Tag: Sin

The BIBLE VIEW #904 — Alcohol

In This Issue:
Should a Christian Drink Alcohol?
Effects of Drinking
A Monster

Volume: 904   April 16, 2023
Theme: Alcohol

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Should a Christian Drink Alcohol?
Bill Brinkworth

Today, possibly because the Word of God is not obeyed and is considered not relevant, many Christians have no conviction about what the Bible says about many things, including the drinking of alcohol.

The Bible says much about the dangers and effects that alcohol will have on one and a Christian testimony.  Indulgence in alcohol is never recommended in God’s Word.  Its use is usually negatively spoken about.

Here are some reasons why a Christian should avoid alcoholic beverages:

  • Alcohol is dangerous.  Even wine is likened to a poison that will ruin one’s life!
    “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright     [fermenting].  32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” Pro.  23:31-32
  • Alcohol should not be drunk by a wise person.
    “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Prov. 20:1     Wine’s influence will make one mock, or deride, others.  Strong drink will often make one loud and cause him to show his anger.
  • Alcohol will increase one’s problems and affect health and mental stability.
    “Who hath woe?  who hath sorrow?  who hath contentions?  who hath babbling?  who hath wounds without cause?  who hath redness of eyes?  30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” Pro.  23:29-30
  • Alcohol will control a person and affect one’s thinking and discernment.
    “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.” Isa. 28:7
  • Alcohol will affect one’s will.
    “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” Hos. 4:11     Notice that there are two types of wine: new, unfermented wine, and alcoholic (fermented) wine.
  • Alcohol will affect one’s desire to do something for the Lord and the desire to be industrious.
    “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!  12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.” Isa. 5:11-12 “
    Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.  We are not to even be around drinking, so certainly the Saviour would not have broken this commandment.” Pro.  23:20

These verses, and many more, show we should not drink, especially if we are concerned about keeping the “temple” that God gave us clean (I Cor. 6:19) from temptations and sin.  However, what confuses many, and is often used to justify drinking, is the Bible’s usage of the word “wine.”  In the New Testament, that word is used to describe alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine.  The Greek word “oinos” refers to fermented and unfermented “wines.”  The context of the verse usually reveals which type of “wine” it refers to.

What is non-alcoholic “wine”?  We call it grape juice.  Sometimes the Bible refers to it as “new wine” (Mat. 9:17, Luke 5:39).  Understand that in biblical days there was no refrigeration and that it was hot, which would quickly ferment the “new wine.”  To keep this from happening, the new “wine” was often simmered so that the water would evaporate from the “wine.”  

That process would result in a thick grape syrup that would last a long time.  It also was called “wine.”  Before it was drunk, water would be added to it again.  An ancient shipwreck was recovered with a cargo of containers of that grape syrup, which was still preserved.

There are other reasons why a Christian should not drink, even wine.  They include:

  • Fermented wine is a picture of sin!  The yeast (“leaven”) in the grape skins turns the juice to alcohol.  Yeast is a picture of sin, as it spreads and “ruins” (fermentation is a decaying and rotting process) many things it is placed in.  For this reason, it should not be drunk and should NEVER be used in the Lord’s supper, as Jesus was sinless and should not be pictured as sinful by fermented grape juice.  

    Also, for the same reason, raised bread should not be used.  A little “leaven” in grape juice or flour will raise and spread throughout the product, just as a little sin spreads and affects whatever life it touches.
    “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Gal. 5:9
    “Your glorying is not good.  Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” I Cor. 5:6
  • Many justify drinking because Jesus turned water into “wine” (John 2:9-10).  It was not alcoholic wine He changed from water.  If He did that, He would have been serving alcohol, which would have earned Him God’s “woe” rather than God’s approval on His life (Mat. 3:17).  Jesus’ converting the water was not an example of biblical doctrine on drinking.  It was a miracle to show Jesus was God in the flesh.
    “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” Hab. 2:15   If one is not to give it to others, then he should not be drinking it himself.
  • Alcohol is often a gateway to other sins.  One sin usually leads to others, and alcohol is no exception.
    “Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” Pro.  23:33
  • Some twist I Tim. 5:23 around to say that drinking wine for your health is okay.  Any drunk or doctor will tell you that alcohol will tear up one’s stomach.  Alcohol irritates the digestive system, including the stomach, causing it to produce too much acid.  This can lead to gastritis, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding.  Look at the beer belly of a beer guzzler for proof.  God knows all this, so alcohol consumption cannot be what I Tim.  5:23 is referring to.
    “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” I Tim 5:23  I read that to get the “good” chemical in wine that is supposed to help one’s health, many bottles of wine should be drunk daily.  Drinking that much would qualify one as a drunkard the Bible condemns.  Eating grapes or drinking unfermented grape juice is a better choice for one’s stomach health.
  • What is “drunk”?  How many drinks does it take to be “drunk”?  An excellent answer to this question is from Jim Jorgenson in Should I.   He wrote, “Perhaps you would say, ‘It would take six beers to make me drunk.’ If you only drink one beer, then you are one-sixth drunk.  You are one-sixth less able to serve God than before drinking.”
  • We are not to have the appearance of doing anything wrong.  We are to have an upright testimony.  Drinking would give an impression to others that we were drunkards.
    “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” I Thes. 5:22

