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(Blue entries in the meditation are links; clicking on them will take you to the verse(s) in the New International Version; clicking on the other versions on that page will show the same verses in the version you selected. Occasionally links on my page are to another file of mine. On this page entries in light brown are the words of Scripture (NIV). If you wish to pursue your own study on issues raised or on the Scripture verses used try these links: The Goshen Bible Study Tools. An additional translation with many notes can be found at Net Bible.)
By Cameron Paine
Introduction
Would I feel embarrassed and ashamed if the world of unbelievers could see my every motive and thought? Would my face be red if the world of unbelievers picked up my diary in which I had honestly recorded my every motive and thought? Do I get comfort from the knowledge that people do not know my dirty linen? What does this tell me about my conception of God and his ability to see the true me? God's word is not vague on this subject. The Bible tells me point blank that he is not only able to penetrate into my mind and heart but is actually observing everything that is currently in my mind and heart. (Psalm 139 and Hebrews 4:13)
Further, the Bible tells me not only that the Lord knows me inside out but that he will judge me by comparing what he sees against his definition of holiness, his definition of blamelessness (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 12:36-37).
What Christian is not, and has never been, tempted to think he or she was slightly more worthy in God's sight than other people who have obvious ungodly habits (Matthew 7:3)? "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector [=a category of individual looked upon with the utmost contempt in Israel in Jesus' day] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."'" (Luke 18:9-13) What this meditation attempts to make known is that no one has any grounds for thinking he or she is more acceptable to God than the worst sinner. The Bible says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) While I may not knowingly have committed those particular acts or activities that are widely looked upon as being sins (such as murder, physical adultery, and the like) this meditation is designed to show that I am just as guilty of sinning against God as individuals who have committed those obvious sins, and therefore I would be inevitably destined for eternal condemnation if God treated me as my motives, my thoughts and my outward behavior deserved. Why is that? Because sin comes in an infinite variety forms---And any and every sin is worthy of death. Most sins are internal. Perhaps all sins of omission are internal.It is the need of God's mercy that makes the cross of Christ glow. Read on...
What does God's word say to us? "Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." (Psalm 24:3-4). What did Jesus tell us about God's world in the Sermon on the Mount? "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
What's involved in being perfect? "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:14-16) The Bible does not limit the requirement of holiness to certain occasions; it says, "be holy in all you do."
Perhaps the clearest statement of the unity and consequent perfection of God's standard is found in the book of James: "For whoever keeps the whole law [of God] and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it....If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." (James 2:10,11)
The apostle Paul expressed the truth in these words--"All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:10-11; see also 2:15,16)
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told us about God's standard of holiness--"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48). God's standard is awesome! Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)
Do my actions reveal to me that my attitude towards Jesus comes up to the standard that is 'worthy'? Could anybody think there is even a possibility that my heart, my thoughts, my deeds measure up to God's standard? Could anybody think there is even a possibility that his or her heart, all of his or her thoughts, all of his or her deeds measure up to God's perfect standard now--and at all times in the past?
Seeing sin for what it is--'anti-Godness' (unholiness) is the result of seeing more of what God is. The Bible records the response of individuals who have seen more of God. After Job (who before his ordeal was called 'blameless and upright'; who 'feared God and shunned evil'-Job 1:1) had been through his ordeal he said to God, "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6) The prophet Isaiah said, "I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple....'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.'" (Isaiah 6:1,5) In the New Testament we get a glimpse of the same response in the actions and statement of the fisherman Simon Peter. After seeing Jesus demonstrate a miraculous knowledge/control of nature Simon Peter (whom Jesus later designated as one of his apostles) said to him, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8)
And what is the conclusion of all these statements of God's will and
standard? How incredibly piercing are God's standards of perfect holiness!
