The Effects of Sin in Man.

Ever since sin entered into this planet at the Garden of Eden, mankind has never been the same.

One inspired author had this to say about sin. “We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness”

Many people today have been blinded by the devil into thinking that committing a sin is a light thing. Sin has been camouflaged and sugar coated by the master deceiver himself.

Was the eating of the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3 a small thing? Is any sin small? Is sin a dangerous thing to play with?

In Scripture the only people that regard committing a sin lightly are the wicked and foolish!

Proverbs 14:9 “Fools don’t care if they sin” Dear reader, could this be your attitude? Have you become indifferent to the ugliness of sin?

If you think that sin is a light thing and has no effect on you, think again!

Proverbs 5:22 “An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.”

Many are held captive by their own sins, and they don’t even know it!

There is hope. Jesus has promised in 1 John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

There is no sin too big for God to forgive.

Romans 5:20 “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” Hallelujah! Praise God!

But there is more! The Grace of Jesus not only has the power to cleanse and forgive you but He can also CHANGE you!

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Is that your desire today? Would you like to experience that inner changing power in your life? Accept Jesus into you heart. He is waiting for you.

Because of sin, the Bible says in Gen 3:7 that man lost his innocency. Ever since the fall the human race has been cursed with impure thinking.

Furthermore, Verse 8 says that sin made man afraid of God. Millions and millions today would be afraid to meet Christ were He to appear. Revelation 6:15-17 tells us that many will be wailing and crying in agony to the mountains to fall on them because they are afraid to see Jesus. This is what sin does. It makes people afraid of God.

Friends, Jesus is not a person to be afraid of. He says in Mathew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” This is what God can offer you, if you just come to Him. He offers you rest. He offers to make you clean from sin. Do not be afraid of God.

One of the most dangerous things about the effects of sin in man is that sin led man to justify himself and blame others! Genesis 3:9,13.

We still see a lot of that today in our world. People not taking the responsibility of their own choices and actions, but rather they would prefer to blame others rather than blame themselves.

When we continue in reading Genesis 3:7 we also see that sin led man to try to hide his guilt from God through human effort.

Many are deceived by sin today into thinking that their human works or good deeds has the ability to cover their guilt from God.

The Bible says in Hebrews 4:13 that “ALL THINGS are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Friends. Sin is a hateful thing. It marred the moral beauty of a large number of angels. It entered our world, and well nigh obliterated the moral image of God in man!

Sin gave man a wicked heart. Jeremiah 2:22. Therefore it is impossible for man to change his heart. Jeremiah 3:23. We need God to do the changing for us by allowing him to come and remain with us in our hearts.

We have become slaves of sin. Roman 6:16 and the only way we can be free from sin is through Jesus Christ!

Is that your desire today? To be free from sin?

Jesus loves you. Accept Him today as your Lord and Master.

What is the Central Theme of the Bible?

The Bible is not given to us merely to supply us with information concerning the past, nor as a book of science, or even as a book of morals. Though it contains these things. THE GREAT PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE IS TO ACQUAINT US WITH GOD’S GREAT PLAN OF REDEMPTION!

But as our only hope of redemption is in the person of Jesus Christ, so that He is inseparably connected with the plan, and without Him there could be no redemption at all, therefore the whole Bible is necessarily a revelation of Him. CHRIST  IS THE CENTRAL THEME OF SCRIPTURE!

Notice the following: 1 Peter 1:10 says “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries”

The Bible says here that the Prophets searched the Scriptures for a knowledge of the plan of salvation. There is a great lesson here for you and I. We too must search the Scriptures with the intent to find Jesus and the plan of Salvation. Furthermore, the Bible goes on to say in Acts 4:12 that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” This Salvation that is spoken if here is the salvation that centers in Christ alone!

The greatest proof that Christ is the central theme of the Bible is John 5:39.  “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me”

John on the Isle of Patmos puts it more clearly when it comes to this subject. He says in Revelation 19:13 that Christ IS “The Word of God”

Before Christ ever walked the earth in human flesh, the Old Testament had already foretold of His coming. As a matter of fact John 1:45 tell us that Moses and the Prophets wrote of Christ! Luke 24:27,44 further make this point clearer.

It is of great interest when we read Scripture that numerous names of Christ are found throughout the Old Testament. In Numbers 24:17 Christ is referred to as a Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre. Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 He is prophesied to be a Prophet.

The most evident Old Testament scripture that names Christ with numerous names is Isaiah 9:6. “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

Many experiences of Old Testament history are revelations of Christ and His salvation. John 3:14-15 tell us that He is the uplifted serpent. You can read this in more detail in Numbers 21. 1Corinthians 10:4 tell us that He is the smitten rock. This story can be found in Exodus 17:6. Finally in Mathew 12:38-40 Christ is compared to the experience of Jonah.

