Have You Heard About Sin Lately?
By Perry Sexton
It is amazing how quickly things go down without proper attention. Without effective repairs a house will go into ruins. But far more seriously, without proper application of the Word of God the human race swiftly spirals into damnable sins. This we have seen in our own lifetime and also in biblical history. Not so long ago it was shameful and embarrassing to speak of some things that now go on as common practice.
People ignore, water down, justify, condone, and even encourage sin: dressing very immodestly, dancing, going to the prom, beach, public swimming (mixed swimming), drinking, drugs, smoking, filthy speech, sex before marriage, living together without marriage, divorce and unscriptural remarriage, homosexuality, abortion, and on and on! And the amazing thing is most of these people think they are going to Heaven! That is the power of Satan, the power of deception (cp. Revelation 12:9).
People say times are changing and we have to change with the times, but God's Word has not changed. God’s Word will not change: the New Testament (the system of faith), under which we live today, has been given “once” for all time (Jude 3). As Jesus said: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). It will definitely meet us in the Judgment (Rev. 20:12, 13 cp. John 12:48; Heb. 10:29)! Sin is still sin and sin still leads to a devil's hell. Man still has need of salvation from sin. Wake up before it is forevermore too late: too late to save yourself and too late to help save your loved ones.
The church which Jesus built has not changed, and when some congregations do change then they are no longer a true church of Christ. You can know if any church is truly following the Bible by an examination of it in light of God’s pattern for the church: the New Testament. If you honestly and seriously investigate the denominations you will find that they have changed their doctrine over the years and still do change in order to please the people or themselves. They are not of God: none of them.
Many parents are setting improper examples before their children. Oh, they may say, “Do as I say and not as I do,” but we all should know that does not work. Some parents are not restraining their children as Eli of old did not (1 Samuel 3:13). Many parents just let their kids go. The Bible says: “... it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). If it is not in adults to “direct his steps” it is certainly not in children to direct their steps in the proper way. Children need godly parental guidance and every parent has a God given responsibility to give it (cp. Proverbs 22:6; Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; Psalm 78:3-6; Ephesians 6:4, etc).
But there are some parents who even encourage their children in certain areas of sin: “Sow your wild oats while you are young.” But God has something different to say about it: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). And God gives these warnings: “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment” (Eccl. 11:9); “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Eccl. 12:14). The parents will give account of their sin of encouraging sin in their children, and the children will give account of their sins. Can you imagine how terrible it would be to find yourself in the place called Hell with your children, knowing that you encouraged them in ways that led them to that horrible place?
Have you heard about the consequences of sin lately?
Make no mistake about it; you will reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). Even in this life to a degree, we reap what we sow, but certainly in the next life we will reap what we have sown! The parents who just let their children do what they want: they have a harvest coming, in this life and in the next (cp. Proverbs 29:15; Ephesians 6:4). Those who live according to the “works of the flesh” will have their part “in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8). “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Those who continue in sin shall reap the harvest of it! Those who will repent of their sins and obey the gospel of Christ will have eternal life if they remain faithful to the Lord (Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Heb. 3:6).
Have you heard the truth concerning salvation from sin lately?
Sad to say, many in this country have never heard the whole truth of salvation! Certainly religious error has caused an increase in sin in every area of life. It is amazing how many times “religious” people have shown themselves to be crooks, thieves, liars, and in general evil doers of every sort! No wonder, IF it is true as their preachers say, that one is saved by “faith only,” then why not? One denominational preacher told one of our members if he would come to “his church” he could sin all he wanted to. Such things appeal to many people: live a life of pleasurable sin and still be saved. But friends, it simply is not true. If one continues in sin he will be lost forever (Luke 13:3, 5; Rom. 6:1-23)! If one continues in religious error he will be lost forever (Matt. 7:21-23; 15:9, 13, 14; 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9).
Man’s part of God’s plan of salvation is simple and easy to find and understand. The book of Acts show penitent people obeying the gospel as Jesus taught in the gospel accounts. Consider a few verses. Jesus taught: faith and baptism (Mark 16:16); confession and repentance (Matt. 10:32, 33; Luke 13:3, 5).
In the conversion accounts in the book of Acts we find the people that were saved (Acts 2:47), obeyed what the Savior taught: repented and were baptized for the remission of sins (v. 38, 41); believed and were baptized (8:12, 13; 16:31, 33); baptized (9:18 cp. 22:16; 10:48; 16:15). It is obvious all of these followed the complete steps or plan of salvation. The natural order being: faith, repentance, confession of Christ and baptism for the remission of sins which places the saved “in Christ,” His church (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27) where salvation is (2 Tim. 2:10; Eph. 5:26, 27). Thus saved, we must then be faithful to the Lord (Heb. 3:6; Rev. 2:10).
Will you obey the Savior (Hebrew 5:8, 9) and be saved eternally (Matt. 7:21, see contexts)? ♥
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