Forgotten Sins

2 Kings 15

In this chapter of the bible, there is an account of the reign of some of the kings of both Israel and Judah. I noticed that in the succession of the kings of Israel that were mentioned, all of them were noted as doing “evil in the eyes of the Lord.” Most of them were murdered by their successors, who were sometimes the son’s of the current ruler. It gives the impression that those things happened because of the evil in their hearts because the account of Judah mentioned kings that did “right in the eyes of the Lord” and had peaceful reigns and deaths. It makes me think of how much God hates evil and how, sometimes, that evil can cause disastrous effects. So, I thought, what is evil? Sure, we know the sins that everyone knows and says they stay away from – lying, stealing, cheating, murder etc. But there are sins that we fall into that we may not have considered a sin or even saw as a big deal at all. I want to look at a few of those.

Idolatry

One of the sins that caught my attention as I studied is Idolatry. The bible speaks against Idolatry in several different places. One location that I was drawn to is in Hosea.

Hosea 11: 1-7

11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.[a] They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

5 “Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? 6 A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. 7 My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.

Hosea 13:1-3

When Ephraim spoke, people trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship and died. 2 Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of these people, “They offer human sacrifices! They kiss[a] calf-idols!”
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears, like chaff swirling from a threshing floor, like smoke escaping through a window.

In both of these passages, God’s disdain for Idol worship is apparent. He is angry with Israel because of their practices, enough to talk about punishing them severely. When I first read this, I thought “well, I don’t worship Idols.” But, Idols can be more than we think they are. We may not even know that we’ve let an Idol into our lives that takes the place of God or takes our attention off of him.

Job 31:24-28

24 “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ 25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, 26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

This passage shows me that money or anything else can be an Idol. Anything that entices our hand and causes us to “offer them a kiss of homage,” will become like an idol to us and would be sins that we can be judged for.

Colossians 3: 5-6

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 

In the same line of thinking, this passage shows that greed can be a form of idolatry. It can take the place of God in our hearts and make us put money before righteousness. It goes further to say that because of the sins mentioned, including greed/idolatry, the wrath of God is coming on the day of judgment.

2 Timothy 3: 1-5

 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

In this passage, it shows that, in the end of days, people will be lovers of themselves and money. It doesn’t directly say that this is a form of idolatry, but in it, there is a picture painted of people loving things other than God. The word “love” is not used lightly in the bible. There are two types of love derived from two different greek words that are used in the scriptures. This particular love is “philautos,” meaning “self-love,” derived from the greek word “phileo.” From a word study, I found that “Phileo is a love called out of one in response to a feeling of pleasure or delight which one experiences from an apprehension of qualities in another that furnish such pleasure or delight.” Further, “In Scripture phileo is used to describe the love of God the Father and the Son, of Jesus and Peter, and of Jonathan and David.” That’s quite a statement. To compare the love of oneself to that of Jesus and Peter or even Jonathan and David, speaks volumes of how much people will care about themselves in the coming times. This same word was used by Peter when Jesus asked him if he had love for him, clearly showing that the love of self and money could be a form of idolatry.

Running from his word

Another sin that is not typically spoken of is the sin of running from the commands of God. In the bible, we learn that those that have ran from or ignored that orders of the Lord have not prevented or dissuaded his actions or judgment, but ended up fulfilling the given prophecy or warning against sin and evil.

Jeremiah 36-39

In these chapters, God tells Jeremiah to write on a scroll his prophecy to Israel. Later in the chapter, the king burned the scroll, ignoring God’s rebuke. God gave another chance and had Jeremiah write the scroll once more. Jeremiah was jailed and imprisoned and repeatedly asked by different people to repeat the prophecy and found it unchanging. The continued ignorance of his word resulted in the prophecy coming true and the city being taken by the Babylonians.

