The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
February 18, 2007
In
This Issue:
Dealing
With Sin
by
Stacey E. Durham
Are
You Different?
by
Greg Gwin
Dealing with Sin
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) All people have been guilty of sin in their lives, so we all must deal with it in some way. How we choose to deal with our sin will have eternal consequences, so we must be sure to handle it correctly. The correct way to deal with sin is to be obedient to the gospel of Christ, which includes recognizing our own sin and repenting of it. Unfortunately, too many people (including Christians) attempt to deal with sin in some other way. Consider some of the mistakes people make when dealing with their own sin.
Ignoring sin. Some people choose to ignore problems in their lives, thinking that the problems will go away. This is rarely ever true and is never true when it comes to sin. Consider how David tried to ignore his sin: "When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer" (Psa 32:3-4). Ignoring sin did not heal David, but rather it grieved him to exhaustion.
Denying sin. It is common for those who are caught in sin to deny any wrong doing and lie about their sin. This serves only to provide some false, temporal comfort when one deceives himself into believing that he is acceptable to God. However, when he stands before God in judgment, all things will be known by God. This approach only leads one to eternal destruction.
Brooding over sin. Some people believe that if they are miserable enough God will forgive them of their sin. When they do this, they are trying to pay the price for their own sin, which they cannot do. Christ paid the price for everyone because we could not. Therefore, no amount of brooding can take away sin, but faithful obedience to Christ does.
Minimizing the significance of sin. The world finds comfort in believing that sin is "no big deal." However, Proverbs 14:9 says that "Fools mock at sin." Sin of any kind is the most serious of matters, and it cannot be taken lightly. If we take the attitude that sin is "no big deal," we risk our own condemnation.
Procrastinating about sin. Sometimes even those who intend to deal with their sin correctly are not swift to do so. They wait because they think that there will always be time to take care of it later. However, "later" may never come and they may never have another chance to have their sin forgiven before they take it with them to the grave.
If you have sin in your life that you have not handled properly, take care of it today. Deal with it correctly, and God will forgive you of it. Do not make the mistake of attempting these other methods of dealing with sin, or else it could cost you eternity.
--Stacey
E. Durham
It was a mere backyard pool toy - an inflatable rubber raft. But to these boys it was what they had been hoping for -- what they had been needing -- it was a fishing boat! Now they could "get out amongst them" - out in the pond where the really big ones lurk.
Only one more thing was needed. What could they use for an anchor? After all, every boat needs an anchor! Finally they had the solution - an empty plastic milk jug. Fill it with water to make it heavy, and tie on a rope.
But, wait! Something is wrong. The anchor won't sink! A valuable lesson in physics is learned the hard way. The water in the jug weighs no more than the water outside the jug. You can't make an anchor that way! And, who says that fishing isn't educational?
There's a spiritual lesson to be learned here, too. (You knew I was coming to that, didn't you?) Christians are to be a strong influence in the world. Jesus used the analogies of "salt" and "light" in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:13-16). But we can't be that kind of preserving and enlightening influence on others if we are not different than they are. If we talk, dress, and act like people of the world, we won't be able to change them. If we do what they do, go to the evil places that they go, and engage in their evil practices, we can't teach them. Paul urged us to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed ..." (Rom. 12:2).
Learn the lesson! A boat anchor made out of water won't sink, and a Christian who is like the world won't win others to Christ.
-- Greg Gwin