DEALING WITH SIN

10 Living Words
The Moral Law

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 29 June 2013

1 - Do Not Worship
Other gods

Hi all,

We are all born with a sin nature. It has been passed down to us from Adam and Eve in the garden. But individually we are not born sinners. A new born baby has a sin nature; a tendency to sin. But the child is innocent. At that stage, it doesn’t even have a conscience to direct and satisfy its thoughts and actions. This all comes later. How much later, is difficult to predict. 

What we can say with certainty, it soon learns to bawl and squall when it is tired or hungry. In a short space of time it learns the fine art of manipulation. “If I bawl and squall, I get attention”. So it sets off on a course that in the end will lead to selfishness and sin.

3 - Do Not Take God's
Name in Vain

Paul describes the process very well in Romans 7. It is partially summed us as follows: ⁹ At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, ¹⁰ and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Rom 7:9-10 NLT

One of our greatest problems is, most of us “love” our sin. A good illustration is adultery and fornication. While a couple are “in the very act”, neither of them care that it is sin. In fact, they “love” it! Indeed, in modern society we are told that it is a good and healthy “thing” to do. It’s a normal and natural creaturely craving. 

We are told that animals “mate” and that we are merely the highest form of animal. So do whatever turns you on. When told that it is sin, the usual reaction is to laugh and call you a “killjoy” and a “prude”!

Trying to inform men and women that God is not a killjoy is not easy. On the contrary, He wants us to enjoy life. How to explain this to others is difficult. 

7 - Do Not Commit
ADULTERY

One way is to take a careful look at the Moral law, the law of God we know as the 10 Commandments. If we do, we will find that they are not irksome. In fact they give us ample latitude for living a good life. They are sometimes called the 10 Freedoms! Living within these parameters helps us to love God and our neighbour. 

8 - Do Not Steal

For example, if I love my neighbour, I will not want to seduce his 16 year old daughter. I will not want to steal from him or kill members of his family. I will honour my parents. I will not revere idols and will remember to honour God and take a day off work for devotions and spending time with my family. None of that is difficult. The hardest bit is not to covet. We tend to like the new things the neighbours have bought and would like them too.

9 - Do Not Lie

The reason we don’t stick within the 10 living words is usually because of greed in some area. The lust of the eyes; the lust of the flesh; the pride of life; one of these is always at the root of sin. Fortunately, I find that, as Phyllida and I grow older, coveting the neighbour’s stuff is less and less of a problem. I may like the idea of driving the latest top of the range Mercedes. But the associated insurance, running and maintenance cost is not really something we need right now. Our 2005 Atos and 2009 Honda are more than enough. 

Paul expressed this to the Philippians as follows: ¹¹ Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. Philip. 4:11 MSG. For us to carry on this way for a few more years is all Phyllida and I really want to do. This way, we keep our minds away from sin.