Jonah 1 – 2

Jonah literally ran from God when he told Jonah to go and preach against Nineveh. His actions resulted in him going through a great storm that almost claimed his life and the lives of his companions. When he convinced them to throw him overboard, calming the storm, Jonah was swallowed by a “great fish” and spent time in his stomach for three days. After he cried out to God for forgiveness, the fish spit him out on land and he did as he was told; preach to Nineveh. God’s will was carried out regardless of how Jonah felt about it.

Deuteronomy 11: 26-28

26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. 

God says here that he would bless them for following his commands and expressly says that he would curse them if they did not follow his word. This idea is mentioned several times in the scriptures and every time, there was the idea of following God and punishment if not. God told the Israelites many times that they would follow him and return to his fold or they would be punished and given over to destruction.

Judging others

Another sin that can be looked over by Christians frequently is the tendency to judge others by some barometer that we’ve created derived by our knowledge of the scriptures. In the New Testament, Jesus and the Apostles speak against judging others for a few reasons. One reason is that the person’s faith may be weak or they could have beliefs that are neither good or bad that we should respect even if we think they’re silly or go against our own opinions.

Romans 14: 1-4

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Who exactly are we to think that we should judge someone in this manner? In the scripture, it says “someone else’s servant,” saying that we all will stand before the Lord for his judgment and his alone. Verse three says we should not treat others with “contempt” specifically when they do or do not eat meat if we believe that it should or should not be done. This verse and the following verses imply that it applies to more than just eating meat, but could apply to other reasons we may judge others. Also, if we do judge, we can be held accountable to our own measure of judgment.

Matthew 7: 1-5

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We see here that we can be judged in the same way that we judge others. The passage speaks of hypocrisy, saying basically that we have things wrong with us and decide to judge others about the same or even different things, comparing it to a speck of sawdust in another’s eye while we have a plank in our own eye. The comparison seems ridiculous. A speck of sawdust in comparison to an entire plank makes me chuckle a bit, but the action of judging in that manner is just as ludicrous. There is only one judge, shown by this passage.

James 4:11-12

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

There is only one judge and “lawgiver” that has the ability to save and destroy and we should leave that to him. As followers of Christ we need to see his example and do as he does. When Jesus was confronted about the adulterous woman, he stopped the stoning and told them to consider that they are also in sin saying he who is without sin cast the first stone. He did this because he did not come to condemn.

John 3:17

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it. He did not come to sit and judge but rather to teach and educate. In the great commission, we are told to do the same. Go and teach just like Jesus did and like the apostles continued to do. One of the reasons Christians may judge is that they look down on sinners or people of lower status.

Romans 12:16

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited.

We are told to not be consumed by conceit and we should associate with people of “low position.” Jesus himself ate with sinners of all sort. He did not turn away people because of what they were doing, but rather he was there to help them come to God and show them a shining example of how we should be as servants of God.

These sins are forgotten about and overlooked as we focus on the big sins and preach and preach on the things that are obvious sins. We need to keep in mind that we need to watch our own actions and try to curb our own desires in order to save others and ourselves the same.

Talents

Matthew 25:14-28

I don’t know enough people to say that we all overlook how we can contribute to the body of Christ, but I know that, from what I have seen, many Christians (including myself) don’t use their gifts for the good of the Church. I get so complacent in my church attendance that I don’t think of how I can add to the works that strengthen the church or evangelize to those outside of the church. The aforementioned passage can be read literally in that the servants’ master gave them money expecting them to be good stewards, but another way to look at it is that God gives us talents that he expects us to use for his glory. In some translations of the bible, this parable uses the actual word “talent” as opposed to the bags of gold as translated in the NIV translation. In fact, in my research, I found that the word talent as we use it today was derived from this parable that was written in a time when a talent was merely a measurement of currency. The master gave his servants different amounts of gold which he expected to be multiplied or at least returned with interest as shown his reaction upon return. It shows me that God gives us abilities that we are to use for the good of others. This idea is supported in later passages.

