What's the value of your sin?

So…first thing this morning, I saw a cartoon pic that had some men beating up another man who was lying on the ground, wearing a rainbow shirt and he was bleeding. The caption was…”If you’re using your Bible to hurt people, you’re using it wrong.”


I happen to agree with this statement. The Bible is our guide…our manual to living a Godly life. It’s not meant to be used to hurt others.


Is it up to us to point out everyone else’s sin? Or is it our job to examine ourselves for our own sin?

 I have found that it’s very easy to point out someone else’s sin, but that’s not my job. My job is to work out my own salvation…examine myself for sin in my own life. I ask God daily to show me if there is any sin in my life. I like to keep a blank page. I would have to say that a weak point for me is when I’m driving. I sometimes become angry…anger is an emotion that even God has…but my goal is that when I have anger, I don’t want to sin. But when I do sin, I realize it immediately and ask for forgiveness. It’s my job to allow the Holy Spirit to convict me of wrongdoing. I am uber aware of when I sin and I believe that’s because I keep a close walk with the Holy Spirit, who convicts me when I get it wrong. Philippians 2:12

 All too often in the Body of Christ, sins are given value. Is murder more of a sin than lying, cheating or gossiping? No, it isn’t. Sin is sin and the Bible clearly states what sin is whether it is lying, cheating, gluttony, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, abuse…sexual, physical, emotional or verbal, etc. Who are we to beat others up because we don’t like their sin more than we don’t like our own?


It’s time to have a look in the mirror…examine ourselves…and decide to live the life that God created us to live. When we look in that mirror, do we see ourselves…or do we see Jesus in our reflection? James 1:19-26


Jesus is the Light of the world and if we are Christ followers, we are the Light of the world as well. Let the Light of Jesus flow through you to all who see you. It’s the Light and Love of Jesus that will change the world, not us beating others up. Any and all who come to Jesus for salvation are subject to changing their lives to be more like Him…that’s a given. Let’s let the Holy Spirit do His job and let’s focus on ourselves, not others, to become all that He created us to be.

Don't settle for the shades of grey...

In darkness we cannot see color...only shades of grey and black.  Only light allows us to see the true color of those things surrounding us.  When we are in the dark spiritually, we cannot see the “true color,” if you will, of who Jesus is.

Twenty some years ago and beyond, I was a mess.  I had been saved as a child, but didn’t have a serious relationship with the Lord.  I had prayed for a miracle to happen in my life.  I was so depressed, it was hard for me to get out of bed and do anything.  I didn’t want to live.  But…this particular morning, I was standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom getting ready for work.  All of the sudden, in the spirit, I saw a black cloud rip down the middle. (Later in life I understood this cloud to be the veil that kept me from seeing God.  Matt. 27:51-53)  It’s as if the cloud was so dense that it actually had to be cut.  In a moment, I saw things in my life so differently.  It was the Light of the Lord shining through to me. (John 8:12)  Instantly I was healed of depression and had a whole new outlook on life.  My life was changed that day.  The Light from the Lord revealed a beautiful colorful world…a world that was once a drab, dark and had no “color”…no life…a lifeless life.

The thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy.  I (Jesus) have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

Years ago when my son was small, we had to take shelter in the basement of our home due to the threat of a tornado.  We keep a small black and white TV there so we can monitor the weather.  It’s not hooked up to the satellite.  It’s the kind that has the antenna on it so you can move it around to get better reception.  When my son watched that TV for the first time, he thought something was wrong with it because it had no color.  That’s how life is without Jesus.  Life makes no sense without Jesus.  Without the Light of the world, we’re unable to see the true colors of life.  Everything is black or shades of grey, dingy, negative and ugly.

Don’t settle for a colorless life.  Don’t settle for the shades of grey and darkness that the world settles for.  Let the Light of the world in allowing your world to be illuminated and full of color…and joy!  Allow Jesus into your life. 

To Love Unconditionally Does Not Mean...

To love unconditionally does not mean to agree unreservedly.

What comes to mind immediately for me is just how much God loves me unconditionally…but He loves me…not my sin. (Romans 5:8)  Because He loves me so much, He won’t leave me that way.  He shows me my sin through His word and the Holy Spirit and gives me a way to overcome it through repentance and the blood of Jesus.  He loves me but He doesn’t agree with everything that I do, think or speak…and He lets me know where I falter.   

So often in our relationships, many believe that because we love them that we must agree with everything that they do, think or speak. You see, living life that way would not be living a life that is true to the Word of God.

In John 8:1-11 while Jesus was teaching at the Temple, the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery to Him and wanted to stone her. Jesus told them that any of them who had not sinned to go ahead and cast the first stone.  One by one they dropped their stones and left.  But Jesus, who had no sin, didn’t stone her.  He told her to go and sin no more.

In this situation, Jesus not only pointed out to the woman that she should not sin anymore, He pointed out to the scribes and Pharisees that they were doing something wrong as well.  Because He didn’t agree with those folks…whom He loved…didn’t mean that He had to agree with everything that they did…and…so it is with us.  We, as Christ followers, must learn to love those around us.  But, loving others unconditionally doesn’t mean that we have to agree with everything that others do, think or speak.  We need to learn to stand firm in what God’s word says which means that we must speak the truth in love.  We must have a backbone, but not beat folks up!  God would be doing us a disservice if He didn’t show us where we sin and call us to repent.  Why would we need God if He didn’t call us to a higher place with Him?  If we didn’t need Him, then that means that Jesus would have given His life for nothing!  Oh how we need Jesus!

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

I encourage you to love others unconditionally as God loves us, but stand firm in what God’s word says about sin.  Just because we love others doesn’t mean we must agree with them unreservedly.    

Just because you stand for what you believe...

Just because you stand for what you believe doesn’t mean you don’t love sinners.  Speak the truth in love, love the sinner. 

If you’re a Christian, persecution comes with the territory to a greater or lesser degree depending upon where in the world you live.  If we stand up for the truth of what God says about living a moral life, we’re persecuted. 

When Jesus told the Pharisees that whoever was without sin to cast the first stone, He was defending a woman who had been caught in adultery.  Jesus then spoke to the woman and told her to go and sin no more.  He spoke the truth to her in that she shouldn’t commit the sin of adultery any longer.  He was loving and kind to her.  He didn’t shy away from speaking the truth to her in love nor did He condemn her or, being the only One without sin, He didn’t stone her.

This is how we should, as Christians, handle similar situations.  In the times that we live in now, it seems that we can say that we’ve nearly seen it all…there’s nothing new under the sun.  There are some crazy things going on in our world and when we need to stand up for the truth, we need to speak the truth in love.  In 1 Corinthians it says that if we speak with tongues of men or angels but we don’t have love, we are like a clanging gong or cymbal.  Annoying!!  Speak the truth in love, but know that not everyone is going to like what you have to say.  Persecution is everywhere and should be anticipated.  Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.   Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.   But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” John 15:18-22

Don’t condone sin.  Speak the truth in love.  Know that we will be persecuted.  Remember that God is with us.  His grace is sufficient to get us through all things!