…I am without sin? Sin is falling short of GOD’s glory and the laws, precepts and standards He’s laid down in His word and by His Son’s example. This writer has been made to realize that one’s own opinions carry little weight when they are not founded upon truth first and foremost.

Pontius Pilate said to Jesus Christ, “What is truth?”. Christ did not respond because He is Truth, and Pilate was looking right at Him when asking. Possibly it was a rhetorical question? Truth is a complex idea. To define it to the point of complete understanding and agreement by all parties involved is not a likely prospect.

Truth is self existent and self evident. It is absolute and without refutation. Anything that falls short of the truth is at best a half truth, and as Mikhail Gorbacev once said; “A half truth is worse than a lie!” Why is that? It is because a half truth is still true – it’s just not the “whole” truth! In a court of law where truth is critical in order to determine innocence, guilt, or degrees of guilt, honest and complete testimony must be presented without partiality shown to the accused individual nor prejudice against said individual.

There is more to it than that. It is critical to have at least two witnesses who agree on what they saw! Yes “saw”! Anything less than seeing an event turns it into hearsay and/or circumstantial evidence. It is often the case that eye witness accounts will vary, more often than not because of multiple witnesses having different vantage points, different reactions, perceptions and emotions. The emphasis from one witness to another may vary as well.

It is recorded in Scripture that “over 500” people witnessed a resurrected Jesus Christ. How do unbelievers get around that one? To what end would people falsely testify to such an event? How could over 500 people all agree in any form of conspiracy? Why would people be fed to the lions and slaughtered at will if it were not true? Would you be willing to die for a lie?

An eye witness is the most powerful and convicting testimony. Does that eliminate the need for circumstantial evidence? No! But it does supersede it! Evidence that is valid will not be successfully challenged in a court of law. But what about the court of GOD? GOD is the ultimate Judge and determining factor in all adjudications. He judges both temporally and eternally.

A temporal judgment of GOD could be something as simple as a glutton becoming obese; a heavy drinker becoming an alcoholic; a liar being defrauded by another liar. With temporal judgment, there is an opportunity GOD gives to someone to repent of their sin and turn their life over to Jesus Christ as Savior and King! This thought is anathema to the unbeliever, and only when the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD moves in the heart of the unbeliever is there a change. The thief on the cross would be one of the most stark examples.

Without that change, a person is doomed to Hell. That is another thing that bothers unbelievers. They don’t like to think that they are sinners, nor that they are to be held accountable for their sins. If GOD is, then He also must be who He says He is. With that in mind, it makes no difference whether the unbeliever likes GOD’s word or not – he is still subject to it!

The world in which we live is filled with temptations and diversions. Watch television for a few minutes, and you will see the temptations that beset people. Buy this product and be more beautiful, popular or succcessful. Drink this whiskey and life will be a bowl of cherries – nothing but laughs; fun and games. “Don’t have time for the pain?”; take this pain killer and all the pain will go away. Take a vacation to this island and there will be nothing but scantly clad young and beautiful women to share your beach front condominium with to enjoy all the hedonistic pleasures you can possibly think of.

Then, there are the diversions. Have you ever wondered why all of the professional sports culminate on Sunday? NFL football, tennis, golf etc. are featured prominently on Sunday. What is Sunday? It’s the LORD’s sabbath. A day to worship Him and be in church. Not to do so is to violate the fourth commandment. If you violate one, you’ve violated them all says Scripture. Where this writer lives, the flea market is absolutely jammed on Sunday. Shopping, movies, bars, restaurants etc. are all open on Sunday. Believe it or not, this writer grew up in a liberal city in the midwest where blue laws were honored (blue laws are the closing of businesses on Sunday). Have you noticed that your nicer restaurants have a very fancy and attractive buffet – on Sundays only!

So what is a person to do? If you are a believer, it is your duty to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for the sins of His elect (chosen ones). It’s also necessary to, by GOD’s grace, keep His commandments. If you are an unbeliever, it is you duty to fulfill, or approve other’s fulfillment of, your desires to the maximum. How do you do that? Don’t read the Bible. Don’t go to church. Avoid Christians. Hate your neighbor. Have sex with whomever you please, whenever you please, however you please and with no binding commitment. If you should get caught in a binding commitment (marriage), then get a divorce the minute things don’t go to your liking. Lust after your neighbor’s possessions. Say what is best to make you look good or keep you out of trouble or from being judged by your fellow man. Any of that sound familiar? The distinction between believer and unbeliever is clear!

GOD, throughout the Scriptures makes distinctions. He makes the distinction between man and woman, good and evil, wet and dry, light and dark, heavens and firmament, children and adults etc. His ultimate distinction is between unbeliever and believer. Examples He uses throughout Scripture are; wheat and tares, wheat and chaff, righteous and wicked, good fruit and bad fruit, sheep and goats, friend and enemy, asleep and awake and so on. How do you want to be distinguished?

Now it should be duly noted here that there are many who “profess” to be believers, but they don’t act like it. How do you know? Jesus said that you shall know them by their fruits for a bad tree cannot bear good fruit and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit. Is it possible that a “professing” Christian may not be, and become one later? Yes; that’s possible. You will know them by their fruit. One fruit that believers are to display is the love that fellow believers have for each other. It is an agape love or a self-sacrificing love. It is a love that expects nothing in return, and is not disappointed when it receives nothing in return, nor does it disapate in its intensity.

Can you find that kind of love among the unbelievers? Maybe on occasion; but more than likely, it will be truncated. That is not to say that unbelievers never are self-sacrificing,; instead, it is to say that they have an ulterior motive to achieve an appearance for public consumption. It may well be that they think they can earn their way to Heaven – they cannot. It may be that they want to be thought well of, or to receive the praise of man. To what end? Maybe that will lead to a better job, social acceptance, public praise etc. How will that affect them in the long run?

What is the “long run”? The long run is eternity. Eternity has no end. Our temporal life is a journey we make until death. At that time our spiritual soul is separated from the body and goes to be with GOD or Satan – Heaven or Hell. Heaven is characterized as having no night there, and all tears will be wiped away and there will be no want and nothing but joy. Hell is characterized as torment, anguish, darkness, hot flames, thirst and dissatisfaction. As one Hoyt Axton song says; “Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to make the climb!” But, you can’t climb there. GOD will lift you up there if He chooses to do so. If not, then you have to suffer the consequences. Aw, but that’s not fair. Sorry, GOD is not “fair”, He’s GOD, and you and I are not! GOD does what He will, and nobody will win an argument with Him – NOBODY!

Therefore, alllow me to please say that you should consider; today is the first day of the rest of your life (which could be taken in a moment’s notice), and so, repent and change your ways – believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and keep His commandments! Who is Jesus Christ that you should believe upon Him? Colossians 1:15 – 20 and Isaiah 9:6. Is more needed?

Pensiamento Peligroso