1 cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Paul tells the church in Corinth that gifts are given to us for the common good. He mentions gifts as glorious as miraculous powers, prophecy and speaking in tongues but also common gifts like faith, wisdom and knowledge. All are abilities given by the Holy Spirit that distributes them to each individual as he determines.

Romans 12:4-8

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Paul tells the church in Rome about their gifts giving them examples that we can identify with today. He tells them that whatever their gift is, they should use it according to their faith and to do it abundantly and even cheerfully. In verse four, he emphasizes that we are all members of the body but, as members, we have different functions that serve that body for its benefit.

1 Peter 4:10-11

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Peter tells us that we should use our gifts to serve others as “faithful stewards of his grace.” I take this to mean the same thing as the parable in that the master gave his servants money and expected them to be faithful stewards of the gold or talents that he gave them. We should use our gifts as if using the power, strength, and support of God so that whatever we do will glorify God and let him be praised through Jesus Christ. In the parable, the master returned and was angry with the servant that hid his money and did nothing with it, calling him a wicked and lazy servant. This shows God’s expectation of the things, concrete or abstract, that he has given to us to use for him.

1 Timothy 4:13-14

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Paul wrote to Timothy not to neglect the gifts given to them by the spirit and by the laying of hands of the elders. Like the parable, God expects us to use our talents and not neglect them or hide them like the lazy servant in the parable. Our gifts are expressly given to us to devote ourselves to teaching and evangelizing or, like the previously mentioned scriptures say, to give glory to God or help the body of Christ.

Our gifts are given to us for a reason and it is up to us to know what those gifts are and how to use them. It may be difficult to figure out. We may have to look past what gifts we want to have and see the gifts that we do have, even if they’re minute or not extravagant. Some may be more gifted than others, causing us to want to have those gifts opposed to the ones we have. In the parable, the servants were given different amounts of talents according to their abilities. The two faithful servants used what they had to return to the master and show him what they accomplished. We should do the same.

Turn Around

1 cor 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

This is a common verse that has been frequently used to convey to us that we need to take care of our bodies.  However, I have never really fully compared myself to an actual temple.  On top of that, I’ve never looked at what else God says about his temples and how they should be.  I was drawn to Haggai one day and read a passage that interested me.

Haggai chapter 1 – 2

2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This passage came to me in a time when I was not taking care of my temple physically or spiritually.  Sometimes, we get so caught up in life that we focus so much on what we want and need that we forget our spiritual health on top of our physical health.  He asks “is it time for us to be living in our paneled houses while the Lord’s house remains a ruin?”  It struck me to be a question of, should we be worried so much about what I want and need while our temples of the spirit that was given to us lays in ruin?  Should we go on day to day and ignore what the Lord is subtly saying to us and leave our spiritual life is in shambles?  What have many of us gained from pursuing nothing but our own endeavors?

5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 

This isn’t necessarily to say that God will take away all of our things and make our worldly efforts to improve our lives for nothing, but it shows to me the rat race.  The daily grind where we work or go to school or keep house without thought of God only to run ourselves in to the ground more and more each day and feeling as though we never have enough money or good enough clothes, etc.  And he says it’s because of the temple laying in ruin.
But, with God, there is always hope.  He always accept us back into his fold if we seek him out.  Just like the Israelites in Haggai, after we obey, God will be with us.

12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord.

There are other examples of this thought in both the new and old testament.  In James, one of my favorite books, he tells us to submit to God and change, telling us that God will help us if we do.

James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I like this passage because it tells us to “Grieve, mourn and wail.” as if to show us how we should feel about our sins that have taken us from his presence.  We should change our deceiving laughter and joy in going down the wrong road to mourning over how we’ve hurt God, letting our temple lie in ruin.  Then, in the Old Testament, the Bible says for everyone to turn to him.  Everyone on Earth.