Christians should be led and guided by the Spirit of God, not the spirit of drunkenness.  Interestingly, the old-time drunkards knew that drinking was not of God, and the wrong spirits influenced users of it.  To prove that look at a bottle of booze, which will still be identified as 50% (or another number) spirits.  Drinking it leads one to follow the wrong spirit, which will not be the Spirit of God.

A Christian should be “Christ-like,” as the name implies.  He should not be close to the edge of the godless world from which he was saved.  A believer should be as far from temptation and sin as possible.  One cannot lose his salvation, but he can lose his Christian testimony and be ensnared by many of the same pitfalls the unsaved fall into when they indulge in alcohol.  All lose when they drink booze!
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” Eph. 5:18

“Alcohol is a very effective dissolving agent.  It dissolves families, marriages, friendships, jobs, bank accounts, and neurons, but never problems.”


Effects of Drinking
Gleaned from Should I?  by Jim Jorgensen, Page 51

Physical Effects
Controlled by alcohol: (Isa. 5:11)
Leads to sickness: (Hosea 7:5)
Causes one to stagger: (Job 12:25)
Can cause one to vomit: (Isa. 19:14)
Affects one’s eyes: (Prov. 23:29)
Leads one to be hurt: (Prov. 23:29)
Produces filthiness: (Isa. 28:8)
Provokes one to do dumb things: (Prov. 23:34)

Mental Effects
Impairs judgments: (Prov. 31:5, Isa. 28:7)
Impairs the memory: (Prov. 31:4-5)
Encourages one to lose his temper: (Prov. 20:1)

Moral & Spiritual
Leads to indifference for the work of the Lord: (Isa. 5:12)
Is allied with gambling and licentiousness: (Joel 3:3)
Is allied with indecent exposure: (Gen. 9:21, Hab. 2:15-16)

Ultimately, it can lead to:
A ruined life: (Prov. 23:32)
Poverty: (Proverbs 21:17, 23:21)
Strife: (Proverbs 23:29-30)
Woe and sorrow: (Proverbs 23:29-30)

“One never has to battle the strangling grasp of alcohol, if one never takes the first sip.”


A Monster
T. Adams, 1871

A drunkard is the annoyance of modesty, the trouble of civility, the spoil of wealth, and the destroyer of reason.  He is the thief of one’s self, the beggar’s companion, and the sheriff’s trouble.  The drunk is his wife’s woe, his children’s sorrow, his neighbor’s scoff, and his shame.  He is a spirit of unrest, a thing below a beast, and a menacing monster.

“To a drunkard who feels unlovable, the message that God loves him comes as good news.”   — Jerry Dunn

The BIBLE VIEW #893 — Wages of Sin

In This Issue:

When God’s Hand of Blessing Was Removed
Wrath of God
God’s Restraint
Curse of Sin
A Free Pardon

Volume: 893     January 16, 2023
Theme: Wages of Sin

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View 16+ years of printable, free BIBLE VIEWS at https://openthoumineeyes.com/newsletters.html.  Make as many copies as you need and use them in your church, nursing homes (large print version available), Sunday school, deaf ministry, bus ministry, and as a church bulletin insert. 


When God’s Hand of Blessing Was Removed
Bill Brinkworth

The Bible has recorded that when people disobeyed or disregarded God’s commandments, their sin would cost them much.  It is clear, by the countless examples in the Word of God, that no person or country gets away with iniquity. 

