

Of course he consented to the fact, telling her that the Christian does not voluntarily wallow in sin, but that we should also remember that the same apostle says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).

Then he turned to this Christian lady and asked her, “Can you say you are sinless?” There was no answer.

A Sinner Who Didn't Think

A young man once said to a preacher, "I do not think I am a sinner."

Then the preacher asked him if he would be willing for his mother or sister to know all he had done, said or thought, all his motives and all his desires. After a moment the young man said, "No, indeed, I certainly would not like to have them known-not for all the world.

A Fence or an Ambulance

1 John 2:1

A certain community was near a dangerous highway curve where several cars had misguided the curve and fallen over a cliff. Great discussion took place in the town over what to do about the situation. Some in the discussion group thought it a good idea to station an ambulance at the bottom of this cliff to give immediate aid to the victims. Wiser heads suggested it might be better to erect a fence around the curve on top of the cliff.

To us, such a discussion is ridiculous. We know it is much better to prevent accidents and deaths than to treat them after the fact. Let us not overlook the truth that this principle also has much spiritual merit.

We need not debate whether Christians sin. The New Testament speaks plainly. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His Word has no place in our lives. The Apostle John immediately follows this truth with a powerful statement of assurance.

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1-2).

Although forgiveness and grace are abundant, Jesus does not intend for us to just focus on these. He not only provides forgiveness, He also gives us the power to keep from sin. How much better that we focus on the "fence" at the top rather than on the "ambulance" at the bottom.

A Lost Inheritance

The son of a rich father forsook his fine home for a life of crime and immorality, bringing disgrace to his family and causing his father many years of deep sorrow. One day he learned of his father's death and decided to return home at once. He wanted to be present at the reading of the will to see if he had been left anything. He thought possibly his father out of kindness had bequeathed him something.

Together, with other members of the family, he assembled at the lawyer's office to listen to the reading of the will. The first part of it was a long recital of his son's sins. Father had set them down carefully, one by one, expressing the grief of heart which he had borne for so many years. The son became more and more restless as he heard that sad story of his evil doings. He began to fidget and fuss in his seat, obviously disgusted with the whole proceedings. Finally, he could stand it no longer and grabbed his hat, rose to his feet, stomped out of the room, and slammed the door behind him. But he left too soon. For the second part of the will said that his father had left him $25,000. He could not subsequently be located and thus never got the money for the simple reason that he declined to hear about the sins which he refused to confess. He lost his inheritance.

The Penetration of Sin

Hebrews 4:12

"For the Word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

As the powerful chain saw cut its way through the oak tree, it uncovered an object foreign to a tree. There, embedded in the tree was a 22-bullet, once hidden from view, now made visible by the cutting asunder of the tree.

From the outside, the point of entry was no longer visible, but on the inside, the path of the bullet had clearly left its mark in the wood. Compared to the size of the tree, it was an extremely small mark, yet by its presence, had caused the area surrounding it to turn black with rot.

Had one been present when the bullet entered the tree, it would have been possible not only to see the mark, but to dig the bullet out.

However, with the passing of time, the tree grew larger and stronger.

The bark had grown thicker and the bullet remained hidden, a part of the tree.

Just as the bullet penetrated into the tree, so sin penetrates us. The point of entry may not be visible to anyone else, but the sin becomes embedded in our lives, and unless it is removed, causes a growing spot to rot.

Temptation Attracts or Repels

Matthew 26:41

Thomas ... Kempis has said, "First there comes to the mind a bare thought of evil, then a strong imagination thereof, afterward delight and evil motion, and then consent." His advice was, "Withstand the beginnings." If you apply a magnet to the end of a needle that moves freely on its pivot, the needle affected by a strong attraction approaches as if it loved it. Reverse the order, applying the magnet to the other pole, and the needle shrinks away trembling as if it hated it. One man rushes into the arms of vice; another recoils from it in horror. According as the nature it addresses is holy or unholy, temptation attracts or repels, is loved or hated. Our Lord Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).

The Constant Dissenter

We read about a church which was calling a new pastor. There were only a few negative votes, the great majority being in favor of the nominee. A gracious member of the minority moved to make the choice unanimous. But one man in that minority, a stern old Scotchman, was by no means disposed to make any such soft surrender of opinion, and he wasted no words. His ultimatum was quick and straight: "There is one thing ye might as well understand right here and now. I'll let you know there'll never be anything unanimous in this church as long as I am in it."

The Force of Habit

How easy it is to tear a piece of paper along the line in which it has originally been folded! How easy it is for a second temptation to overcome when the first has been yielded to! A sin that has once gained the victory over our moral nature has put a fold, as it were, in that nature, and destroyed its straightness and smoothness, so that when the same temptation comes a second time, it seeks the weak point which it had formerly made, and along that line of least resistance we are turned from our righteous principles and strong resolution.

The Regenerated Sinner

An old Scotch minister was really disturbed when a fellow minister came to preach in his church, because to his surprise he gave a sermon to sinners. The Scotch minister could not keep the disappointment within him, so he turned to the visiting preacher and said, "Well, Rev. McDonald, that was a very good sermon which you preached, but it is very much out of place. I do not know one single unregenerate person in my congregation."

The Unbreakable Chain

It is told of a famous smith of medieval times that, having been taken prisoner and immured in a dungeon, he began to examine the chain that bound him with a view to discovering some flaw that might make it easier to break it. His hope was in vain, for he found from some marks upon it that it was his own workmanship. It had been his boast that none could break a chain that he had forged. Thus it is with the sinner. His own hands have forged the chain that binds him, a chain that no human hand can break.

The Well of Kindness

In ancient times in the East, a common practice among tribes at war was to fill each other's wells. Every well thus rendered useless was a public blessing destroyed. It is like a crime against humanity when a well of kindness in a heart is stopped. The world's need and sorrow are the losers. The thirsty come to drink where before their want had been satisfied, and are disappointed. But the most serious consequence is the harm that is done to the persons themselves whose love and compassion are thus restrained. One of the great problems of Christian living is to keep the heart gentle and sweet amid all the world's trying experiences. Nothing worse could happen to a person than to become cold toward human suffering, or bitter toward human infirmity and failure.

This Wonderfully Made Body

Of course, the body compels a great deal of admiration as the farmer cannot help admiring the smooth shiny seeds from which a beautiful field of wheat will one day emerge. If you fully understand what is in your body, how intricate, how methodical all its functions are, you cannot help but admire and honor it. You could not possibly create such a masterpiece. Scientists may make a living virus, but that's far from constructing a whole living body. But this wonderfully made body has been corrupted by your sin and mine. We have caused corruptibility to enter the cosmos, which includes our bodies.

The Invasion of Evil

Over wide areas of the United States, carpenter bees begin swarming around the roofs and eaves of houses when spring arrives looking for edible wood in which to nest. The bees make a small hole in the wood and lay their eggs. Though the initial hole is small, over time more and more of the inner wood is eaten away. Even though the surface of the wood looks good, enough carpenter bees can eat away the strength of the supporting timbers of a home and eventually destroy it. The home owner must guard against such attacks.

Similarly, the Christian must guard against the attacks of sin which bore within, seeking a foothold in one's life. Just as the carpenter bees multiply and feed on the wood, sin multiplies and feeds on the soul. It is better to keep the sin out in the first place than to root it out after it invades.

On Being Side-tracked

1 John 2:16

An old fable says that swift-footed Atlanta challenged her suitors to race with her, with herself as the prize or death as the penalty of losing. Many competed and lost their lives. Finally, a man named Hippomenes, secreting on his person three golden apples, entered the contest. As with the others, Atlanta swiftly passed him, but he threw an apple. She, startled, stopped to pick it up. He regained the lead, but soon Hippomenes again saw himself gradually slipping behind; and again he threw a golden apple. Atlanta, charmed by its glitter, delayed to seize it, and fell behind. But once again, as they neared the goal, she was about to pass him, and Hippomenes threw his last golden apple. Atlanta, lured by its charm, stopped again-and lost the race.

Satan today throws along life's highway three golden apples that charm and destroy many a racer. They are: "the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). Multitudes of Christians today are being turned aside from full obedience to the will and work of God by Satan's "three golden apples!"

Lure of Sin

Spurgeon was right when he said, "Where the most beautiful cacti grow, there the venomous serpents are to be found at the root of every plant." And it is so with sin. Your fairest pleasures will harbor your grossest sins.

No Repentance, No Pardon

Caleb Young, in Kentucky, thought that a man in the state's prison who was serving a life term had been too heavily sentenced. Bringing influence to bear upon the governor, he obtained a pardon for the man.

He went to the prison and had a talk with the man. He said to him, "If you were to be released from this place, what would you do?" The man vindictively replied, "I would go and shoot the judge that sentenced me, the lawyer that prosecuted me, and the witnesses that testified against me." Mr. Young said nothing to the man about the pardon. He went out of the prison and tore the pardon to pieces.

No Rights

We claim things as our right, sometimes, to which we have no right at all. In fact, we have no right to anything, and sometimes God impresses this upon us by taking things from us. Let us not be like the sick man to whom a benevolent gentleman had been giving a quart of milk a day. At last, the time came for this poor man to die, and of course the gift of milk was expected to come to an end. When he was gone, the gentleman called upon the widow. "I must tell you, sir," said she, "that my husband has made a will and has left the quart of milk to his brother!"

No Trespassing

Song of Solomon 4:12

In olden times gardens used to be enclosed. In Palestine every garden was enclosed by a wall-as was Gethsemane-or by a prickly hedge. "A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse" (Song of Solomon 4:12). To separate one's garden plot from the open field and shield it from harm was always the gardener's first care. Man in his sinful condition also shuts himself in. He discourages others from entering his property. He is afraid they will harm him. But Christ has commissioned His followers to plant the seed of the gospel and to water it in the hearts of men.

Indulgence

Thomas Manton says on indulging: "There were but two common parents of all mankind, Adam the Protoplast (the first created), and Noah the Restorer, and both failed due to appetite, the one fell by eating, and the other by drinking."

Not Welcomed

It is only natural when you are eagerly expecting someone to welcome him with open arms. Just imagine the disappointment of a father returning to his family from the war to find that he is not recognized. All along the family has been praying and waiting for his return, yet when he arrives he is not welcomed. There could be no greater shock to a father than that. A welcome by one's own family is the instinctive hope of all. "He came unto His own and his own received Him not."

Our Concept of Righteousness

Mark 7:20

There are Christians who, in effect, define righteousness by what they shun. They keep away from certain foods and drinks, from certain people, from certain places.