Isaiah 45:22
“Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

He tells us here that one reason to come back to God is that he simply is deserving.  There is no other.  His commands ring true throughout time as he says in the Old Testament here:

Zacharia 1:2-6

2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

He tells us here that we have to turn around wholeheartedly and not pay lip service to the idea of changing our lives.  The ancestors did just that and he says “Where are your ancestors now?  And the prophets, do they live forever?”  But he says that his words overtook them, to me meaning that his commands outlasted him.  His commands stand through time.  If we turn, he may decide to bless us in a way that may be better than he had before our fall.

Haggai chapter 2: 6-9
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

In the same passage in Haggai, he said he will return his house to its previous glory and that the glory of the “present house will be greater than the former house.”  And not only the former Glory, but more importantly, he says “And in this place I will grant peace.”  The peace that comes from having a viable hope in God and trust in him that will help us through our hard times.  God also knows that it will be difficult for us to stay on the right path.  I gather this from a few passages.

Joshua 1:9 
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Phillipians 4:6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

These two verses show us that God will be with us in our change even when it’s hard for us to handle.  It tells us that we are to cast our cares and worries onto god and he will be there for us.  He will grant us his grace to handle things.  While that is true, he may not respond when or how we want him to.

Haggai 2: 2-4
 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty

The house that I spoke of earlier, may not be what we see as being as good as or better than we had before.  He asks who remembers the old temple and compares it to how it looked after they rebuilt it.  He says that it may look like nothing to them, but tells them to be strong and do the work and he will be with them.

2 Peter 3:9 
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Knowing that God said he has plans for us, we should not expect for it to happen on our timeline or when we think it would be the most beneficial.  God will do what is best for us when it's best for us and we can trust in this given the examples in the Old Testament and the promises of the New Testament; all we need to do is believe and keep his commandments.  

Mark 11: 22-24
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Jesus tells us that if we ask and we believe, it will be done for us.  Of course, God is not going to grant us our wishes if it is not best for us.  There is a system set up to give us extra help when we go to God with our needs.

Romans 8:26-28
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 

According to Romans, we don't even really know what to ask for or how to ask. The Holy Spirit communicates for us knowing what we need.  He communicates what we need to a God that already knows what we need.  The thing is, if we believe and follow God's commands, the system works in our favor.  The bible says in other verses that God judges our hearts.  Not just our actions.  Also, everyone falls short of the glory of God.  So if we fail, we can try again.  And we can keep trying as long as we're genuinely trying.  We can't pay lip service.  Jesus talks of people honoring him with their lips while their hearts are far from him.  
If we are genuinely changing and trying to obey Jesus' commands, God will be with us and he may reward us if we believe.

Different Sides

John 8:1-11

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I read this passage this morning and realized something that I’ve never thought of before. In this passage, we are shown both who we are at the time and who we could be. It’s a perfect demonstration of Christianity in multiple ways. One way, the way of the Lord, is obvious. That’s how we should be. Forgiving.

The men that brought the sinner to him, her accusers, were using her to get to Christ, not caring whether or not they actually stoned her. They shouted and shouted for an answer, likely some shouting to stone the woman for her misdeeds.

The woman caught breaking the holy law, stood, probably preparing herself for her own death. After all, she did break the law and the punishment for that infraction was death. Legally, they were right.

But instead, Jesus calmly asks them to throw stones if they are without sin. Jesus, being the only one that could have thrown a stone after his last statement, simply waited for all of them to leave.

Jesus saves her from the crowd and forgives her and we see our shining example of compassion and love. We identify with that and we reach for that goal and there’s nothing wrong with that, but, I’ve found that in my own life, I’ve honestly identified more with either the accusers or the sinner -- and most times both.

At times, I’m the one in sin feeling awful and wanting forgiveness. All have fallen short, so as Christians, we know we all have been there. Even the Apostle Paul said “For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. (Romans 7:19 AMP)” I particularly like this translation because of the use of the word “practice.” ASV also uses the same word and NIV, instead, says “this I keep doing.” In Proverbs, the Bible states that the righteous will fall seven times and rise again. These verses show the idea that even Christians can and will repeatedly do the wrong thing from time to time with no specification of what that sin might be. Yet, in the past, I’ve acted as if my own sin was not as great as another’s.