(Hebrews
4:12) How much have I to be forgiven for! God's word leaves no
room for any conclusion except that the behavior of any human being is
hopelessly inadequate to enable him or her to stand, to live forever in the
presence of Holy God. An Unceasing recognition of sin--the inability to
live up to God's standards--(1 John
1:8) is an essential component of the godly
response. The positive side of that awareness is knowing one could not appear or
remain in the presence of Holy God without having been covered by Christ's
righteousness.
Oh, how the cross of Christ glows!
What I learn from the many sizes and shapes of sin is that I am
guilty before God.
[Because of the vast, seemingly infinite variety of forms in which sin appears any categorization of sins is highly subjective; almost every sin mentioned would also fit very well in other categories mentioned in the meditation.]
Mental or Internal Sins
The Bible says--"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious." (Galatians 5:19) What are the acts of the sinful nature that are so obvious? Most of those acts that the Bible describes as sinful are 'mental' acts or activities such as "idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy...; I [the apostle Paul] warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:20-21; see also Romans 1:29-31; 2 Timothy 3:2; Colossians 3:8).
That the sins of the 'flesh' mentioned most frequently are internal is only to be expected since the desire, the thought, precedes the outward act as the impulse to punch someone in the nose precedes the movement of the arm to bring about that result. (James 1:15; 4:1,2) Whether or not the internal 'attitude' ever comes to the surface, as it were, in visible acts is irrelevant. It is the quality of the internal 'attitude' that determines whether the internal 'act' or any outward manifestation of it is sinful or not.
A well known illustration of this truth was set forth by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. "You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27) Another very obvious statement that illustrates that it is the 'mental activity that is the sin is this: "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." (1 John 3:15; see also Matthew 5:22)
Jesus told his disciples the unvarnished truth about the source of sinful acts: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man unclean'" (Matthew 15:19-20; see also Proverbs 26:24) The water that flows from a polluted spring will never be pure water.
Some people would be horrified at the spectacle of someone committing murder or physical adultery. But the spectacle that God sees and is horrified by is not what goes on in the world but what goes on in the heart of men, women and children! (Psalm 139:1-4; 1 Corinthians 4:5)
Jesus' descriptions of people (religious leaders of the society he grew up in!) whose heart was not right in God's sight bring out the same theme--"Woe to you,....you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." (Matthew 23:25-26) And again, Jesus "said to them, 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.'" (Luke 16:15)
Oh, how inclusive are the mental sins or the sins that come from within.
Sins of Omission
Not only are the great majority of sins his children
are not to 'commit' mental or internal (and who is not, and never has been,
guilty of any of them?) but what enormously extends the range of sinful 'acts',
and is just as much a transgression of God's revealed will as doing what
he says not to do, is not doing what he instructs his children to be
doing. "Everything that does not come
from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)
According to God's
definition of sin sins of conscious omission are no less grievous, no less
heinous, no less a deliberate setting aside of God's revealed will than are the
physical acts of murder or adultery, etc. When God's will is known not
doing the godly act is no less a rebellion against God than doing what he says
not to do. A succinct and classical way of expressing this is to say God is just
as displeased by sins of omission as by sins of commission.
Consider these 'positive' commands--to love my neighbor as myself, to bear one
another's burdens.
"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:13-14) "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16) Am I guilty of not living up to this standard? Has 'loving my neighbor as myself' always (or even frequently) been my response?
What did Jesus teach his disciples after he had spoken to them about the world's standards of greatness--"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43-45)In his letter to the congregation of believers at Rome the apostle Paul said, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up." (Romans 15:1)
This is the motivation that characterized the apostle Paul's life and conduct after his conversion. "So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. (2 Corinthians 12:15) Or, "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible." (1 Corinthians 9:19)
What is God's will--that his children "carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) And again, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:17-18) "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10)
The Son of God who laid down his life for us gave us the ultimate example of 'bearing burdens'. ) "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit," the bible says, "but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:3-8; see also Isaiah 53:4-7) Is this the attitude that under girds all my behavior?"What did our Lord and redeemer teach his disciples on the night before he was to be crucified for his people? "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (John 13:14)
The godly standard is to do the right thing, not to let the gifts God
has given us, as it were, rust from lack of use. "Do
not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act."