Here are a few biblical examples of what a people did to lose God’s blessing and to be cursed by the Almighty:

  • God cursed Adam and Eve, all their future generations, and the earth (Genesis3:14-19) because of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience.
  • God cursed Canaan with slavery (Gen. 9:25) because of Ham’s sexual sin (Gen. 9:22).
  • God destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah, and two other cities (Deut. 29:23) because of their wickedness (Gen. 13:13).
  • God removed qualified, honorable, experienced God-approved leadership (Isaiah 3:1-3).  He then allowed inexperienced, youthful men (Isaiah 3:4-5) and those whose leadership would harm their country (Isa. 3:12) to rule.
  • God allowed foreigners to invade Israel (Judges 6:1-6) and to take away Israel’s freedoms, belongings, and peace.
  • God allowed Israel’s place of worship, Jerusalem, to be destroyed (Nehemiah 1:3) because the people did not keep God’s commandments (Neh. 1:7).  God also allowed the people to be scattered from the land He had given them because of their sin (Neh. 1:8).

God also promised, usually to His people, that He would allow them to learn from the consequences of their sin when they violated His laws.  Here are some other reasons God promised to curse people and nations when they broke His commandments:

  • God promised to curse those that cursed the offspring of Abram (Israel): Gen. 12:3.
  • God will curse those that curse their parents: Proverb 20:20.
  • God will curse those that do not obey the Lord’s commandments, including going “after other gods”: Deut. 11:28, Jer. 44:8.
  • God will curse the wicked: Pro.  3:33.
  • God will allow a people to go through wars, captivity, famines, pestilences, and to be disliked by other countries because they did not obey God’s words: Jer. 29:1-19.
  • God would allow His people to face wars and famines if they insisted on returning to the world from which Lord delivered them: Jer. 44:12.
  • God will curse those that do not give glory to His name: Mal. 2:2.
  • God cursed those that would not give Him their tithes (at least 10% of what God allowed them to earn): Mal. 3:9.

Many consequences of sin to earlier people are also occurring today.  Since God never changes (Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8), sins He would not tolerate then will not be put up with today.

No one gets away with evilness.  The people of Israel did not get away with iniquity, and neither will we!

Many say that if we do not turn from our current wicked sins, we may suffer the curse of God.  According to the biblical examples, we are already facing the after-effects of God’s curse on a rebellious people.  His hand, which often blessed this nation, may have been removed, and we may be suffering the same “lessons” that earlier people faced.

The curse of God is always intended to halt the violations against Him.  God intends that the hardships He allowed to happen will stop iniquity, and people will turn to Him.

There is always hope for those that turn from their wickedness.  When people face hard times, they usually realize they cannot handle them without God and turn toward Him in obedience.

It is possible to be blessed by God because of obedience to His commandments rather than be cursed.  Hopefully, people, and eventually as a nation, will see their wickedness and turn from it.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and  will heal their land.” II Chron.  7:14  

“The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.” Prov. 3:33

 Wrath of God
Jonathan Edwards

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present.  The waters increase and rise higher and higher until an outlet is given.   The greater the waters rise, the more rapid and destructive its course will be when the waters are loosed. 

If God should withdraw His hand from the floodgate, it would immediately fly open.  The floods of the fierceness and wrath of God would rush forth with inconceivable fury and come upon you with omnipotent power.  If your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in Hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it. 

“No one gets away with any sin!”

God’s Restraint 
Jonathan Edwards

The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow is ready on the string.  His justice aims the arrow at your heart and strains His bow.  It is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”  Proverbs 28:13  

Curse of Sin 
Dr. J. Parker

Oh, sin!  How hast thou curst us!  Thou hast thrown up a barrier between ourselves and God; with thy chilling breath, thou hast extinguished the light of our household joys.  Thou hast unstrung our harp and filled the air with discordant cries.  Thou hast unsheathed the sword and bathed it in human blood.  Thou hast dug every grave in the Earth’s bosom, but for thee, we should not have known the name of widow or orphan, tear and sigh, and sorrow and death, but for thee our hearts would not have known pain.

A Free Pardon
C. H. Spurgeon

A prisoner was taken out to die, and as he rode along in the death cart, his heart was heavy at the thought of his demise. None would cheer him from the watching throng.  The gallows tree was in sight and blotted out the sun for him.  But lo, his prince came riding up in hot haste, bearing a free pardon.