At times, I’m Christian in the “Holier than thou” seat and forcing my opinions on someone, trying to get them to agree with me and browbeating them in the process. I believe all Christians have fallen into this trap before. I’ve acted like I could judge before showing compassion and completely ignored a staple passage, Matthew 7:1-2. ““[a]Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. 2 For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you." I, again, use that ASV because I like that it goes in depth to explain the thought process while doing such judging, saying “with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge.” Quicker to judge than to love, knowing that the latter was Jesus’ aim. He said it himself that he was not here to condemn but to save. Yet, we condemn others, Christian and non-Christian alike.

At times, I’m both. I’ve stood on my box and preached things knowing that I’m either not following it myself or failing somewhere else. It’s as if I forget my own short comings to “save” someone else. Many of us do this as well. It’s all over the spectrum, anything from shunning a brother or sister to protesting at funerals, none of it is done in love. There is no compassion. However, in the example above we see all facets and should pay more attention to who we are when we strive to be like the model. We need to remember that we have been or are in the situations of the sinner and the accusers.  

Lessons of Matthew 25

Matthew 25

10 Virgins

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. - Matthew 25:1-13

When I read this, I, of course, glean that we are to be ready upon the arrival of the Lord.  The virgins that were prepared and brought extra oil went on to be with the bridegroom, while the foolish ones that did not plan ahead missed the banquet.  But there is more to this that talks more to our nature.

First, the virgins all start out the same.  All pure, all with lamps with at least enough oil to wait for a while.  None were better than another, but some were just more prepared.  Second, they all fell asleep.  This reminds me of the verse that states “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  Again, reiterating that none are better than another.

This parable tells us to be watchful and prepared for the coming of the Lord, but also shows us that we are equal in the eyes of the Lord.  We all start as pure in the eyes of the Lord.  We all succumb to the fatigue that life brings to our doorstep.  We only differ in how we’ve prepared ourselves to be with him.

Bags of gold(Talents)

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold(Talents), to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold(Talents) went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag 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 five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. 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!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two 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 one bag of gold 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 gold 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. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ - Matthew 25:14-30

This parable tells us a lot about what our focus should be.  The bags of gold (called talents in the King James version) represent gifts from God and the master gave them each a different amount of talents according to their ability.  God gives us our abilities according to what we can handle. The master left them to do with their talents as they saw fit.  Two of them used their talents to benefit the master, the last did nothing but bury it and wait.  

Our talents/abilities/gifts should be used to glorify God.  We can glorify God by praising him in song or worship, but I don’t think that it stops there.  Truly glorifying God would be doing something that makes others take notice and give credit to God or Christians. One of Jesus’ greatest commands was that we love one another as He has loved us.  We should use our abilities to serve others; serve each other.  Gandhi said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."  I think there’s truth to that.

Sheep and Goats

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-46

Finally, the biggest take-away for me is the emphasis on helping others.  It goes so far as to say that helping those in need is like helping christ and is required to be accepted into the kingdom.

I read this chapter the other day and thought “wow, how many times have I taken my life for granted?”  or “How long have I been developing my talents and yet not helped a single person?”; And I rarely help or give to the homeless.  

Most christians focus on the standard do’s and don’ts.  No fornication.  No lying. But forget that helping other souls is a requirement to hold the name of Christian.  Realizing that we, as Christians, are not better, just better prepared for Christ’s second coming.

Lessons of Gethsemane

Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

I think this may be the only passage from the bible I use for this particular writing.  In this passage, so much can be learned about Jesus, his strength, his patience, and his relationship with God.  After learning of it, we should, as always, strive to be the same.

First.  Don’t expect life to be easy because I’m a Christian.  Jesus never said it would be.  There will always be troubles and its a common misconception that comes from somewhere unknown that once one is a Christian, he’s protected from pain.  Not true.

