There are warnings posted all around us. Signs tell us not to smoke or use a cell phone when pumping gasoline. Road signs tell us about sharp curves ahead and post advisory speeds. Stores warn that surveillance cameras are in use and shoplifters will be prosecuted. In Idaho, some highways have signs that warn of cricket migrations. That’s right. Cricket migrations. If you hit a bunch of migrating crickets at 60 mph, your car can be thrown into a skid and crash because the cricket guts under your tires are slick.
Seriously, if we were standing on a street corner and your child started to step out in front of a car, you would be grateful if I took the kid by the arm and pulled him out of the way. Wouldn’t you?
The Holy Bible admonishes believers to warn people when they are living a sinful lifestyle. We are told not to be judgmental – not to condemn people. We are charged, however, to lovingly warn people that there is a God to whom we all must give an account. (Hebrews 4:12-13) “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31 NKJV)
https://biblehub.com/nkjv/hebrews/10.htm
We are told that it turns people off to talk about sin and God’s judgement. Rather, we should talk about all the “warm fuzzies,” that encourage people. It is true that the Bible is full of examples of God’s love for us, not the least of which is that He gave his only Son so that we can have everlasting life. These things must be emphasized, over and over.
It is also true that the Bible says that all of us are sinners. (Romans 3:23) It is difficult for someone to seek a savior if they do not understand that they need one. Don’t you think?
Christians are called haters, bigots, racists, homophobes, hypocrites, stick in the mud, holy Joe’s and goody two shoes. We are shouted down on campus and barred from social media. Some executives and public servants have been forced to resign for speaking out in favor of traditional values. We have had our businesses targeted with legal proceedings for refusing certain services that conflict with our sincerely held religious beliefs. The Obama administration even tried to prosecute a group of Catholic nuns for refusing to provide insurance that paid for birth control.
Yet, we Christians continue to be a voice in the moral wilderness that modern American society has become. Why? Because God said to:
Once again, a message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman. When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’
“Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. (Ezekiel 33:1-9 NLT)
https://biblehub.com/nlt/ezekiel/33.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment