Developmental Hazards
Developmental hazards exist in both the physical and spiritual realms, and growing spiritually can lead to greater temptations, but also greater rewards.
Bakht Singh discusses the advancements in science and technology since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, highlighting the benefits and hazards of development. He draws parallels between the safety of bullock carts in the past and the high rate of road accidents with modern vehicles, emphasizing the unavoidable risks that come with progress. Singh also addresses the environmental impact of industrialization and the spiritual hazards that accompany growth in faith, explaining that as believers mature spiritually, they face greater temptations but are promised richer rewards in heaven for overcoming them.
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Since the day Adam and Eve were sent out of Garden of Eden, mankind has come a long way in developing science and technology. We have left vehicles and carts pulled by animals to invent automobiles like motorbikes, cars, even airplanes and spacecrafts. We are proud of our scientific and technological advancement.
Development is good and highly appreciable but it has its own inherent hazards. In the days of bullock carts, we hardly heard of any road accidents. People traveled slowly, but confidently and safely. It was very rare to hear that someone died falling from a bullock cart or hit by it.
In this age of automobiles, we are saving lot of time, arriving at our destinations in a much shorter time. It is good of course! But the speed of today's vehicles is causing countless road accidents. Thousands of people die every year in road accidents; many more become injured and physically challenged. Every driver thinks he is the most careful and cautious driver but accidents do occur. We do not want the accidents, but we cannot go back to bullock carts. Development is both inevitable and hazardous.
We have air pollution caused by automobiles and industrialization. Our vehicles pump a lot of pollution into the air and our industries, chemical wastage which pollutes our environment. This is again an example of developmental hazards and the list is quite long.
All these problems in the physical world are but reflections of the problematic situations in the spiritual realm. There are developmental hazards in spiritual life too! We preach and aspire to grow spiritually, to become great warriors of prayer and stalwarts of faith. But it's a shocking fact that spiritual growth has its own natural hazards.
The popular opinion is that, growing enough spiritually will free us of all temptations, but it's not true. The more you grow spiritually, the greater your temptations you face! Hearing this you may prefer not to grow spiritually. But let me tell you, the greater the temptations we overcome, the superior your heavenly rewards will be! Let us grow spiritually and be prepared to face bigger, stronger temptations and receive the richest rewards before the judgment seat of Christ!
Sermon Outline
- I. Developmental Hazards in the Physical Realm
- A. Advancements in science and technology
- B. Hazards of speed and accidents
- C. Environmental pollution
- II. Developmental Hazards in the Spiritual Realm
- A. Spiritual growth and temptations
- B. Overcoming temptations for greater rewards
- III. Conclusion
- A. The inevitability of hazards in development
Key Quotes
“The more you grow spiritually, the greater your temptations you face!” — Bakht Singh
“The greater the temptations we overcome, the superior your heavenly rewards will be!” — Bakht Singh
“Let us grow spiritually and be prepared to face bigger, stronger temptations and receive the richest rewards before the judgment seat of Christ!” — Bakht Singh
Application Points
- We must be aware of the hazards of technological advancements and take steps to mitigate their negative consequences.
- Spiritual growth is essential for receiving greater rewards, but it also requires overcoming greater temptations.
- We should not be discouraged by the challenges of spiritual growth, but rather be prepared to face them head-on.