Jesus was sorrowful and troubled. So troubled, that he explained  it., “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Lets think about that for a second.  Jesus was great at speaking in metaphors and often did so, but he wasn’t known for exaggeration.  He was severely upset.  It made me think... “he is more upset than I will ever be in my entire life.”Trouble will definitely come to us in our daily life if it came to Jesus.  And its normal to feel these feelings.  Now, usually, when I’m troubled, I’ve been known to drink.  But Jesus shows us what to do.  Pray. 

Pray with humility.  Growing up, I always felt weird not kneeling when I would pray.  After all, I was talking to the creator.  Jesus didn’t kneel.  He fell on his face in humility and reverence to HIS OWN FATHER and prayed a prayer of relief.  If I was living back then and saw the one that I consider my Lord and Savior fall on his face in reverence, I would have done the same even if I had no clue why I was doing it.  The only person to ever live a perfect life fell on his face.  That’s a huge deal.

Pray whats on your mind.  Don’t sugar coat or pretend you don’t feel things, God already knows how we’re feeling.  Through this prayer we see what is troubling him.  In short, he doesn’t want to be crucified.  Again, his prayer is not like prayers that I pray.  If I ask for help I just plead and plead and plead, but the most important part of his prayer is the last. “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

To be able to acknowledge my fear for what I’m about to do and accept that the cause is greater than myself would be a feat.  An uncommon feat that is known largely by people like troops, police and firemen.  I have a habit of not pretending to in my prayers, if I'm frustrated or even angry, I will at the very least acknowledge my feelings in my prayer and ask for strength or wisdom.  But his mindset was so on the well-being of the entire world that, in secret, when it was just him and God, he asked for another way but ended the prayer with a variation of “your will be done.”  It was such a part of his personality that he said it when no one else but God could hear him.

Pray often.  He was diligent and hopeful.  At least hopeful enough to say the same prayer three times.  I would think that Jesus was highly intelligent and, of course, knew God and his will better than anyone.  A highly intelligent Jesus with the understanding of the creator’s mind would seem foolish praying the same prayer if he didn’t believe it would make a difference.  Jesus believed and had faith in the idea that there could be another way.  Jesus knew that through persistence, we may be satisfied.  

God's Rebuke

I've seen a lot of “punishment” in my life. God's punishment, I would say. Often times, I feel like giving up and giving in to the temptation to quit. Sadly, I have given up in the past. Things have gotten to be too much for me, in my eyes. I started to believe that I was being punished for doing something wrong, yet I couldn't figure out what that was. I know I'm a sinner, every one falls short, but I just didn't feel like I deserved that much punishment. Well in one short sentence, I was wrong. I was wrong about everything. It was brought to my attention that the bible speaks of discipline and reproof.

Proverbs 3:11-12

“11) My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12)because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

Pow. Right in my face, God disciplines those he loves. At first, I was reluctant to put myself in the category of those that he loves, but I believe God loves us all and struggling to stay on the right path is an action that would be pleasing to him. At least, more pleasing than it would be if I gave up.

In Hebrews, the point is driven home in 12:11-12.

“11) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of great righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12) Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and week knees.”

Not only am I to realize that God disciplines those he loves, but to know that my feeling of discomfort with the instructive situation is common enough for the author to write about it in the book of Hebrews. To me it's saying “You are going to feel bad during times of trial and discipline, but know that it will bear a 'harvest of great righteousness' in the future.” And, adding from proverbs, we can say that we are not to despise or resent the trial that we are living through because God disciplines those he loves as his children.

In verse 7 of the same book and chapter, it's written that we are to

“7) endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?”

In Hebrews 12:10, it is written that our earthly fathers disciplined us as they thought it best, but God disciplines us so that we may share in his holiness.

And many verses relay the same message. (i.e. Deuteronomy 8:5, Job 5:17) Not only do we all fall short, we are all disciplined as children so that we may see God's glory and have peace.