The Weightier Things

 

The Weightier Things

What you are afraid of already has power over you!

 Disclaimer: This is Ladi's diary. Read with an open mind. Question everything.

Sin must no longer be feared. Rather, only God should be feared, whether reverentially or trepidatiously!

I understand the fear most people have about sin, it is usually an inroad for Satan into a person’s life. It has been preached that sin is what pierced the protective armor of Job. But when you read the book of Job carefully, if at all it was sin, it is God’s sin, because He bragged about the perfection of a mere man –

“Job 1:8  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

But then again, God cannot sin, and blaming God would be missing the entire point of the book of Job: that there is no perfect man outside the covering of the grace and truth of God.

So the next man God bragged about, a man in the person of Jesus, Saying: “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased” That man survived Satan’s temptation because he came full of grace and truth.

Now, to show how little God thought of sin, Jesus was already forgiving sins before he went to the cross. I will show two verses where he did so easily.

Luk_5:20  And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Luk_7:48  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

God had been forgiving sins from the time of Adam. I mean, he still took the time to give Adam and Eve proper clothes after they had sinned, even though it is not recorded that any apologies were made to God.

Therefore, whether sin or sins, God sent Jesus not to just FORGIVE but to TAKE IT AWAY.

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Take away in what sense?

This testimony explains it.

Joh 8:1  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 

Joh 8:2  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 

Joh 8:3  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 

Joh 8:4  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 

Joh 8:5  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 

Joh 8:6  This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 

Joh 8:7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 

Joh 8:8  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 

Joh 8:9  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 

Joh 8:10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 

Joh 8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 

I know many messages have been preached on this portion of Scripture, but there are some points to note again here.

1) 1) Jesus did NOT CONDEMN the woman in adultery, showing FORGIVENESS.

2)  2) Jesus told the woman GO AND SIN NO MORE showing His ability to TAKE AWAY SIN. The very words “Go and sin no more”, to some might seem like more weight, but because Jesus’ words to her carry with it the grace (ability) to achieve that instruction, she had become truly free indeed.

Therefore, anybody that sees another person in a trespass, the first thing that needs to be said is: I do not condemn you, God does not condemn you either, and your sins are forgiven you. The second statement must also be "I pray God that he gives you the Grace to sin no more". Rest, and let God do His thing.

Condemning only empowers the sin in man (both the condemner and the condemned). 

By this we can leave solidly leave behind us the sin that so easily besets us and run our race because once sin is dealt with we discover that there are more weightier things of the Kingdom to attend to.

You may ask, if sin is nothing why did the Apostles teach about it in the bible?

Is it not clear yet?, they taught it so that we can recognize the lapses in each other (for I may not see the log that is in my eyes and yet see the speck that is in your eyes and vice versa) and/or so that we can confess our faults / sins one to another and pray the prayer of forgiveness and ask for grace for one another to sin no more.

If one recognizes a fault in himself and wants to stop it, ask for forgiveness and ask for grace to sin no more. Rest your faith in the answered prayer and surely He will help you sin no more.

It might just be more potent if you had someone to pray the prayer of agreement with you. The Catholics understand this very well. We Anglicans offer more of a blanket prayer for forgiveness. But the Priests are available to pray with anyone who needs it.

What we must not do is recognize a fault in someone, condemn that person and leave that person like that. The lame foot can yet be healed.

Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

That the person has no sin in them doesn’t mean Satan will not attack! He will tempt and tempt because you are as well now a son of God who is pleasing to Him. This also means you have now become useful to the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Jesus committed no sin, yet Satan tempted him and sought to kill him. This is because Jesus had a key role to play in the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Wouldn’t you rather be a Christian, be God’s Son, be pleasing to Him, and advance His Kingdom?

Finally,

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 

Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit. 

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 

Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 

Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

 Some of the weightier things of the Kingdom as listed in the portion of scripture above includes being enlightened, enjoying the heavenly gift of Grace and Truth, partakers of the Holy Spirit, having access to the good word of God and tasting the powers of the world to come (you do know there is a world to come right?)

The only warning is this, do not in the deep recess of your heart, fall away!, that is do not change your heart and believe that Jesus is not your Lord and has not died for you. From this it is impossible to receive any more repentance.

Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 

Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. 

Don’t be a thorn and brier to God in Christ. God help us all to be ‘herbs’…useful to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit continue to rest and abide with us now and forever more, in Jesus name, Amen.