(Proverbs 3:27) And who is undeserving according to God's
standards? What does
the Jesus say? "Love
your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get
anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most
High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
(Luke 6:35; see also 6:27-31; Matthew 5:44-45)
"This
is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we
ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
(1 John 3:16) "You
are the light of the world," Jesus said. "A
city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone
in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may
see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
(Matthew 5:14-16)
When it was in my power to defend, to edify, to help, does God look with favor
upon my choosing not to do so? Am I acting in a blameless way if I refrained
from acting or speaking in someone's defense (especially a brother or sister in
the Lord) when I could have saved him (or her) from destruction? "My
brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring
him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will
save him from death
and cover over a multitude of sins." (James
5:19-20) And again, "We who are
strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even
Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: 'The insults of those who
insult you have fallen on me.'" (Romans 15:1-3)
And
again, "Be merciful to those who
doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed
with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
(Jude 1:22)
Many of Jesus' teachings brought out the truth that not making the proper use of
God's gifts is sinful behavior which, like any sin, deserves the punishment of
death (Romans 6:23)
The parable of the talents makes the point so
clearly--
"Again, it will be like a
man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to
them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to
another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work
and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But
the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and
hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled
accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other
five. `Master,' he said, `you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained
five more.' "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness!.... "Then the man who had received
the one talent came. `Master,' he said, `I knew that you are a hard man,
harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered
seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here
is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, `You wicked,
lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where
I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit
with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with
interest....throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" (Matthew 25:14-27,
30)
Is not the refraining from doing every good work that God has given me the power to do any less a deliberate act, a deliberate choice not to heed God's commands than the act of murder or adultery is a deliberate disregarding of God's commands? Is there ever a time when it is not in my power to display the 'fruits of the Spirit'--love, joy, peace, longsuffering etc.? (Galatians 5:22) Is there ever a time when I could not have done more or better? Is there ever a time when my not remembering and not acknowledging God and what he has done for me (dying) is not a deliberate act, a deliberate choice--a deliberate act that broadcasts the message that what Christ has done does not mean that much to me?
[More 'mental' sins or sins of omission will be described in a later section, 'These Are Sins Too'.]
The Bible is full of 'positive' commands. It is the not doing of these 'positive' commands that makes up the sins of 'omission'.
How enormous is the category of sins of omission! How inclusive is what God
knows is unholy behavior! Sin--the penalty for which is death--comes in so many
shapes and sizes! Looking at those many sizes and shapes of sin tells me
that I am guilty before God. As the
Bible puts it--"dead in your transgressions
and sins." (Ephesians
2:1)
Oh, how the cross of Christ glows!
Do any of the Biblical examples of either worldly people or faithful servants of
God describe me?
1) Am I like those who hide their real character, their inner motives and their
real thoughts? The description that Jesus applied to
such people was that they were like white-washed tombs. (Matthew 23:27-28)
The Christian community is not
insulated from this or any other temptation. "With
great power the apostles continued to testify to
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were
no needy persons among them. For from
time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from
the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as
he had need.... Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also
sold a
piece of property.
