The Devotional - A Look at the Book #783

by Jesse Abel

A Word from Papa “J”

 

Proverbs 9:10-12 – How many times have you heard? The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. I wonder if you are like me and like those stiff-necked Israelites who failed to comprehend. God is Holy and when we acknowledge this He adds days and years to our life. Should you choose to scoff at this sin results and you alone will bear it. Isaiah 55:1-13 Wow!

 

Good Morning

From these three verses in Proverbs this morning and because I am burdened over an issue of sin I write the following. In the 1990’s, one of the inmates we were ministering to wanted to know the definition of the word sin. One answer he heard was from a dear friend who is now home with the LORD. His answer was; writing and cashing a check without signing the check.

Actually the Webster dictionary that I have in front of me gives a decent answer and this is what it reads. “An offense against God as a result of a weakened human nature” so first off sin is not an object, yet the object (like an unsigned check) could be knowingly used as sin. Sin is not a person; however a person can knowingly sin by failing to sign a check. Sin is not a Law, but the law can be broken when a check is knowingly cashed without a legal signature resulting in sin.

While there is human involvement with others, with objects and with the civil laws of the land; sin is not committed against another human an innate object or a legal perimeter; biblically I cannot say to anyone… you have sinned against me; an object or a specific law, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD. We may often reduce this to words like; “you seem to be out of the Will of the LORD on this thought” or” it might be a good idea if I let the LORD deal with you in this matter”.

This is not a conviction of sin and certainly not a remark that one is guilty of breaking a civil law; but it is a challenge to the one receiving such a word from another to think about the consequences of their actions or events leading up to that reprimand or biblical exhortation.

What is the root cause of sin? Hebrews 12:13. Bitterness; bitterness makes us fear and causes us to be spiritually feeble, in this weakened state we want to strike out at everyone in our past, our present and future and this causes everyone within that path of bitterness to be defiled.

Bitterness is like the old west cowboy and his six-shooter; the cowboy rides into town with snoot full of intoxicating bitterness and his six-shooter is blazing. The innocent is condemned by one stray bullet and the cowboy chokes on his own reoccurring and violent vomit and he cannot help but to wipe his mouth with the skirt and shirt of his love ones.

As his victims lay suffering with his stench and defilement the cowboy rides off to another town, maybe this time it will be a friend, a brother or sister who suffers the stray, but deadly dart! And this goes on and on and on. Until there is none to help as this sort of defilement is deadly, for those of a bitter heart. Is there reconciliation for this person? Hebrews 12:12-17 is the challenge and some of us need to apply this to our soul, do we not?

I have confidence in the LORD that His Will is going to be accomplished in everything, because I know He hears my words with Him and He often answers with words of Grace and Mercy and also in Truth and Love. (These answers are not normally mine.) If I see my brother or sister sinning, I will tell him or her so, it is my biblical and spiritual responsibility. All UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS SIN and who knows there may be repentance and restoration and if not, God will deal with the matter and I do not have too! 1 John 5:14-17.