Then the man opened his eyes, and he returned to happy consciousness as if he had risen from the dead.  The sight of his prince had chased all gloom away.  He declared that he had never seen a fairer countenance in all his days.  When he read his pardon, he vowed that no poetry should ever be dearer to his heart than those few lines of sovereign grace.

Friends, I remember well when I was in that death cart, and Jesus came to me with a pardon.  Death and Hell were before me, but I rejoiced exceedingly when I saw the nail prints in his hands, feet, and the wound in his side.

When he said, “Thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee,” I thought I never saw such loveliness before and never heard such music in all my days.  Eternity itself shall never disclose anything sweeter.  My pardoning Lord hath no peer nor rival.  Oh, what a Christ is He who appeared to me, a guilty, condemned sinner, and on the way to Hell!  Blessed be His name.  Jesus bore my curse, shame, and death, and I am free!

“Life has taught me to forgive much and to seek forgiveness still more.”
— Bismarck

The BIBLE VIEW #882 — Reaping What Was Sown

In This Issue:
What Did You Expect?
The Crossroads
Poor Taste in Clothes
The Stone Inside

Volume: 882     October 31, 2022
Theme: Reaping What Is Sown

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What Did You Expect? 
Bill Brinkworth

Truths in botany can apply to our lives, as well.  One principle in the science is that one gets what is planted.  If one plant marigolds seeds, one gets marigolds.  If tomato seeds are planted, one certainly would not expect a crop of corn.  This law of “sowing and reaping” can be applied in our lives:

  • If one spends most of one’s life doing what is selfishly wanted, can one be expected to get the blessing of God in one’s life?
  • If one does not pray, read the Bible, does little that is spiritual, and purposely avoids doing what one knows God wants one to do (going to church, reading your Bible, praying…), why does one get angry and blame God when something terrible happens in one’s life?
  • Why does one curse or get angry with God for not answering the one requested prayer in many years?
  • If one never got saved, why would it be expected one will go to Heaven rather than Hell? 
  • Why would one think one’s opinion or philosophy was more important than what God thinks or says, and He will change everything He has said just because of one’s thoughts and beliefs? 
  • If one lets their children do what they want and certainly did not encourage them to live the way the Lord tells them to, why would anyone blame God (or a church) when something terrible happens to them or their lives are headed in the wrong direction?
  • If one allows their children to attend a secular school that teaches evolution, elevates ungodly lifestyles, mocks God, allows the children to be exposed to ungodly examples and philosophies, why would one be surprised that their life turns out to be ungodly, unfruitful, and unhappy?
  • If one allows one’s children to listen to music encouraging ungodly lifestyles, allows them to view television and movies that advertise sinful behavior, or hang around children that have ungodly lifestyles, why would one be surprised that their future lives are ruined by their wrong decisions?
  • If one avoided studying, cheated when possible, and avoided many learning situations (playing video games or watching TV rather than studying), why would one be surprised that one did not pass into the next grade or have problems learning?
  • If one does not take care of one’s health, why is God blamed when one is sick?
  • If one succumbed to the sins of smoking, drinking, or drug taking, why is one surprised that one has an addiction, one’s body has reaped the havoc of the sin’s participation, or one has a ruined life because of the sin’s side effects?
  • If one covered up what was happening in one’s life with lies and deception, why would one be surprised that people in one’s life do not trust or “just don’t understand you?”
  • If one sinned and broke laws in the past, why would one be surprised one is in jail or facing some other punishment?
  • If one cheated God by not tithing (Malachi 3:8-9) and giving to Him in the past, why would anyone be surprised their financial situation is not blessed by God?
  • If one spent money one did not have, why would anyone be surprised one’s debts are high?
  • If one “shacked up” with a boyfriend or girlfriend without marrying them, why would one be surprised that the romance with that person is in turmoil or has failed?  Does one think God was going to bless such a relationship?
  • If one looked at or flirted with other women or men, even though married, why would one be surprised when one finds themself in an adulterous relationship?
  • If one allowed their eyes to see ungodly pictures or movies, why would anyone be surprised when one has wrong thoughts and commits sin?

