What is sin and where did it go?

by Gary:
Herman Bavinck, a Dutch Reformed theologian and churchman. wrote; “Sin is not a distinct being but an impairment of being, a deformation.”

The New Oxford Dictionary defines “Sin an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law : a sin in the eyes of God • an act regarded as a serious or regrettable fault, offense, or omission…”

We read in the Bible; “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”
I John 3:4 NIV

We can talk about sin abstractly, but what is sin concretely? John Edwards said he did many bad things and hurt a lot of people, but didn’t break the law. But, did he sin? I’m sure his wife said he sinned by committing adultery. President Clinton said he did a very bad thing. I never heard him say he sinned.

The actions of these men and their women partners were immoral. According to the Oxford Dictionary they sinned. Dr. Bavinck would say they have a deformation in their being, meaning they are not living up to the clearly known divine law and were lawless in their actions and character.

Sara says, “Sin is out of style in word for many. Yet sin seems to be in fashion in lifestyle for a wide range of living.”

Would they describe the actions of parents who buy their sexually active teenage children contraceptives as sin? Isn’t it sin to encourage others to sin?

What about other parents who condone their actions by not asking questions about this so called loving behavior of these “Christian” parents? I think the parents are sinning by encouraging their children to sin, and those who stand by and say nothing are sinning as well.

Paul says, “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them”
God says, “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23 He also says, “all people are mine to judge-both parent and child alike. And this is my rule: the person who sins is the one who will die.” Ezekiel 18:4 NLT

Scriptures like these are sprinkles of warnings to the sinner. The same Bible that gives us the results of sin gives us the major temporal and eternal benefits of sinlessness. We have choices. We make them and we share the benefits and liabilities.

I don’t think sin has gone away. I think we, like the proverbial Ostrich with our heads in the sand think it doesn’t exist or apply to us.

Do Angels carry cell phones?

I think they must. Why do I think this? I am found by God wherever I go, are you? The Psalmist recorded in Psalm 139:8 (NIV), “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Matthew Henry commenting on 139:7-16 says, “We cannot see God, but he can see us. The psalmist did not desire to go from the Lord. Whither can I go? In the most distant corners of the world, in heaven, or in hell, I cannot go out of thy reach.”

If I were born in the cell phone generation I might believe; ‘angels carry cell phones.’ My being more like the generation of picturephones in the mid ‘60’s may believe we had to go to centers in DC, NY and Chicago to make contact with others, angels and God. Some of us might say, ‘hey, I can remember no phone at all but I was still found by God.’

Generation ‘talkers‘ may help us define God. The Bibles we read and the Bibles we now read. The phones we had or had not and the phones we have today speak to our thoughts. Don’t they?

Psalm 91 sings; “…“The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

God commands His angels to help us out when He finds we are in need. I am thinking angels must be using cell phones to transfer this type of message and protection for us. I am thinking Angels must carry Apple I-phones!

Angels and their assignments, missions and goals twined with prayers are a great way to open phone communications to Faith.

Sara

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Fateful Night

© Short story mghenry
He couldn’t remember exactly when these thoughts and feelings began to formulate in his mind. He really couldn’t put his finger on it if he’d been asked to pinpoint it. What event, what action, what experience had pushed the impulse? He only more recently realized that these thoughts and imaginations seemed to have gained momentum in the last few days…maybe hours… and seemed to mount garrison over his thinking and spur him on to fulfill what he had held in check until just these last few hours of the holidays .
They had started innocently enough, he reasoned. He had looked to this particular leader for guidance, for some sign, for some clue that what his nation had hoped for, for so long, had been promised, for so long; had waited for, for so long…that there would be some evidence that it would come to pass in his lifetime. But, no….it seemed hopeless as far as this guy was concerned, now. There was no bravura, no bravado of a great leader, no pomp and circumstance which would inspire the national pride once more; which would bring the overthrow of the tyrants whose boot heels were on their necks day and night.
And who was this guy, anyway? All big talk about his kingdom, this….his kingdom that….but no earthly evidence at all of any palace or castle or governing body or military vehicle of any sort. He had waited to see some manifestation of it , but to no avail. It seemed all talk and no action concerning any Kingdom or national leadership or military prowess….just talk of “the kingdom”, this guy’s father and something about angels, which he never saw.
They, the local leaders, had not come to him. So, he felt he had to do something. He began to feel it was his national duty to go to the officials and offer his help in bringing this to some culmination. In fact, lately, he’d felt driven to do something; to take matters into his own hands since this “leader” seemed to fade more and more from the mission he thought this guy had come to accomplish…at least that’s what he had understood whenever the man spoke.
At first he had been intrigued with him. The man seemed to have a lot of wisdom, intelligence, understanding, etc. He was kind and did some astounding things. People flocked to him, just he had done. But eventually, the writing was on the wall. This man didn’t seem like he was going to do anything to save their nation…he was too humble, too submissive, too preoccupied with…yes, good deeds and not with power strokes that would shake and break the status quo and bring victory to the nation. My God! He had waited to see the overthrow; he had waited for the moment when the man would strike their captors and break the chains of oppression over them. But, alas! It wasn’t going to happen and so he had to do something….and something valuable…not only an act of valor, he thought but something worth some coin!
So it was late evening…that fateful night. He knew where the guy hung out with his buddies. He had been there before with them, many times. In a way he hated to do it but actually the thought of it was titillating and intriguing. Would he, himself, be a hero? Maybe! He had seen himself being carried up on the shoulders of his countrymen as ‘the one’ who would save them from this guy’s rhetoric, this street-preacher sort of guy; How he had been deceived!! He was doing this as an act of duty; an act of justice for his nation; for his church leaders and for himself.
As he led the officials into the place where ‘he” was, he had told them earlier what code he would use to identify the one, the guy, who would be the object of their custody. Yes! He was there. It was a little scary….almost like the guy was waiting for him. That took him aback for a moment but then….the old obsession with its drive came over him…over his mind as he approached the man.
“Master! He declared as he kissed the man on the cheek. “Master!”
Mg Henry <mgsingsong@aol.com>

Palm Sunday

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I heard this story recently; “A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch.
The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do you have that palm branch, dad?”
“You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today.”
The little boy replied, ” Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!”