With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but
brought the rest and put it at
the apostles' feet. Then [the apostle] Peter
said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied
to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for
the land?'" (Acts 4:33-34; 5:1-2)
2
) Am I like the individual who was less concerned about God's values than he was about providing for his future welfare in this world so he built larger barns for his goods? "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you' (and following verses) (Luke 12:16-23, 30-31)3) Am I like the 10 lepers who were healed by God but only one of them was moved to even say 'thank you'. As he [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us! (and following verses) (Luke 17:12-18)
4)
Am I like the individual who on his own initiative takes the seats of honor at banquets? "When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: (and following verses) (Luke 14:7-11)5)
Am I like those people who do everything to get praise and honor from men? (Matthew 23:5-7) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." (Matthew 23:25; see also John 5:44)6)
Am I like the people who found excuses to not accept God's 'invitation' to the wedding feast? "At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, `Come, for everything is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, `I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me' (and following verses) (Luke 14:16-20; see also Matthew 22:1-8)7)
Am I like the individual who disregards the fact that his welfare, that the number of his days, is in the hand of God? (Job 14:5; Psalm 39.4; 90:12). A clear New Testament example of this attitude which forgets who is in charge is found in the book of James-- "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" (James 4:13-14)Am I different from all the above mentioned people who did not come up to God's standards? Do these or other biblical descriptions of people who have behaved in ungodly ways describe me? Does God (the God who sent his Son to die for me) not see my every motive, my every thought, as well as every deed I ever did or could have done but refrained from doing? Can I survive for eternity without God's mercy? What does the Bible declare: "Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Psalm 32:2)
Oh, how the cross of Christ glows!
Concealing sin, that is, concealing what we really are is itself a sin. It began in the Garden of Eden after the 1st sin of Eve and Adam. Thinking one can conceal sin from God is a sin because it amounts to the rejection of God's word to believers that says we cannot conceal anything about us from him. "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD....Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.... If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." (Psalm 139:1-4,7-8,11-12)
The Bible is not vague concerning what God is able to see. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13; see also John 2:23-25)
One of the illustrations of this sin that the Bible records comes from the
early Christian community.
"Now a man
named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but
brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then
Peter [the apostle] said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to
the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for
the land? ....What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to
men but to God."
(Acts 5:1-3, 4)
For the sin of concealing sin I need God's forgiveness, God's mercy.
2) Thinking that one is good enough or powerful enough to overcome the
power of sin is a sin
This is God's world, a world that necessarily
operates according to God's truths, according to the 'laws' he established. One
of those truths seems to be what science calls the 'law of gravity.' Another law
of God that (since the Fall of Eve and Adam) is equally binding is what the
Bible calls the 'law of sin'. The apostle Paul states bluntly--"but
I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law
of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my
members.... So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the
sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
(Romans 7:23,25). And a little later in the same book we read--"The
sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do
so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
(Romans 8:7-8)
Elsewhere in the Bible this doctrine or truth is couched in these words--"the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3:22) In the Old Testament portion of God's word the prophet Isaiah described the believer's best shot at pure behavior, saying, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6; see also Job 9:2; Romans 3:23) In the New Testament (written for believers after the sacrificial death of Jesus the Christ) the apostle John stated so clearly how the recognition and acceptance of this truth of God regarding sin and the human race (the descendants of Adam) is an essential part of being a believer (a Christian). "If we [professing believers] 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 [God] out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8,10)
Thinking that one is good enough or powerful enough to overcome the power of sin is to reject what the Bible says, what the Bible says about the power of sin.
4) The heart being in the wrong place is a sin
What we do with God's gifts is an outward reflection
of where our heart is and our heart being in the wrong place is a sin. "Now
a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get
eternal life?' 'Why do you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied. '... If
you want to enter life, obey the commandments.' 'Which ones?' the man inquired.
Jesus replied, `Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give
false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,' and `love your neighbor as
yourself.' 'All these I have kept,' the young man said. 'What do I still lack?'
Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this, he went
away sad, because he had great wealth." (i.e. his
treasure consisted of earthly possessions) (Matthew 19:16-22;
see also Luke
12:18-19, 21, 23, 29-31, 34)
Idolatry. Coveting. The first and the last of the 10 commandments. They both amount to looking upon something other than God as one's supreme treasure. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24; see also 1 John 2:15-17)
Intentions (motives) that we think are 'good' are just as inadequate and infected with sin as are our other actions. Sins spring from the heart as the Bible says (Matthew 15:19) Whose heart is pure? Whose motives are 100% pure? (James 4:1-4) Any amount of impurity mixed in what is pure renders it all impure, tainted--unholy.
One of the more humbling statements of Jesus which indicates what ultimately distinguishes between holy and ungodly behavior was this--"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters." (Luke 11:23).
