My local newspaper reported this week that the legislature in my state will be increasing sin taxes in order to balance the state budget. I stopped and thought about it and drew an important inference about what sin taxes teach us. In my state, sin taxes are excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco, although some states tax other products, too. Interesting, isn’t it? The world teaches us to think of only alcohol and tobacco as sin to the point that we should pay tax on it. I guess that means we only sin if we smoke and drink!
All joking aside, the world sees sin very differently that the Bible sees sin. Just this month, for example, Robbie and I took a trip she won to Las Vegas, Nevada – Sin City. We were amazed at what families were exposing to their children. Right there on “The Strip”, we were forced through a gauntlet of people, men and women, lining the sidewalks, snapping baseball-sized cards together to draw attention. The cards were pictures of naked women. These “snappers” as the locals call them were advertising for an “escort” service. Dial the number on the card and someone would arrive at your room at the appointed time.
We were stunned in several ways. One was that a parent would parade their children through it, some even laughing about it. You couldn’t help but to see the cards. They littered the sidewalk for those of us who were uncomfortable and chose to look down. But what surprised us the most was it was a standard practice and viewed no differently than someone passing out free coupons for soft drinks. It pointed out to us in a very vivid way how numbed Americans have become to sin. It made me wonder, “What do I no longer see as sinful in my life?”
It’s important for us to remember that while times change, and the world’s definition of sin changes with it, God’s view of sin never changes. What the Word says was sinful when Jesus lived, is still sinful today!
There are two important points the Bible makes about sin. James 4:17 paints sin in with a very broad brush. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it,” James wrote, “to him it is sin.” In other words, we may not always recognize sin in our lives, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t present. None of us is good to the core. The Apostle Paul, who wrote over half of the New Testament, once referred to himself as a wretch. And he continues to remind all of us as he did the Church at Rome, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Second and most important, the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If we don’t, God’s Word is clear: “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
Don’t think for a moment that God has changed his mind about sin. If you believe you might have lost your focus, read what he has to say about it. It’s the best way to make sure that you and God are on the same page when it comes to sin.
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By: Mike Ruffin
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A White and Blustery Day!
Ello guys! Sorry I haven't really posted anything in a while. I'm going to start posting weekly devotions on Sunday for all of you to pray and think about during the week. Well, here it goes.
DISCLAIMER: Some of these devotions are not by me. I merely took then from other sites. Granted, I am giving the authors FULL credit! Thanks!
Salvation Changes Our Hearts: A Thanksgiving Reminder
Twenty-five years ago, I completed an instrument as part of a class to help me understand how I make decisions in my working life. The instructions directed me to select the answer to each question that most resembled how I might respond in the workplace. One of the dimensions of the test distinguished between my preferences as a cold, methodical thinker against that of a warm, compassionate person. My score was 58 for thinking and 0 for compassion. I was ashamed. But the more I thought about it, I knew that in work and in life, I tended to go about making decisions in a methodical manner, giving very little priority to how it might impact someone’s life. In this case, I thought whatever was best for the organization was the right thing to do.
I look at some of the decisions that I made twenty-five years ago in previous jobs I have held and know that my response would be differently today. For example, several years ago, an employee sent me a Thanksgiving bouquet of flowers and wrote on the card, “I will never forget what you did for me. I am eternally grateful.” Needless to say, I never received notes like that twenty-five years ago, which begs the question, “why”? I think you know the answer. I have had a change of heart.
Around this time each year, I try to take a spiritual look at myself. One of the questions I ask myself is what are some of the ways in which I can see that I’ve changed? Let me share a humorous story with you that speaks to why I think I get notes from employees like the one I just shared with you.
My wife joked with me the other day by saying “I can’t take you to the new Kroger opening because you would cry”. Can you believe it? The same man, who twenty-five years ago in the workplace and personally felt very little in the way of sympathy for others, now cries during episodes of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
The truth is that I cannot take any credit for this change in me. As that test clearly indicated, the change I now see in me is not of my own will. The Bible teaches us that salvation is a free gift from God. But God gives us so much more than an assurance of heaven. We receive spiritual gifts that we can use to serve him in this world. And over time, he miraculously changes our heart – the way we look at and respond to life situations.
The Apostle Paul talked about these changes when he wrote to the church at Corinth: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Isn’t the last sentence in that verse interesting? God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a long holiday season. Unfortunately, however, many Christian families do not enjoy the holidays as God would intend for us to enjoy them. What a shame.
Friends, if God has truly changed your heart, then use the ministry of reconciliation he has given you to free yourselves from the stress that comes with unforgiveness, conflict, or whatever the excuse may be as to why you can’t enjoy and share his forgiveness with others. Allow him to partner with you so that you can enjoy the holidays in ways that you never imagined you could. Remember what Jesus told his disciples, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Go to Devotions.com -->>
DISCLAIMER: Some of these devotions are not by me. I merely took then from other sites. Granted, I am giving the authors FULL credit! Thanks!
Salvation Changes Our Hearts: A Thanksgiving Reminder
Twenty-five years ago, I completed an instrument as part of a class to help me understand how I make decisions in my working life. The instructions directed me to select the answer to each question that most resembled how I might respond in the workplace. One of the dimensions of the test distinguished between my preferences as a cold, methodical thinker against that of a warm, compassionate person. My score was 58 for thinking and 0 for compassion. I was ashamed. But the more I thought about it, I knew that in work and in life, I tended to go about making decisions in a methodical manner, giving very little priority to how it might impact someone’s life. In this case, I thought whatever was best for the organization was the right thing to do.
I look at some of the decisions that I made twenty-five years ago in previous jobs I have held and know that my response would be differently today. For example, several years ago, an employee sent me a Thanksgiving bouquet of flowers and wrote on the card, “I will never forget what you did for me. I am eternally grateful.” Needless to say, I never received notes like that twenty-five years ago, which begs the question, “why”? I think you know the answer. I have had a change of heart.
Around this time each year, I try to take a spiritual look at myself. One of the questions I ask myself is what are some of the ways in which I can see that I’ve changed? Let me share a humorous story with you that speaks to why I think I get notes from employees like the one I just shared with you.
My wife joked with me the other day by saying “I can’t take you to the new Kroger opening because you would cry”. Can you believe it? The same man, who twenty-five years ago in the workplace and personally felt very little in the way of sympathy for others, now cries during episodes of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
The truth is that I cannot take any credit for this change in me. As that test clearly indicated, the change I now see in me is not of my own will. The Bible teaches us that salvation is a free gift from God. But God gives us so much more than an assurance of heaven. We receive spiritual gifts that we can use to serve him in this world. And over time, he miraculously changes our heart – the way we look at and respond to life situations.
The Apostle Paul talked about these changes when he wrote to the church at Corinth: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Isn’t the last sentence in that verse interesting? God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a long holiday season. Unfortunately, however, many Christian families do not enjoy the holidays as God would intend for us to enjoy them. What a shame.
Friends, if God has truly changed your heart, then use the ministry of reconciliation he has given you to free yourselves from the stress that comes with unforgiveness, conflict, or whatever the excuse may be as to why you can’t enjoy and share his forgiveness with others. Allow him to partner with you so that you can enjoy the holidays in ways that you never imagined you could. Remember what Jesus told his disciples, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Go to Devotions.com -->>
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