There certainly are occasions when Christians do well to keep their distance, but our Lord's emphasis was against that way of defining unrighteousness. He stressed one's internal attitude, regardless of the external surroundings: "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness" (Mark 7:20-22).

It is convenient to focus on the sins of others; this keeps the spotlight away from oneself. And it is convenient to understand sin in terms of actions that can be physically avoided; one can thereby avoid disturbing thoughts about attitudes such as coveting, envy, and pride, which our Lord includes on his list of "evil things" right along with theft, murder, and adultery.

God everywhere shows a lot of concern about sin, and so should we. But it is the nature of sin to deceive us, even when we think we are being righteous. We must work at keeping our understandings and emphasis in line with what God has revealed.

Not Eatin', Just Holdin'

Johnny asked Mother, "Can I have some cookies, Mom?" Looking at the clock, she replied, "Not now! It is too close to dinner!"

About ten minutes later, Mother entered the kitchen. There was Johnny up on the counter with his arm in the cookie jar clear up to his elbow. "I thought I just told you, 'No cookies till dinner!'" Johnny's mother fumed. "Well, Mom, I'm not eaten' no cookies! I'm just holdin' some!"

Each of us has some point of vulnerability. It may be a problem with alcohol, or sensuous lusts, or a desire to gamble even to the point of cheating. We often compound our problems by putting ourselves into untenable positions and precipitous situations.

Johnny would have had a much easier time if he had avoided the cookie jar. We would not fail so often if we avoided places where we would be subject to temptations. We ought not go where alcohol is served; we ought to avoid the magazine rack where the flesh is enticed; we ought to abstain from those things which tempt us to be dishonest. Let us cease giving the flesh easy opportunities!

Turtles vs. A Lamb!

A few rears ago, Time magazine reported that India had plans to release “carnivorous soft-shell turtles” into the Ganges, to clean up pollution created by the dumping of human carcasses into their sacred river. [10/27/87 p.46]

Commentary:

Sin pollutes and leaves the refuge of dead human life, it pollutes everything it touches. We don’t have any carnivorous turtles to release into the sacred rivers of life because we don’t need any, not that they would do any good anyway. God has an environmental protection policy that works just fine: He is able to cleanse all that is in the world with the precious blood of the Lamb.

The Call of the Barnyard

A flock of wild ducks were flying in formation, heading south for the winter. They formed a beautiful V in the sky, and were admired by everyone who saw them from below. One day, Wally, one of the wild ducks in the formation, spotted some thing on the ground that caught his eye. It was a barnyard with a flock of tame ducks who lived on the farm. They were waddling around on the ground, quacking merrily and eating corn that was thrown on the ground for them every day. Wally liked what he saw.

“It sure would be nice to have some of that corn,” he thought to himself. “And all this flying is very tiring. I’d like to just waddle around for a while.”

So after thinking it over a while, Wally left the formation of wild ducks, made a sharp dive to the left, and headed for the barn yard. He landed among the tame ducks, and began to waddle around and quack merrily. He also started eating corn. The formation of wild ducks continued their journey south, but Wally didn’t care. I’ll rejoin them when they come back this way in a few months, he said to himself.

Several months went by and sure enough, Wally looked up and spotted the flock of wild ducks in formation, heading north. They looked beautiful up there. And Wally was tired of the barn yard. It was muddy everywhere he waddled, nothing but duck-doo.

“It’s time to leave,” said Wally.

So Wally flapped his wings furiously and tried to get airborne. But he had gained some weight from all his corn eating, and he hadn’t exercised his wings much either. He finally got off the ground, but he was flying to low and slammed into the side of the barn. He fell to the ground with a thud and said to himself,

“Oh well, I’ll just wait until they fly south in a few months. Then I’ll rejoin them and become a wild duck again.”

But when the flock flew overhead once more, Wally again tried to lift him self out of the barn yard. He simply didn’t have the strength.

Every winter and every spring, he saw his wild duck friends flying over head, and they would call out to him. But his attempts to leave were all in vain. Eventually Wally no longer paid any attention to the wild ducks flying overhead. He hardly even noticed them. He had after all, become a barn yard duck.

Sometimes we get tired of being wild ducks — followers of Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy to be obedient to God and to discipline our selves to hang in there for the long haul. When we are feeling that way, that’s when Satan tempts us to “fall out of formation” and to join the barnyard ducks … the world … But see what happened to Wally. He thought he would just “check it out” for a while and then leave when he wanted to. But he couldn’t do it.

Sin is like that. Sin is a trap, and it has a way of changing us into people we don’t even want to become. Eventually we loose touch with whom we really are … the sons and daughters of the Most High. We become barn yard ducks.