5) Ingratitude is a sin
The absence of gratitude (ingratitude). A vivid example of ingratitude is that of the 10 lepers who were cleansed of their physical disease only one of whom expressed gratefulness. They were all individuals who had such a terrible visible disease that in Israel they were prohibited by religious law from having contact with the rest of Jewish society. "As [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!' When he saw them, he said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. [A kind of half-breed that the Jews looked upon with contempt] Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?'" (Luke 17:12-18)
Gratitude and how it shows up. If individuals feel grateful to God they show it; they show how much God's showing of mercy to them (Romans 3:25-26; Ephesians 2:4-5) means to them.
The Bible records a vivid example of someone whose actions revealed the extent of her gratitude. Once when Jesus was eating at Simon the Pharisee's house a woman who had lived a conspicuously sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was there. She came in uninvited, brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. (Luke 7:37,38) Jesus then told his host a parable to explain what this action illustrated--a manifestation of extreme gratitude. "'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?' Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.' 'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said." (Luke 7:41-43) After Jesus had pointed out the contrast between what his host had not done for Jesus and what this woman had done he states the spiritual/Christian significance of these two kinds of behavior: "I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven." How do we know this? "For she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." (Luke 7:47)
Obedience and gratitude. On another occasion Jesus illustrated by means of a
parable the connection between the believer's feeling of gratitude for God's
mercy and the response of obedience.
(Matthew 18:23-35)
The parable was about a servant who owed the king a
large amount of money. The servant begged for more time to pay it all back. The
King had pity on the servant and cancelled the debt. But even after being
forgiven the servant was not forgiving to individuals who owed him money. The
king heard about it, called the servant he had forgiven, and said to him--"Shouldn't
you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?
(Matthew 18:33)
The apostle Paul puts it this way, saying, "Be
imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love,
just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
(Ephesians 5:1-2)
Over and over again God states his teaching about the ways the gratitude of Christians should be manifesting itself .
In many of the apostle Paul's letters to particular congregations we read God's exhortation--walk or conduct your lives in a worthy manner--in a manner worthy of God's calling (Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:11)
And again, "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:14-16)
And again, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1)
And again, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)
And again, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers....Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:16,18)
And again, "Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind." (Romans
12:2)
There is nothing half hearted about the demands of God--
"Make
every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no
one will see the Lord."
(Hebrews 12:14; see also Luke
13:24; Hebrews 4:11) And again,
"In
keeping with his promise we
[who believe]
are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward
to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless
and at peace with him." (2 Peter 3:13-14) And again,
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not
grow weary and lose heart. In
your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding
your blood." (Hebrews 12:2-4)
"Everyone who has this hope in him
purifies himself, just as he [Jesus] is
pure." (1 John 3:3; see also 1 Peter 1:13)
God's word is full of exhortations addressed to believers; addressed to recipients of God's mercy. (1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9-10) "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)
Jesus' life of obedience was a model of the way God's redeemed children should think and behave. The Bible says to us, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8; see also 1 Peter 2:21)
What greater display of ingratitude (or the absence of gratitude) can there be than the setting aside as unimportant the objective for which God the Father sent his only begotten Son (Jesus the Christ) to die as a substitutionary sacrifice? How can I show more contempt for God, for Christ "who gave himself for us" to bring about a particular purpose, namely, "to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:14) than by disregarding God's commands, instructions and exhortations? (John 14:23,24)
What is God's purpose for his people? That they would be holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4; 5:25-27; Colossians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 1:10)), that his people would become like the sinless Son of God (Romans 8:29), that his people would be qualified to stand forever in the presence of Holy God (1 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:12)? And what is a clearer example of setting aside God's holy purpose for us than disregarding his statements of the behavior he desires to see? Is there a better way to show our ingratitude, our negative attitude toward God than by making light of God's commands, instructions and exhortations? Is not any response to God other than unadulterated gratitude or as the Bible puts it 'with one's whole heart' a sin--because such responses are not absolutely pure or blameless and therefore by definition falls short of God's standards? Ingratitude is a sin.