The Great Commandment
Love God & Love Others

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 29 June 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	DEALING WITH SIN
One of the “best descriptions” I’ve heard concerning sin, is on a tape made many years ago by a Bible teacher called Paris Reidhead. This particular tape is sometimes called the “best Bible Teaching tape of the 20th century”. I can’t verify the validity of this. But I have a CD recording along with a typed transcript of that teaching. Speaking about humanism, Paris said that it was “like a miasma that seeps up out of the gratings over the pit of hell”. His theology may not be right, but I must confess that it’s a very good comment on humanism and on sin. Sin is insidious. It seems to arrive unannounced, unwelcome and unknown. We have all heard about inherent sin. This is our sin nature. We are born with it “written into our genes” as it were. That beautiful little new-born baby has a tendency to sin. The child may not be aware of it. But it won’t be necessary to teach him to lie. He can do it without any “sin lessons”. That little baby is capable of being a monster of iniquity. If left unchecked and without correct guidance, we have a potential Hitler in our midst. Sin has the way of developing in us. Perhaps the best example of this is the guards in the Nazi Death Camps. After committing horrendous atrocities during the day, they would go home and play with their children; love their wives and pets and sing Christmas Carols. It was possible because they had grown used to behaving like monsters in the camp. There was no longer a sense of revulsion in them toward what they were doing. It was their jobs which they performed with typical Teutonic dedication. This is not to be understood as a criticism of the German people. The fact is all of us can quickly descend into the depths of barbaric cruelty. We see a similar trend in serial killers. The first murder is carried out with fear of the consequences. The second murder is a little easier. Eventually, murder for them is like buying an ice cream. It’s done without regret or remorse of any kind. Sin is exactly like that. At first we find it difficult. Then, as the transgression is repeated, it becomes automatic and hardly noticed. God help us when we get there. We could arrive at a place where our conscience is so seared that we don’t even realise what we are doing is sin. Fortunately, or unfortunately, God is not like this. He never gets unimpressed by repeated sin. If anything He gets angrier with each repetition. He hates sin with a passion that we can hardly understand. All sin. He is equally angry with murder as with telling lies. But He had a “problem”. He loves us and hates our sin. For you and me it’s a catch 22 situation. He will judge each and every sin. Nothing is swept under the carpet. His “anger” with sin is “equal” to His love for me and you. Somehow He had to reconcile these two all-consuming opposites. He has done this in and through the death of Jesus on the cross. Righteousness and mercy have met and kissed. In the light of this, He is able to forgive us. His justice is completely satisfied and we are able to receive His mercy. But this does not give us a licence to continue in sin. Sin demands repentance. No repentance, no forgiveness. It’s that simple. He is able and willing to forgive us from all our sins. He says He will remember our sins no more. That’s His part. Our part is to repent and turn away from sin. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways. Remember me, O LORD, in keeping with your mercy and your goodness. Psalms 25:7 GW 22 I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you. Isaiah 44:22 GW 25 "I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts. I do it because of who I am. I will not remember your sins anymore. Isaiah 43:25 NIrV 18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18 ESV 34 A man will not need to teach his neighbour anymore. And he will not need to teach his friend anymore. He will not say, 'Know the LORD.' Everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me," announces the LORD. "I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore." Jeremiah 31:34 NIrV 19 Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! Micah 7:19 NLT 17 I'm sure it was for my benefit that I suffered such great pain. You love me. You kept me from going down into the pit of death. You have put all of my sins behind your back. Isaiah 38:17 NIrV 18 Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy. Micah 7:18 GW 5 May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ. What Jesus gives witness to can always be trusted. He was the first to rise from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth. Give glory and power to the One who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by pouring out his blood for us. 6 He has made us members of his royal family. He has made us priests who serve his God and Father. Give him glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1:5-6 NIrV	I’m sure God has a problem when He looks down on us. He sees the creatures He has made all making quite a fuss. It seems we do not listen. He tells us what to do. But we pay no attention; at least not me and you. We cannot spot His meaning so rather like a cat, We give a look that tells Him, we are not doing that. Sometimes we are like canines. We spin around and bark; And when He tells us what to do, it seems we do not “hark” Why is it we don’t listen? Why is it we ignore, The Master’s strict instructions? To listen is a chore! Thank You for Your mercy. You know the mess we’re in; And when we do not listen, we know it is a sin. But we are not “sin conscious”, instead our minds are seared. With You we’ve grown familiar, and You are not revered. In fact we rather like it. We look at sin as “fun”. We’re playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun! Why should I even bother? There’s folk much worse than me. I am a special sinner the blood of Christ set free. But God is not a prostitute. We cannot “use” His grace’. We do not have a licence to sin in any place. We know You want to wash us, clean as the driven snow. But change is inconvenient. Can we not take it slow? And here’s the contradiction; You’re wanting to forgive. But find You cannot do it, because we want to live, Just like the unsaved sinners whom we see all around. We lie and steal and cheat and kill. In us there is not found, A tiny speck of righteousness; except that of our own. And we should reap the consequence of all that we have sown. But Lord, You are forgiving. We only have to turn; To put aside iniquity. That’s what we have to learn. And though our sin is scarlet, You’ll wash us white as snow. If we’ll come in repentance, forgiveness we will know. You overlook rebellion in someone who’s contrite. You’ve said you won’t remember, things not done in Your light! Our sins You will dispose of into the deep blue sea. If we will turn and come back home and put our trust in Thee. Our sins will then be blown away just like the morning mist Righteousness and mercy will both have met and kissed.       Ps 85:10 And we will gaze in wonder at the marvel of your ways, In total incredulity. And Father, we will praise, The God of our salvation in wonder and in awe. You are the One Who’s worthy; the God Whom we adore. Jim Strickland Written 29th June 2012