Sinful Talking

I am intersecting my series on Ten Sinful Things to Say to Suffering People to add some additional insights to the topic of sin and conversation.

The term sin in the Bible generally means to "Miss the mark". I can remember the very first sermon I ever heard that demonstrated this. It was Rev. Ron Rand of College Hill Presbyterian Church who set up one of his famous visual illustrations so we could really see what the Bible means.

He put up a picture of a target with circles to show the Bull's Eye and circles concentric around it away from the center. then he showed us a bow and arrow to illustrate what the Bible writers had in mind when they said Sin was missing the mark. The mark is the Bull's Eye. We can get close but not hit exactly in the center and still "Miss the mark".

In life it is very hard to always "Hit the Bull's Eye". In fact, St. Paul said that all of us have missed the mark or the Bull's Eye ever since we were born. (All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23) In fact, none of us can consistently hit the Bull's Eye no matter how hard we try.

Few of us are archers today so perhaps the Corn Hole game is a better illustration. I would love to be able to throw my little bag of corn into that small hole every time. I make it sometimes but I need more practice. However, even the very best players miss sometimes and they almost always hit the side of the hole or slide it in after missing it at first.

That is like us Christians who have tried for decades to improve our aim spiritually. I try to be accurate but I miss my mark still after all these years of trying. PTL in Christ there is hope for forgiveness and healing and a new day after I sin. Even St. Paul admitted that he could not always hit the mark. In Romans 7 he said "I know what I am supposed to do but I just cannot do it!"

Proverbs reminds us that Life or death are in the tongue.

Gary Sweeten
Sweetenlife.com

A Great Testimony

Over the past 40 years of ministry I have heard thousands of testimonies from preachers and writers. However, there is something much more powerful when that testimony comes from a person or family that gives the praise to god but the tanks to one of our ministries.

Such affirmation and thanksgiving is rare in the white conservative Christian community. The African American community is much better at offering thanks and at honoring their Christian leaders than my own tradition. I am not sure why but it may be a fear giving the people a "Big Head". I was once accused by a famous Bishop of "Making my people proud and causing them to sin" because I urged them to "Grow in grace and truth".

Have you ever tried to thank a Minister or Lay Leader and get this response? , "Oh, I did nothing at all. It was all God".This is a double bind for Christians because we are encouraged to give, serve, lead and witness, all of which bring a sense of well being and God's pleasure. Yet, if we enjoy God's pleasure too much we are warned that "Pride goes before a fall so refuse to accept any praise". That is as easy to do as standing on my head and stacking bee bee's. It cannot be done in this life.

So here is my counsel. Thank people for their ministry. Bless them and love them even if they act like they hate it. We really love that sort of thing and need it as well even if we are embarrassed and uncomfortable by hearing it.

Peace Makers

This is a blog about healing, growth and sanctification. One of the most important aspects of healing is making peace with one's enemies. Hebrews 12: tells us about the consequences of refusing to forgive.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet,"[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Being in conflict and bitterness with others keeps us from being holy and that prevents us from hearing God or experiencing Him personally.

15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

How do we "miss the grace of God"? By requiring justice. Justice demands that people get what they deserve. Do you come to God and demand that He give you justice? I do not. I always ask for Mercy and Grace. God's mercy removes Justice or what we deserve. Grace gives us what we do not deserve.

If you demand that God delivers Justice to your enemies you plant seeds of bitterness that will bloom throughout your lif and the lives of your offspring.

Bitterness toward others is like drinking rat poison yourself in an attempt to kill the rats.

Go to my web page at sweetenlife.com and download a great paper about making peace from the "Downloads page".