All Men Subject To Death Because of Sin

Romans 5:12

”Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned —” (Romans 5:12 NKJV)

All Men Subject To Death Beeause Of Sin

• death — Gen 3:6, 2:17, Rom 6:23, 1 Cor 15:21, Ps 51:5, 14:1 — natural, as the special punishment: spiritual, eternal, as necessary effect of severance of man from service and love of God

• passed [spread]…men — passed throughout, went about, came everywhere, spread abroad

• all…sinned — from Adam to Moses, no law. Yet there was sin because there was death; i.e., sin derived, transmitted from Adam. — Sinfulness of children intended here (Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Melanchton, Beza). “This view has somewhat of truth, in that the period from Adam to Moses is in fact the time of the childhood of mankind.” (0lshausen)

Human depravity — Dr Raffles

It is –

I. Total in its influence over the mind. Over –

1. The understanding;

2. The Conscience;

3. The will;

4. The affections.

II. Universal in its prevalence among mankind. It exists in all –

1. Ages;

2. Countries;

3. Communities;

4. Families;

5. Individuals.

III. Inherent in our nature in consequence of the fall:

1. The origin of sin is in the creature, not in the Creator;

2. Accordingly, man was created pure and holy;

3. But almost the first thing recorded of him is his fall;

4. The results of the fall — the degradation of man — pass from one generation to another.

The origin of suffering — Dr E. de Pressensé

There are many of the solutions of the problem of suffering

I. That of the optimist, who declares life’s blessings greater that its evils.

II. That of those who say that human existence is cursed in itself.

III. That of those who see in suffering a beneficent necessity.

IV. That of those who say it serves to atone for our sins.

V. Lastly, the true solution — that suffering has its origin in sin alone.

Death by sin, and sin by man — U.R. Thomas

I. The great curse of the world — death.

II. The original cause of death — sin.

III. The vast influence of man with regard to sin.

Death the end of all — Cyrus, the Emperor of Persia, after he had long been attended by armies and vast trains of courtiers, ordered this inscription to be engraved on his tomb, as an admonition to all men of the approach of death, and the desolation that follows it; namely, “O man, whatsoever thou art; and whencesoever thou comest, I know thou wilt come to the same condition in which I now am. I am Cyrus, who brought the empire to the Persians: do not envy me, I beseech thee, this little piece of ground which covereth my body.”

The strength of old Adam — When Melanchthon was first converted, he thought it impossible for his hearers to withstand the evidence of the truth in the ministry of the Gospel. But after preaching awhile, he complained, “That old Adam was too hard for young Melanchthon.”

“If evil had never been permitted, the wisdom of God could not have appeared in over-ruling it, nor His justice in punishing it, nor His mercy in pardoning it, nor His power in subduing it.” — Dr. Gifford.

“Death is the foreshadowing of life. We die that we may die no more.” — Herman Hooker

Our Relation To the Death and Life of Christ

Romans 5:9

”Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only [that], but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:9-11 NKJV)

Our Relation To The Death And Life Of Christ

• much…then — Rom 3:20-28 — since the great work of redemption is finished

• blood — Rom 3:25, Eph 2:18, Heb 9:14, 1 Jn 1:7 — the blood is the life; blood-shedding is life-giving

• we…saved — as the fruit of that great work

• wrath — Rom 1:18, 1 Th 1:10 — wrath to come, penalty due to sin

• through him — the living Saviour, who lives to bring in all the fruit of His death

• enemies…death — Rom 8:32, 2 Cor 5:18-19, Eph 2:16, Col 1:20-21, Heb 7:25 — His death saved the enemy

• reconciled…life — much more will the living Saviour preserve the friend

• not…so [that] — not only have we hope of future glory; and joy in present sorrow

• joy [rejoice]…God — Hab 3:18, 1 Pet 1:3-9 — joy in the possession of Him, and in our relation to Him

• through…Christ — the channel of all covenant blessings

• atonement [reconciliation] — the sole ground of our hope, joy, and new relations

Enemies to God — Pres. [Jonathan] Edwards

I. In what respect unregenerate men are enemies to God. In –

1. Their esteem of Him;

2. The natural relish of their souls;

3. Their wills;

4. Their affections;

5. Practice.

II. To how great a degree:

1. They have no love;

2. Their every faculty is subject to this enmity;

3. It is insuperable by any finite power;

4. They are greater enemies to Him than to any other being.

III. The reasons for this:

1. God is opposed to their idolatries;

2. They are threatened with damnation because of them.

The salvation of believers carried on by the life of Christ in heaven — Dr Leifchild

I. The life of Christ:

1. A glorious life;

2. An immortal life;

3. A life of intercession.

II. How we are saved by this life. He –

1. Perpetuates the justification, and liberty of access to God, procured by Him for us, when we first believed on Him;

2. Frustrates the designs of our adversaries to injure us;

3. Replenishes us with grace for the furtherance of our sanctification, in the use of appointed means;

4. Revives us with Divine support and consolation in seasons of extremity.

Salvation from wrath — Analyst

I. Salvation from wrath is inferior to, and dependent upon, reconciliation.

II. Christ will surely save His friends from wrath, seeing He saved His enemies from sin.

III. The salvation of the just is by the Saviour’s life.

Learn

1. Reconciliation to God here is the only sure way to escape hereafter;

2. It can only be “by His blood.”

Reward of disinterested kindness — The Marshal D’Armont, having taken Crodon, in Bretagne, during the League, gave orders to put every Spaniard to death who was found in the garrison. Though it was announced to be death to disobey the orders of the general, an English soldier ventured to save a Spaniard. He was arraigned for this offence before a court-martial, when he confessed the fact, and declared himself ready to suffer death, provided they would still save the life of the Spaniard. The Marshal being much surprised at such conduct, asked the soldier how he came to be so much interested in the preservation of the Spaniard. “Because, air,” replied he, “in a similar situation he once saved my life.” The Marshal, greatly pleased with the goodness of the soldier’s heart, granted him pardon, saved the Spaniard’s life, and highly extolled them both. Oh, that Christians never forgot Him who, while they were enemies, died for them! Then would they neither at any time deny His name, nor decline sustaining any loss in His cause. He, by His death, not only saves them from the second death, but puts them in possession of eternal life; compared to which, what have they to lose

“Love incomprehensible! It swalloweth up, the sense and understanding of men and angels; fitter to be admired and adored with silence; than blemished with any of our weak expressions!” — Bp Sanderson

“O, blessed Jesus, let us judge of Thy love by Thy sufferings; and of both by the impossibility of comprehending either.” — Bishop Borne

“Men appoint walls and bulwarks for salvation; but God appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks. Salvation is so often without walls and bulwarks, and walls and bulwarks without salvation. Salvation is the safer safeguard.” — Venning

Who's Mad Here?