But the Bible does not stop there concerning Christ as being the central theme of Scripture. We can see that the ceremonial systems in the Old Testament typified Christ.John 1:29 says that He is the sin offering. 1 Corinthians 5:7 says that He is the Passover.

Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of Scripture. The very first Prophecy of the Old Testament concerns Christ! Gen 3:15. The New Testament commences with Christ! Mathew 1:1. The Bible closes with the promise of Christ’s return! Revelation 22:20. There is no doubt that the whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ!

Friend, will you spend time reading God’s Word? The Bible is God’s love letter to you.He longs to come into your heart and save you from this sinful and wicked world! Will you accept Him into your heart? Jesus loves you!

How to Study the Bible – Part 2

Remembering that the Bible differs from all other books in that it is “The Holy Scriptures” we need to recognize that we MUST approach its study with a particular attitude of mind and heart. While it is true that other studies may be mastered through mental power this is not so of the Bible! SOMETHING MORE THAN THE POWER OF INTELLECT IS NEEDED TO ENABLE US TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD OF GOD. 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 says “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe” It is evident from this that mere worldly wisdom cannot understand God’s Word! Human intelligence is foolishness in the sight of God! What we MUST realize is that the primary requisite in Bible study is Spirituality. 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 says “But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others” The Bible is clear! Spirituality is imperative to unlocking the deep truths of God’s word. Spiritual things are Spiritually discerned. Spirituality as it relates to the study of the Bible must include the following:Conversion. In John 3:1-12 it is obvious here that Nicodemus could not understand because he was unconverted. And so it will be with us. We too, like Nicodemus, will fail to comprehend the words of Christ if we are unconverted. A famous author with spiritual insight into the Scriptures wrote the following ” Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him, but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate heavenly things. Until this change takes place, making all things new, it will result in no saving good for you to discuss with Me My authority or My mission.” Desire of Ages, 171. Spirituality must also include Consecration. John 7:17 teaches us that God communicates His knowledge to him who seeks to DO it. If we are to understand the deep mysterious truths of God’s Word we must be doers and not just hearers only! Humility is also another aspect of Spirituality. Isaiah 57:15 says that God dwells with the Humble. James 4:6 says that God bestows favour on the humble. Psalms 143:10 says that Humility makes us teachable. Therefore a humble and teachable spirit is neccessary to understand God’s word. As one author says “The student of the Bible should be taught to approach it in the spirit of a learner. We are to search its pages, not for proof to sustain our opinions, but in order to know what God says” Prayerfulness is the next key that belongs to Spirituality. The Bible promises us in James 1:5 that God will bestow wisdom upon those who ask of Him. The Bible should NEVER be studied without prayer! Whenever the study of the Scriptures is entered upon without a prayerful, humble, teachable spirit, the plainest and simplest as well as the most difficult passages will be wrested from their true meaning. Along with Spirituality there must be a faithful study of the Scriptures. While Spirituality is important we must not under value the necessity for taxing study. Jesus instructs us in John 5:39 to “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” The Apostle Paul’s advice to a young worker says in 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” When we are studying God’s word we are also told to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11. In our study of the Bible we should keep in mind certain leading principles of interpretation. Firstly, John 5:39, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teach us that Scripture must be allowed to interpret Scripture. Secondly, Daniel 7:17 teaches us that Symbols are to be interpreted by literal language. Thirdly, Mathew 4:5-6 when compared with Psalm 91:11-12 inform us that statements of Scripture must not be given meaning contrary to their context. Always remember this golden saying “A text without a context is a pretext” We should always be reminded of the following statement “Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before opening its pages, we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given.”

