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Realize the Reason

RealizeTheReason

What’s wrong with our culture? Why is our country spiraling into moral calamity? Why are people lashing out in rage against others? Today, I want us to be honest with ourselves in identifying the problem. My friends, this is not really a gun control issue, nor is it an issue about any kinds of flags or anything else. The problem is sin.

If we will just realize the reason behind these senseless acts, we will be motivated to do something about it. You remember how Jesus contrasted Himself with Satan in John 10:10:

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

Overlay John 10:10 to our culture and you see it, don’t you? Satan wants to destroy our lives, ripping apart relationships and interjecting violence and hatred into our lives.

You know, the evil that we see in our world stems from sin in people’s hearts. Jesus said,

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Mat. 15:19).

He also stated that

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things (Mat. 12:35).

A world that is comfortable in sin reacts harshly to Christ and His disciples. Jesus said that “everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).

The sin problem is taken one step further when we – as God’s people – allow sin to be S2E4-Sinamong us. Some people are going to take issue with that statement because we are imperfect people. I get that. But doesn’t the Bible still identify us as the called-out ones, ekklesia, the church? Doesn’t the Bible still say we are to “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16)? To be holy is to be separate, consecrated for God’s service. Christians are called “saints” (1 Cor. 1:2), referring to holy ones, and 1 Peter 2:9 calls us “a holy nation.”

Christians, please listen carefully: You cannot allow sin to be in your life while still calling Jesus your Lord (Luke 6:46). You must intend to be faithful the Lord. You must dedicate your life to doing His will (Col. 3:17). You must be holy.

Let’s wrap it up: Sin is our world’s problem. It always has been the world’s problem. Prior to our relationship with Christ, it was our problem. Jesus’ blood washes away our sins in baptism (Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4), and His blood continues to cleanse us as we walk in His light (1 John 1:7).

As a Christian you have the opportunity to shine the light into the world’s darkness. Further, as a Christian, you have the responsibility to be holy. Separate yourself from the world’s evil practices. Realize that sin is the reason why there is so much violence, unrest, and hatred in the hearts of men today. Let that motivate you to more holiness and faithfulness to Christ.

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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Ten Thousand Talents

UnmercifulServant

In the beatitudes, Jesus taught that the merciful are blessed. Jesus had a lot to teach us about mercy. Some of it He taught by example, while other lessons He taught directly through what He said. Today, let’s look at an interesting story Jesus told in Matthew 18, and note two important lessons from it.

Lesson 1: Mercy feels so good to receive.

Jesus told a touching story of a servant who owed his master a lot of money. The master had been away for a while, but had returned to settle accounts. The servant, however, couldn’t pay his debt. He owed ten thousand talents.

A talent was a measurement of weight. Therefore, the value of a talent depends upon what you are weighing. If these were ten thousand talents of gold, then this servant owed his master $11.9 billion by today’s standards (according to Wolfram Alpha). If the talents were of silver, then ten thousand talents would convert to around $161 million today.

The master commanded that the servant be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, so that payment might be made. But the servant fell to his knees and begged his master to have mercy. The master was “moved with compassion” (Mat. 18:27), and forgave him of his debt.

Stop for a minute and think about how good that must have felt for this servant. One minute he owes millions or billions of dollars, and the next minute he’s forgiven of that debt. Imagine the weight that was lifted from his shoulders! Imagine the stress that was suddenly relieved!

I wish the story ended there, but it doesn’t. There’s another lesson we need to learn.

Lesson 2: Mercy is so hard to give.

The forgiven servant goes and finds one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. A denarius was one day’s wages (Mat. 20:2). If you take today’s minimum wage – $7.25 per hour – and multiply that by twelve hours, you come to $87 per day. One hundred denarii would equal $8700 by today’s standards. Is that a lot of money? Absolutely! But is it possible that this servant could have paid what he owed? It is.

The servant who had just been forgiven demands his fellow servant to cough up the hundred denarii. The servant begged him to be patient, but this guy wouldn’t hear it. He threw him into prison until he could pay.

The other servants had seen everything. They went back to the master and told him what happened. The master called the first servant to him. He was angry. He delivered him to the torturers until he could pay all that was due to him.

Then Jesus says these chilling words: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Mat. 18:35).

Let’s wrap it up: Mercy is great to receive, but it can be really difficult to give. However, Jesus says that the merciful are blessed. They are the ones who will obtain mercy from God. Everyone needs mercy. Including you and me. But you can’t give it if you don’t have it. And if you have it, but withhold it, you aren’t going to be shown mercy anymore. Let’s be merciful.

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.