Acts 26:19

Who’s Mad Here?

Read: Acts 26:19-32

[Paul] said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.” —Acts 26:25

In his book What Ever Became Of Sin? Karl Menninger writes, “On a sunny day in September 1972, a stern-faced, plainly dressed man could be seen standing still on a street corner in the busy Chicago Loop. As pedestrians hurried by on their way to lunch or business, he would solemnly lift his right arm, point to the person nearest him, and intone loudly the single word, ‘Guilty!’ Then, without any change of expression, he would resume his stiff stance for a few moments before repeating the gesture.”

The effect of this action on passing strangers was almost eerie. They would stare at their accuser, hesitate momentarily, turn away, look at him again, then hurriedly move on.

If that man was crazy, as many thought, he was a madman telling the truth. Everyone he pointed to was guilty! Sin is universal (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23). The worst kind of insanity is to deny one’s guilt while living in sin and unbelief.

Festus, the Roman governor of Judea, accused the apostle Paul of being mad (Acts 26:24). But it was Festus who was out of touch with reality, for he rejected God’s truth.

What about you? Have you acknowledged your guilt before God and turned in faith to Jesus as your Savior and Lord? It’s madness not to. — MRDII

How To Be Forgiven

Admit that you are guilty of sin. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and rose from the dead. In faith, ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you.

To deny one’s guilt and reject Christ is the worst kind of insanity.

Tantalizing Sewage

Genesis 2

It was a beautiful morning for a walk. I was on an Indian reservation in Arizona where you don't see much water, so my eyes were drawn immediately to this sparkling little pond down a short little pathway just off the road. The explorer in me, of course, couldn't just walk by, so I started down that little path to enjoy that sun-sparkling water up close. Then, as I approached it, I saw the sign. The only word I really remember was “sewage.” Yes, I was about to enthusiastically explore a facility with a sewage pond. You'd be surprised how fast I can retreat when I need to.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Tantalizing Sewage.”

It looked so inviting. It was so dirty - and potentially so damaging. Just like so many of the temptations that beckon to you and me, almost daily, it seems. And that's why so many have ended up in the middle of something that looked good but has left them polluted, scarred, ashamed. After all, sin isn't ugly. Satan's smarter than that. But inside it's a killer that destroys reputations, destroys marriages, destroys trust, destroys love, self-worth, your conscience, and even a relationship with Almighty God.

It actually was the experience of the very first man and woman, and it's still our experience today. Genesis 2 and 3, where we find our word for today from the Word of God, gives us a vivid picture not only of the first venture into sin's tantalizing sewage, but of our own, as well. The Bible says, “The Lord commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'“ Chapter 3 records that the devil assured Eve, “You will not surely die.”

That's the lie we humans have continued to fall for - that you can have the pleasure without the penalty, the goodies without the grief, the tasting without the dying. “The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.” She and Adam then ate what God had forbidden. They hid from the Lord (which is actually a ridiculous prospect) and “the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden to work the ground...”

They gained nothing good and lost most of what matters. Just like us when we believe sin's outward appeal and we touch what we should never have touched. Right now there's something that's out of bounds, according to God, but it looks good. It may be a person, or a relationship that's out of bounds, a business deal, or some step up that requires compromise. Maybe it's a lie that could bail you out or get you ahead; something that looks better than who or what you've already committed yourself to. Maybe it's material you should never be looking at. But it's sewage, no matter how inviting it looks.

Sin has this way of fascinating us first, and then assassinating us. The sin-way promises but it doesn't deliver - it promises pleasure and ultimately delivers pain. It promises freedom and ultimately delivers bondage. Sin tells you you'll get something good when you end up losing the things that really matter. Sin promises heaven and gives you hell. Don't fall for that tantalizing sewage. There's nothing good there.

________________

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Deliverance From the Law

Romans 7:5

“For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not [in] the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all [manner of evil] desire. For apart from the law sin [was] dead.” (Romans 7:5-8 NKJV)

Deliverance From The Law

• motions [passions] — passions, inclinations

• by…law — by occasion of the law

• members — faculties of animal nature

• fruit — speech, actions

• dead…held — the law dead to us and we to it

• newness…spirit, etc. — 2 Cor 3:6, Heb 8:8, 13 — a newness belonging to spirit.

“In a new state, of which the essence is spirit; instead of that old state of which the characteristic was obedience to a written enactment.”