Of all the 'mental' or sins of omission the sin of ingratitude might be looked upon as the granddaddy. What is ingratitude but evidence that for me what Christ did on the cross was insignificant and not important enough to require the response God desires to see? He laid down his life; He put up with false accusations; the reproaches I deserved were laid on him; He put up with sinners. Though totally innocent of any sin himself (Hebrews 4:15; 7:24,26) He was made sin in my place. What 'mental' action on my part could be a greater sin against God than the ingratitude, even the contempt, demonstrated by being unmoved by what he went through for me? (Titus 2:14) Without the covering of the righteousness of my substitute I would be lost-eternally. Is not any response to God other than rejoicing over the fact that he chose not to treat me according to my sin-filled life but according to the righteous life and death of Jesus his Son--a sinful response?
Does the desire to measure up to God's standards, the desire to do what is pleasing to him under gird my every thought and action? Hah! Considering what God's definition of sin is, considering what his definition of unholy behavior includes it is no surprise that the Bible states the obvious truth: "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." (Ecclesiastes 7:20; see also Job 15:14,16) "If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? (Psalm 130:3; see also Psalm 143:2) Therefore what can we say except--"Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will never count against him." (Romans 4:8)
Thank God God does not treat us according to our iniquities. Oh, how the cross
of Christ glows.
Not coming up to God's standards, not being perfect
(Matthew 5:48), is a costly affair--a transgression of the will of God. Not
coming up to God's standards is not a small matter, an insignificant matter. Not
coming up to God's standards is not a trifling missing of the mark; it is a sin
that carries the death penalty (unless Christ intervenes).
How does the Bible describe the consequences of sin? "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30) Or, consider the truth as set forth in the apostle Paul's letter to the believers at Thessalonica-- "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
Perishing or death is often stated to be the consequence of disregarding God since perishing or death is what most people consider the worst that could happen to them. In a very vivid illustration of an individual who disregarded God--the rich man who purposed to build larger barns in which to store his crops and then take life easy--death was his immediate destiny: "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'" The words in the next verse generalize how the truth illustrated applies to everyone. "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:20-21) In the gospel according to Matthew the same contrast is set forth but the terms used is 'saving' or 'losing' one's life: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:25-26)
The destiny which believers have is 'to come into' an eternal inheritance. (1 Peter 1:4-5) The destiny of everybody else is different. The Bible says, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:8) The Bible says, "Nothing impure will ever enter it [the holy city, the new Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27)
The Bible states in no uncertain terms that people who defy God, that is, individuals who disregard God's standards and commands will not inherit the eternal kingdom of God. "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
In the book of Hebrews this warning is given to professing believers--"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.... How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-27, 29-31)
Perhaps a statement dating back to the time of John the Baptist sums up the kind of behavior God wants to see in his redeemed children and the situation of the 'worthless' individuals who do not bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance. "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8) Then, in the pictorial language of Old Testament times, follows the statement regarding the situation of those people who don't bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance--"The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.....His [God's] winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat (what farmers know is valuable to them) into the barn and burning up the chaff (what farmers know is worthless) with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:10,12)
There will be a time of judgment when everyone will condemned or acquitted (and given eternal life). The Bible says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10; see also Matthew 25:31-34,41,46) The Bible also says, "wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5)
The Bible 'yells' at me that the price of sin--any sin--is very high ("the
wages of sin is death"-eternal 'death'
(Romans
6:23).
What makes the difference between being a person destined for eternal
'death' or being a person destined for eternal survival and blessings in the
presence of Holy God? Nothing but the mercy of God! How can I forget this awful
truth? Thank God that God chose not to treat me according to my iniquities but
according to the sinless life and sacrificial death of Jesus! Oh, How the cross of Christ glows.
