THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY – Part 1
Honesty
An honest person is motivated by love, not by an obsession with relaying accurate information
“The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”
Proverbs 19:22 (KJV)
Above all, the honest person is concerned with telling the truth about God and fostering the spiritual growth of other people
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Ephesians 4:29 (KJV)
“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV)
THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY – Part 2
Sin
As far as it compares to the holiness of God, all sin is the same. Every sin, from anger to murder, from white lies to adultery, will lead to eternal condemnation.
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
James 4:17 (KJV)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 (KJV)
All sin, no matter how “small,” goes against the nature and will of an infinite and eternal God and is therefore deserving of an infinite and eternal punishment. In this sense, there is no “worst” sin.
“And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”
Isaiah 13:11 (KJV)
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23 (KJV)
First, not all sins are equal in their earthly consequences. Although both lust and adultery are sinful, one (adultery) will have worse consequences than the other. The consequences of having lust in one’s heart will not be as severe as committing the physical act of adultery. The same is true with entertaining a covetous thought versus committing theft. All sin is bad, but not all sin carries the same penalty in this world. In that sense, some sins are worse than others.
“47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
Luke 12:47-48 (KJV)
Sins of presumption and negligence warrant a heftier penalty in the final judgment than sins committed in ignorance. Hell is hot, but it might be hotter for some. In that sense, some sins are worse than others.
If there is a “worst” sin, that doesn’t mean that other, “lesser” sins are excusable. Sin is sin, and it is all unrighteous.
We must not fall into the trap of comparing our sins with others’. When we compare, we will invariably conclude that other people are committing “worse” sins than we are; our sins are somehow “better.” Our first concern should be our own sin, whatever it is, and not the sins of those around us. God’s standard is not how well we measure up to other people but how we measure up to Christ.
“4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:4-5 (KJV)
Lastly, we might say that the “worst” sin is unbelief. Faith in Christ is how people rightly respond to God’s offer of salvation. “How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?”. To reject the Savior is to accept the penalty for one’s own sin.
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
Hebrews 2:3 (KJV)
1 John 2
As Christians, we not only have the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, we also have Jesus Christ as our advocate for our sins
1 John 2:1 (KJV), “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate [3875] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
John 14:26 (KJV), “But the Comforter [3875], which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
In both verses, the words ‘Advocate’ and ‘Comforter’ have the same root meaning
Strong’s Concordance (3875) – paraklétos: called to one’s aid. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – 2. universally, one who pleads another’s cause with one, an intercessor.
That is the Law Firm that represents us before God the Father
1 John 2:2 (KJV), “And he is the propitiation [2434] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon (2434) – 2. in Alex. usage the means of appeasing, a propitiation.
It is imperative not to love or get immersed into the world. For if we do, the love of the Father is not in you.
John wrote 1 John much later in life to set boundaries on the content of faith and to give believers assurance of their salvation
1 John 2:15 (KJV), “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Paul emphasizes this to the Romans, as the Gentile and Jewish Christians lived together
Romans 12:2 (KJV), “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Deceptions of the Last Hour
1 John 2:22-23 (KJV), “22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
Let Truth Abide in You
True abiding in Christ will give you discernment on false teaching
1 John 2:26-27 (KJV), “26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
1 John 3
Why should the world full of unbelievers believe that ‘Christians’ are different and there is something wrong with us?
1 John 3:1 (KJV), “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
We are children of God
1 John 3:2-3 (KJV), “2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
The Divine law, which contains His will for the leadership of the world, which is suitable to the logical nature, and approved for the good of the world, which shows man the way of happiness and peace.
1 John 3:4 (KJV), “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
To commit sin is to practice sin (the act of purposely repeating the sin). He that abides in Christ continues not in the practice of sin. As vital union with the Lord Jesus broke the power of sin in the heart and nature, so continuance of sin prevents the authority and frequency in the life and conduct.
1 John 3:7-10 (KJV), “7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
How was Cain’s murder a sin when the law had yet to be given?
1 John 3:11-12 (KJV), “11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
Hebrews 12
God has given us so much and a perfect example to follow by. The world will continue to jab at us at every moment of our life. Keep your faith and follow the example that God gave us of His Son.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV), “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Hebrews 12:6 (KJV)
As a child of God, He will continue to shapen and mold you unto His perfection.
Jeremiah 18:4-6 (KJV), “4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”
Isaiah 64:8 (KJV), “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Hebrews 12:11 (KJV), “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
As a miner sifts out the dirt from his pan, God shakes out the unrighteous leaving only the righteous remaining
Hebrews 12:27 (KJV), “And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”
Jeremiah 16 Jeremiah’s Life-Style and Message
God told Jeremiah that he will not have a wife or family
Jeremiah 16:3-4 (KJV), “3 For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; 4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.”
God Will Restore Israel
“14 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 15 But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.”
Jeremiah 16:14-15 (KJV)
Proverbs 11 Read
Ezekiel 15
God has always compared us to Him as The Vine and the branches
Ezekiel 15:6 (KJV), “Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
John 15:5-6 (KJV), “5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Grow in the Word of the Lord 