• known sin — (see on 3:20) sin is discovered by a revelation of duty

• thou…covet — Exod 20:17 — which precept shows that the lust, or desire, is wrong

• occasion [opportunity] — starting-point, a setting out as a base of operations

• wrought [produced] — excited

• concupiscence [all manner of evil desire] — Rom 4:15, 1 Cor 15:56 — lust, coveting, sinful desire

• without [apart]…dead — no conscious existence

The law no cause of sin — W. Burkitt

I. The objection that some were ready to make against the holiness of the law

II. The Apostle’s argument to confute this wicked notion

1. By the law men come to a clearer knowledge of sin

2. How the Apostle produces his own experience in the matter. Learn:-

(1) The holiest truths are subject to be perverted and misunderstood.

(2) The servants of Christ must be able and ready to argue against this

Death in the midst of life — Most persons know that every butterfly (the Greek name for which also signifies the “soul,” psyche) comes from a caterpillar, called a larva. The last name (which signifies literally a mask) was introduced by Linnaeus, because the caterpillar is a kind of outward covering of the future life within; for it has been ascertained by curious microscopic examination, that a distinct butterfly, only undeveloped, and not full grown, is contained in the body of the caterpillar. When the proper period arrives, and the life of the insect, in this its first stage, is to close, it becomes what is called a pupa, enclosed in a chrysalis, or cocoon, and lies torpid for a time within this natural coffin, from which it issues at the proper period as a perfect butterfly. But sometimes this process is marred. There is a numerous tribe of insects, well known to naturalists, called “ichneumon flies,” which in their larva state are parasitical. The ichneumon-fly, being provided with a long sharp sting, which is, in fact, an ovipositor (egg-layer), pierces with this the body of a caterpillar in several places, and deposits her eggs, which are there hatched and fed. A most wonderful circumstance connected with this process is, that a caterpillar which has been thus attacked goes on feeding and apparently thriving quite as well, during the whole of its larva-life, as those that have escaped; for, by a wonderful provision of instinct, the ichneumon-grub within does not injure any of the organs of the larva, but feeds only on the future butterfly enclosed within it; and, consequently, it is hardly possible to distinguish a caterpillar which has these enemies within it from those that are untouched. But when the period arrives for the close of the larva-life, the difference appears. Of the unfortunate caterpillar that has been preyed upon nothing remains but an empty skin.

The hidden butterfly has been secretly consumed. Now, is there not something analogous to this wonderful phenomenon in the condition of some of our race?

May not a man have a kind of secret enemy within his own bosom, destroying his soul-psyche, though without interfering with his well-being during the present stage of his existence, and whose presence may never be detected till the time arrives when the last great change should take place? (Abp Whately)

“Restraint is not a medicine to cure epidemical diseases. Diliguntur immodice sola, quae non licent. — Quinctilian. The less we should, the more we would.” — Bp Hacket

“This was not occasio data, but arrepta; no occasion naturally offered by the law, but perversely taken by sin, whose venomous property it is to suck poison out of that which is holy.” — Bp Reynolds

“It is worse to love sin than to commit it. man may commit sin through a temptation, or out of ignorance; and when he knows it to be sin, he is sorry for it; but he that loves sin, his will is in the sin, and that aggravates it, and is like the dye which makes the wool of a crimson colour.” — T. Watson.

“Were it not for sin, death had never had a beginning; and were it not for death, sin would never have had an ending.”

Internal Conflicts

Romans 7:13

“Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:13-15 NKJV)

Internal Conflicts

• that…good — the law, so good in itself, and its design?

• death…me? — not the law, but sin works our ruin

• sin…sin — Jam 1:13-15 — being exposed, both as to nature and fruit, by the law

• sin…sinful — perverting even good into evil

• spiritual — Ps 51:6 — demands a spiritual mind (Vaughan) agreeable to our spiritual part (Macknight)

• I…carnal — Job 13:6, Ps 119:25, Isa 6:5 — a creature of sense

• sold…sin — 1 Kg 21:25 LXX — slave of sin, as if by a regular sale

• that…do [what…doing] — that work which I perform

• allow not [do not understand] — I do it in blind obedience, not of intelligence, or conscience

• for what, etc. — Gal 5:17, Ps 36:1, 4, 65:3, Jam 3:2 — thus, I act in opposition to my better self

Christian experience — J. Thomas

Some hold an opinion that these words do not apply to regenerate men. Against this we argue –

I. That the subsequent parts of Paul’s description of the state of those to whom he refers cannot be applied to an unregenerate person

II. The whole of this description is illustrative of indwelling sin, and applicable to the experience of every believer. Indwelling sin –

1. Is a capacity of sinning in every respect

2. Creates imperfection in the Christian character

III. This opinion entirely overlooks what, in believers, is denominated the Divine nature. “The Spirit of God” –

1. Dwells as an abiding influence in believers

2. As a sanctifying one

IV. Other parts of Paul’s writings show that the paragraph under discussion is descriptive of the Christian’s conflict

Learn:-

1. The necessity of personal holiness

2. The folly of being determined in our opinions by mere human authority

3. Not to be discouraged on account of what you find in yourselves of indwelling sin

4. It becomes us, with mingled sensations of shame and hope, to humble ourselves before God on account of the too frequent prevalence of indwelling sin