A BRIEF REVIEW
Do the biblical descriptions of sinful behavior (in thought as well as deed) never describe my motives, my thoughts or my behavior? Do the teachings and examples recorded in God's word never, as it were, 'hit home' and consequently drive me to the foot of the cross?
Sin comes in many shapes and sizes. Only a smattering of the more obvious kinds have been mentioned in this meditation. Are none of the deviations from the will of God, none of the discrepancies from the likeness of the sinless Son of God (Romans 8:29) that the Bible reveals descriptive of my thoughts, my motives, my behavior? Surely some of God's statements in his word shed a piercing light on my motives, my thoughts, my behavior! (Hebrews 4:12-13)
Since any deviation from the will of God, since any failure to come up to God's standards of holiness deserves the death penalty (James 2:10; Romans 6:23) what can exposure to the teachings and examples recorded in God's word do but drive me to the only possible conclusion, the one that the Bible speaks of--"Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will never count against him." (Romans 4:8)
As one faithful servant of the Lord once brought out, 'our only qualification for receiving mercy is our unworthiness.' Using a coined word in our description makes the point (for me) even better: 'our only qualification for receiving mercy is our 'undeservingness.' The Bible states the fact in these words: It is the sick who need the benefit of the physician's services which in this case, is God's mercy, the salvation he gives. Do not the declarations of truth in God's word lead to the conclusion that unless God had chosen to treat me with mercy and not according to my iniquities (=according to what I am without Christ's righteousness) I have no grounds for thinking or hoping that my certain destiny is anything but a never-ending destiny of total darkness, also described as 'eternal death'? Knowing my desperate need what else can I do except to say 'thank you' to God for not treating me as my sins deserve but in accordance with Christ's righteousness--as if Jesus' obedient life and death were mine? What mercy! (Psalm 103:10-12; Philippians 3:4-6, 9)
Oh, how the cross of Christ glows!
And what according to the apostle Paul is the only fitting response by which we can 'say' 'thank you' for Christ's mercies? Nothing less than the offering of our bodies as living sacrifices is the godly response. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:1-2) In the book of Hebrews how believers should respond is summed up in these terms--"Therefore, since we [who believe] are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28; see also 1 Peter 1:4-5, 2 Peter 3:13-14)
As stated in the introduction, an unceasing recognition of sin--the inability to live up to God's standards--(1 John 1:8) is an essential component of the godly response. (Philippians 3:8,9) The positive side of that awareness is knowing one is unworthy to appear or remain in the presence of Holy God without having been covered by Christ's righteousness. Oh, how the cross glows!
Is my gratitude for Christ's substitutionary sacrifice on the cross unmistakable? Does my behavior (mental or otherwise) demonstrate how great my gratitude is for his not treating me according to my iniquities (because he laid the punishment for them on Jesus Christ; Isaiah 53:5,6)? Has my gratitude been so clearly manifested by my behavior, by my use of God's gifts (Matthew 25:15-28) that when Jesus the Christ comes he will say to me, 'good and faithful servant'?
The title of this meditation was 'What Makes The Cross Of Christ Glow?' One answer is remembering what it is that I had to have forgiveness for, and what I was forgiven for. What makes the cross of Christ glow?-- remembering what it is that has been expunged from my record because of the death of Christ on the Cross. Without the death of Christ on the Cross I would be lost, or, to be more accurate, destined to pay the awful price for every sin I have ever 'committed' whether done so all the world could see it or in the deepest recesses of my mind or heart. How blessed is the situation of everyone whose sins were paid for by the substitutionary obedience and death of Christ on the cross. Our God "does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:10-12) "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." (Romans 4:7-8, quoting Psalm 32:1-2)
Oh,
how the cross of Christ glows!
(If you appreciate what you read here please tell your friends about this URL and sign my guest book on the homepage. Also, if, as you read any of the meditations, you feel you know of a situation that beautifully illustrates any of the points made I would be delighted to learn of it. I might incorporate it. mailto:camppp21355@comcast.net
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