The Sense of Sin

Hey y'all. I just had a thought cross my mind & I wanted to discuss it with you. My wife & I were just discussing a movie that came out a few years ago, & actually this could fit the description of likely 99.9% of all Hollywood offerings in the last 20 or more years. But the main character didn't know who his dad was & his Mom was rather a so-called "free spirit." This of course was portrayed as positive, & sin was seen as a non-existent concept. Keep that thought.

OK, now just recently I was chatting with a very cordial, but adamant, unbeliever. But there's a catch to this person. He used to be evangelical Christian! Unfortunately I fear his number is legion. Anyway, as we chatted, one thing he made clear was that he saw no need to be saved from sin. He was comfortable in his life of unbelief. Unfortunately we were not able to chat long. I hope we can chat more soon. But the point in this post (yes, there actually IS one!) is that these two incidents I believe are intimately related. I recall my own conversion to Christ was largely due to a tremendous sense of sinfulness hanging over me, & in me. It separated me from God, & it seemed to be suffocating. Thankfully soon thereafter I trusted Christ! Matthew 11:28 became gloriously true in my own life! As I've stated before, though I can't pinpoint an actual exact moment that I trusted Christ, I do know that there was that time, because though I'm still FAR from what I ought or even want to be, I still know that Christ is my Savior because I have believed in Him, actually I have grabbed onto Him as a drowning man grabs onto a lifeboat!

Anyway, back to my original point, whatever the factors were that led this man to become comfortable in his unbelief, in my mind anyway, a large part of it almost had to be the influence Hollywood has played in making sin seem irrelevant at least, & nonexistent at most. I know the ultimate source behind it all is Satan (Ep.6:12), but Hollywood is certainly a favorite tool of his. Now, I also take a large part of the blame along with the church as a whole. Yet the ultimate responsibility for the lost person is the lost himself. Oh well, I've started to ramble, & that is my sign to sign off! May the Lord bless you all.

Grace For Me, Law For You

The Gospel is Good News!! The Great News of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God Himself, has died for my sin & yours as well, & this being true, He offers us eternal salvation on the sole basis of our belief in Him for that salvation! But, you may also be aware, that there are many who, though they themselves may very well have understood that & received this most wonderful of all gifts freely, yet for whatever reason, the most likely being that it is sinful human nature, they will not offer you this same opportunity! Instead, they add other oppressive requirements, such as turning from all sin, or at least a promise to do so, or maybe a full surrender of every area of your life BEFORE you can be saved by receiving this gift! And dear reader, may I come clean with you? I have been guilty of this same terrible offense myself. I have freely received this most wonderful of all gifts, but there was a time when I also made some of these same requirements for others to receive it. I no longer do, thank God, but I have in the past.
This Good Friday that traditionally has been celebrated by the church as the day Jesus died on the cross for us, let's once again focus on this greatest of all gift-Givers, & His greatest of all gifts that has ever been given to mankind & if you have not received it as of yet but would like to, know that God is at your side waiting to give it freely to you if you will but take it by faith! Don't get me wrong, there will be requirements in order to follow this greatest Person in all time & eternity as your Lord, but you can only begin to do this after you have received His gift of life & His Spirit who comes to indwell you at the moment of faith in Christ! Read John 3:16-18 as well as Revelation 22:17, God's final invitation to you in the Bible, & believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!! May the Lord bless you today & every day!