5. Backslidings are lamentable proofs of sin’s dominion

Conviction by the law — S. K. Kellock

I. The character and sentiments of the unregenerate:

1. What is the law of which Paul speaks?

2. How was he without it?

3. What is implied in his having been alive?

II. The nature of true conviction.

III. Its cause. “The commandment came” –

1. Shining in its purity

2. Operating with power.

Application:- This subject –

1. Teaches us that we may live in this world without apprehensions and fears, and yet perish forever

2. Addresses those who are under conviction of sin

3. Should excite the gratitude of the converted

4. Addresses those who are insensible of their guilt

A slave of sin — A gentleman of very amiable disposition, and justly popular, contracted habits of intemperance; his friends argued, implored, remonstrated; at last he put an end to all importunity in this manner. To a friend, who was addressing him in the following strain — “Dear Sir George, your family are in the utmost distress on account of this unfortunate habit; they perceive that business is neglected; your moral influence is gone; your health is ruined; and, depend upon it, the coats of your stomach will soon give way, and then a change will come too late” — the poor victim, deeply convinced of the hopelessness of his case, replied thus:- “My good friend, your remarks are just, they are indeed too true; but I can no longer resist temptation if a bottle of brandy stood at one hand, and the pit of hell yawned on the other, and if I were convinced that I would be pushed in as surely as I took one glass more, I could not refrain. You are very kind; I ought to be very grateful for so many kind, good friends; but you may spare yourself the trouble of trying to reform me — the thing is impossible.”

“Hell is the being given up to the full knowledge and essential malignity of sin.” — Adam

“In Adam, we were sold in gross; in ourselves, we are sold by retail. In the first, and general sale, we are all passed, even the best of us.” — Dr Donne

“For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories, whereas to be vanquished by himself is the basest and most shameful of all things. For such expressions show that there is a war in each of us against ourselves.” — Plato

“Sin is the only thing in the world which never had an infancy, that knew no minority.” — Dr South

The Dead Are Freed From Sin

Romans 6:5

”For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be [in the likeness] of [His] resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [Him], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:5-7 NKJV)

The Dead Are Freed From Sin

• planted [united] together — allusion to grafting: united

• likeness …death — having a deadness to the influences of sense and sin (Vaughan)

• we …also — in this life approximately; after death perfectly (Vaughan)

• in …resurrection — old life past, with its deeds and maxims, etc; new life entered — v. 11, Phil 3:10-11

• old man — old carnal nature

• crucified — gal 2:20, 5:24, 6:14 —in Christ our substitute

• body …sin — sinful nature

• destroyed [done away with] — annihilated, not simply subdued

• we …sin — Eph 4:22, Col 3:5-9, 2:11 — because raised from death of sin to a new life

• dead [died]…sin — power of sinning lost at death

The Christian should not serve sin — Spurgeon

I. It has cost him enough already. Sin never yields –

1. Real pleasure;

2. Solid satisfaction.

II. It is contrary to the designs of eternal love.

III. The punishment for sin is very great. Transgression –

1. Destroys peace of mind;

2. Obscures fellowship with Jesus;

3. Hinders prayer;

4. Brings darkness over the soul.

IV. Remember that each time you “serve sin,” you have “crucified the Lord afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” Can you bear that thought? Turn thee to Jesus anew; He has not forgotten His love to thee; His grace is still the same. Come to Him with weeping and penitence, and thou shalt be once more received into His heart.

Carthage must be destroyed — It is reported of Cato that he never spake in the senate upon public business, but he ended his speech by inculcating the necessity of destroying Carthage; his well-known maxim was: “Delenda est Carthago.” The believers’ motto is, “The old man must be crucified.” — Rev. G. Lee

Destruction of sin — “Five persons were studying what were the best means to mortify sin; one said, to meditate on death; the second, to meditate on judgment; the third, to meditate on the joys of heaven; the fourth, to meditate on the torments of hell; the fifth, to meditate on the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ; and certainly the last is the choicest and strongest motive of all. If ever we would cast off our despairing thoughts, we must dwell and muse much upon, and apply this precious blood to our own souls; so shall sorrow and mourning flee away.” — Mr Brooks

Planted — “Grafted” (Calvin), “United, grown together” (Grotius), “Made partakers” (Erasmus, Beza), “Grafted into Christ” (Hammond, Bp Hall),. “Homogeneous” (Stuart), “Growing up with Christ in one unity” (Olshausen), “Become united to the likeness of His death” (Ellicott)

Likeness — “Assimilation; not by imitation, but the efficacy of His power in us” (Beza), “By the similitude” (Erasmus), “By a likeness in respect to His death” (Stuart)

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

1. Marvellous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured –

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Chorus

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

2. Sin and despair, like the sea-waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater – yes, grace untold –

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide –

What can avail to wash it away?

Look! there is flowing a crimson tide –

Whiter than snow you may be today.

4. Marvellous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

The Wages of Sin, and the Gift of God

Romans 3:23

”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NKJV)

The Wages Of Sin, And The Gift Of God

• wages — given by sin to its slaves: the ruin that follows a life of sin is fairly earned.

The word opsonia signify the food and pay given by generals to soldiers

• gift — John 6:39-40, 17:2-3, 1 Jn 5:11, Rom 2:7, 1 Pet 1:4, Rom 5:17, 21 — not called wages, because not merited as death is — “Estius thinks the word may be Translated a donative; because being freely bestowed, it may be compared to the donalives which the Roman generals, of their own good-will, bestowed on their soldiers as a mark of their favor.” (Macknight)

The necessary connection between sin and suffering — Rev. C. Stovel

I. The evils resulting from sin:

1. Loss of peace and calm;

2. Dissatisfaction with one’s own mind.

II. The external influences of sin:

1. Upon the one who perpetrates sin;

2. Upon others with whom he is associated.

III. Its effects:

1. Loss of public confidence;

2. The invention and support of those various arts of violence, by which we endeavor to secure safety, where confidence is lost.