How to Study the Bible – Part 1

This will be a 2 part series on how to study the Bible. The first thing we must recognize is the fact that the Bible differs from all other books. It differs in its claims. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” The Bible is inspired of God and not of man. The word “inspired” here in this verse comes from the Greek words, “theos” which means God, and “pnein” which means to breath. Therefore, Scripture is a God breathed word. That is, it is as much the word of God as though God had spoken it with His own breath! Dr James H. Brooks estimates that the phrase “Thus saith the Lord” or its equivalent is used in the Old Testament 2000 times. The Bible differs from all other books when it comes to its Authorship. 2 Peter 1:21 says ” For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” H.L Horace Lorenzo Hastings in his book “Will the Old Book Stand” Pg 21 writes the following: “The authorship of this book is wonderful. Here are words written by Kings, by Emperors, by Princes, by Poets, by Sages, by Philosophers, by Fishermen, by Statesmen; by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, educated in the schools of Babylon, trained up at the feet of Rabbis in Jerusalem. It was written by men in exile, in the desert, in shepherds’ tents, in “green pastures” and beside “still waters”. Among its authors we find the taxpayer, the herdsmen, the gatherer of sycamore fruit; we find poor men, rich men, statesmen, preachers, exiles, captains, legislators, judges; men of every grade and class are represented in this wonderful volume, which is in reality a library, filled with history, genealogy, ethnology, law, ethics, prophecy, poetry, eloquence, medicine, sanitary science, political economy, and perfect rules for the conduct of personal and social life. But again, it required fifteen hundred years to write this book, and the man who wrote the closing pages of it had no communication with the man who commenced it. How did these men, writing independently, produce such a book? Other books get out of date when they are ten or twenty years old; but this book lives on through the ages, and keeps abreast of the mightiest thought and intellect of every age”. In John 10:35 Christ regarded the Scriptures as a divine whole, not as merely partially inspired. Thirdly, the Bible differs from all other books when it comes to its standards. The Bible standard of life and morals is inestimably superior to that of any other system. Not only does it present us with a perfect moral code(Romans 7:21) but it also presents us with a perfect life as our example(1 Peter 2:21-22). No other book has ever been able to so this! Fourthly, the Bible differs from all other books when it comes to its Power. Hebrews 4:12 says ” For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Millions of lives have been transformed through the power of the Word. Inspiration of the Bible is not a theory but a fact! A realization of this fact will have a vast influence upon our attitude towards the Bible and consequently upon our lives. Psalm 119:11 says ” Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” The Bible is able to keep us from sin! One famous author wrote ” The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrine, and the test of experience”

Memories of Childhood

Growing up in my home country of New Zealand I remember vividly seeing so many sheep. Interestingly enough,there are more sheep in New Zealand than there are people! It is indeed a country known for its sheep industry. During the lambing season, thousands of baby lambs are born.Unfortunately, some lambs die at birth. Many mother sheep are also lost during lambing season; they die giving birth. In an attempt to save the orphaned lambs, the shepherds match baby lambs who have lost their mothers with mother sheep who have lost their lambs. It’s not as easy as it sounds-a mother sheep won’t accept a lamb and nurse it unless it is her own. How, then, do shepherds get a mother sheep to accept an orphaned lamb as her own? The process is as old as shepherding itself. The mother’s own lamb, which has died, is skinned, and the skin of the dead lamb is draped over the living lamb as it is placed by the adoptive mother’s side. The mother sheep then smells the skin and accepts the orphaned lamb as her own. This reminds us of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The Bible teaches us that we have been saved by the “blood of the Lamb” Revelation 7:14 Who is that Lamb? The Bible says in John 1:29 that when John saw Jesus approaching he cried “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He…has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” Ephesian 2:13-14. Because of Christ’s blood, God accepts us as His own. Once we were orphans, but now we are God’s adopted children. Friend, will you accept Jesus into your life? Have you been washed by the blood of the Lamb? Christ is calling you to come to Him! He longs to save you! One of my favorite Hymn writers was a man by the name of William Cowper. He wrote the well known Hymn “There is a Fountain” The first stanza reads: There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains! Lose all their guilty stains! And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains! Reader, do you long to lose all your guilty stains? Do you desire to be cleansed from all sin and filth? Jesus died for you! Accept Him into your life today.

The Example of a Poet

Recently I have become fascinated and deeply intrigued with poetry and the life of poets. One particular person that stands out to me is the Italian Poet Tasso,(11 March 1544-25 April 1595) When Tasso reached the peak of his career, he was in a position to wreak revenge upon a man who had wronged him deeply years before. “I dont desire to plunder him,” the poet said, “yet there is one thing I would like to take from him.” “His honor, his wealth, his life?” Tasso was asked. “No,” came the gentle reply. “What I desire to take from him I will try to gain by the exercise of kindness, patience and forbearance. I will take away his ill will.” Firstly, Tasso’s reply reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Roman 12:21. Often times when we are hurt by someone our initial reaction is to “get even”. But at the end of the day the only person that really loses out is ourself. Nothing really changes. The situation or circumstances only continues to get worse. By overcoming evil with good, a definite change will take place on both parties that are hurt. Next time someone does evil or hurt you, try repaying that individual with love, patience, forgiveness and forbearance. Over a matter of time you will notice that his or her bitter feelings will be vanquished. Remember, love begets love. Secondly, Tasso’s decision to “overcome evil with good” in order to take away the ill will of the one that wronged him is a perfect rendition of Jesus’ ministry for you and I. Christ came into this world to conquer sin and save lost humanity. By shedding His blood on the cross he wants to take away our sin. As a matter of fact, Mathew 1:21 says “He shall save his people FROM their sins.” Through the ministry of the cross and His interceeeding in the Holy of Holies, Christ longs to take away our sins that we may be a pure and righteous people awaiting for His soon return!