The wages of sin and the rewards of grace — Michael-le-Faucheur

I. The masters in whose service men engage.

II. The rewards which these masters give to those who serve them:

1. Sin gives eternal death;

2. God gives eternal life — reunion to Himself.

III. The quality of these rewards. Learn:

1. How disgraceful a master is sin;

2. What remorse it causes;

3. What punishment it infliets

The soul’s capabilities for enjoying eternal happiness or enduring eternal woe — Rev. J. Aldis

I. No certain proof that the soul is not immortal is even pretended by the rejecters of the fact.

II. The immateriality of the soul, or its distinction from the material world.

III. Its capacity for independence of the mate rial world. Suggested by –

1. What we know of the great First Cause Himself;

2. The conscious identity of the thinking principle, in contradistinction from the endlessly changing character of the body.

IV. Some direct proofs of the soul’s immortality

1. The universality and congeniality of this belief to the human mind;

2. The manner in which it arises;

3. The uses to which it is applied;

4. The fact that, if the soul be not immortal, all the universe will, in time, decay, and nothing will be left;

5. The results of entertaining the opposite doctrine.

The wages of sin — Mr Marshall, author of the Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, having been for several years under distress of mind, consulted Dr Goodwin, an eminent divine, giving him an account of the state of his soul, and particularizing his sins, which lay heavy on his conscience. In reply, he told him he had forgot to mention the greatest sin of all, the sin of unbelief, in not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins, and sanctifying his nature. On this he set himself to the studying and preaching of Christ, and attained to eminent holiness, great peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Mr. Marshall’s dying words were these:- “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The wrath to come — A servant who had made that improvement which might be expected from hearing the irreligious and blasphemous conversation continually passing at the table where he waited, took an opportunity to rob his master. Being apprehended, and urged by his master to give a reason for this infamous behavior, “Sir,” said he, “I have heard you and your friends so often talk of the impossibility of a future state, and that after death there was no reward for virtue, nor punishment for vice, that I was tempted to commit the robbery.” “Well,” replied the master, “but had you no fear of that death which the laws of your country inflict upon the crime?” “Sir,” rejoined the servant, looking sternly at his master, “what is that to you, if I had a mind to venture that ? You and your companions had removed my greatest terror; why should I fear the less ?”

“There is more bitterness following on sin’s ending than ever there was sweetness flowing from sin’s acting. You see that nothing but well in its commission, will suffer nothing but woe in its conclusion. You that sin for your profits will never profit by your sins.” — J. Dyer

“Sin is a basilisk whose eyes are full of venom; if the eye of thy soul see her first, it reflects her own poison and kills her; if she see thy soul, unseen, or seen too late, with her poison she kills thee; since, therefore, thou canst not escape thy sin, let not thy sin escape thy observation.” — Quarles

“Sins are like circles in the water when a stone is thrown into it, one produces another.” — M. Henry

Sin Is Not To Reign In Us

Romans 6:12

”Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:12-13 NKJV)

Sin Is Not To Reign In Us

• reign…body — have dominion or kingly power. thereof, i.e. of the body

• members — 1 Cor 6:15, Jam 3:5-6, 1 Cor 6:20, Rom 12:1, 2 Cor 10:5 — bodily organs. instruments, Gk. denotes military weapons — John 18:3 — applied to any instrument of action. “The figure is that of furnishing arms for military service.” (Vaughan)

• yield [present] — present: placing of servants in presence of the master: hence present and weapons conjoined suggest the idea of sin as a tyrant (verse 12) surrounded with his guards to whom he gives wages (verse 23). (Beza)

• God — the rightful King

• unto God — to advance His glory extend His Kingdom

Instruments of righteousness — W. Arnot, D.D.

I. How they are formed:

1. In the text they are described as those that are “alive from the dead ;”

2. The command to yield indicates that resistance is expected;

3. We are saved by Christ, and then used as instruments for saving lost men.

II. How they are used. In coarser operations Christ uses coarser instruments; for the finishing touch He grasps a more delicate tool.

Extent of regeneration — The work of regeneration doth also reach to the body. The strong castle of the soul being taken and sanctified, the tower of the body commanded by it presently yieldeth. When Satan sat on the throne of the soul as king, the members of the body (which the Holy Ghost termed in unregenerate persons “weapons of unrighteousness” (Rom 6:31), were his militia, and employed to defend his unjust title, to execute his ungodly designs, to perform his hellish pleasure — the head to plot, the hand to act, the feet to run, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the tongue to speak for him. But as, when an enemy is conquered and a magazine in war is taken, the general maketh use of those arms and the ammunition for his service, which before were employed against him; so the strong man Satan, being beaten out of his strongholds by Christ, the stronger than he, the members of the body which before were “instruments of unrighteousness” unto sin, are now “instruments of righteousness unto God.” — Swinnock

“Antinomianism sets up the grace of God in opposition to His government.” — R. Cecil.

“The habitual ascendancy of vice as certainly determines the choice as even a total depravity. A decided majority in Parliament carries every measure with as much certainty as if there were no minority.” — A. Fuller

“He that hath slight thoughts of sin never had great thoughts of God.” — Owen

446 Sermon Illustrations on Sin