If you purchase, plant, and sow iniquity, sin is what you will reap!
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

Would you prefer a more joyful, God-directed life?  If so, then plant the right things in your life.  Plant a God-approved spiritual crop!
“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”  Galatians 6:8

 

The Crossroads
Author Unknown

He came to the crossroads all alone,
With the sunrise in his face;
He had no fear of the path unknown,
He was set for an ambitious race.

The road stretched east, and the road stretched west,
The “Signboard” showed which way was the best;
But the boy turned wrong and went on down,
And lost the race and the victors’s crown,
And fell at last into an ugly snare
By choosing wrong at the crossroads there.

Another boy, on another day,
At the selfsame crossroads stood,
He paused a momemt to choose the way
Which would lead to the greater good.

The road stretched east, and the road stretched west,
But the “Signboard” showed him which way was best.
And the boy turned right and went on and on;
He won the race and the victor’s crown.
And came at last to the Mansions fair,
For choosing right at the crossroads there.
For choosing right at the crossroads there.

“I find the doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.”  — George MacDonald

 

Poor Taste in Clothes
Wings

In the spring of 1924, I assisted Pastor N. E. Norwood in a revival meeting at Fort Ogden, Florida.  Driving along the highway, we passed a gang of convicts working on the road.  They were clothed in stripes, and I remarked to the pastor that I didn’t like their clothing.

“If I had the selection, I should have selected a different suit.”

“Why,” he answered, “they don’t select their suits, do they?”

“Oh, yes!” I answered.

“Well,” he said, “I didn’t know that.  I thought the state selected their suits for them.”

“No,” I replied, “Every man selects his suit.  Those fellows knew the penalty of violating the law before they committed the acts.  They made their choice.  They selected their suits.  They are wearing the “clothing” of their selection.”

What suit have you selected: the black stripe suit of shame and dishonor or the “white robe of righteousness?”

The Stone Inside
H. A. Ironside

I was talking to a group of little boys and girls in a Sunday school in San Francisco.  “How sad to know, each time you say ‘No’ to the Lord Jesus, your heart gets a little harder.  If you keep saying ‘no,’ the heart gets harder and harder until by-and-by God calls it a heart of stone.  If you persist in disregarding His grace, you will die in your sins.”  I pleaded with those boys and girls to give their hearts to Jesus in their early days.

There was one dear little tot there, only five years old.  Her mother brought her to Sunday school and then took her home.  The little one was thinking of her dear father, who never went to hear the Word of God.  When she got to the house, she darted into her father’s arms and said, “Daddy, Daddy, feel your heart!  Is it getting like stone?”

He said, “What are you talking about?”

She said, “Well, the man at Sunday school said if you say ‘No’ to Jesus, you will get a stone inside.  Oh, Daddy, I hope you haven’t for if you have, you can’t be saved.”

The father growled to the mother, “What have they been telling this child, anyway?”

Then the mother explained a little more fully, and he saw tears in his wife’s eyes and felt the arms of his little girl about his neck, and heard her saying, “Oh, Daddy, don’t go on saying ‘No’ to Jesus.”

He looked up and said, “Well, I think I had better settle this.”  He got down on his knees and yielded his life to Christ.

“There is a God-created vacuum in the heart of every man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.”  — Blaise Pascal

The BIBLE VIEW #878 — Sin’s Consequences

In This Issue:
Why Is Society A Mess?
Sliding Down Sin’s Slippery Slope of Ruin

Volume: 878     October 3, 2022
Theme:  The Consequences of Sin

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Why Is Society A Mess?
Bill Brinkworth

For centuries, America has had the liberty to have free speech. People could, without fear, voice their opinions. Churches unashamedly preached what the Bible said. Most clearly knew what was right and wrong, as it was taught and practiced in homes, schools, government, and churches.

Although free speech was a taken-for-granted freedom, some areas of wrongdoing were taboo. Those actions were not even mentioned because the majority knew right from wrong.

Slowly, a change happened. Since radical, immoral opinions and behaviors were not usually accepted, outcry, when they did occur, was minimal.

Since there was little resistance to once unaccepted thoughts and behavior, more realized they could break moral barriers and get away with voicing and living the way their lusts and likes lead them. As more vocalized once unaccepted practices, more heard and contemplated the once forbidden sins. Soon, radical behaviors, beliefs, and opinions spread throughout the country.

Boldness to commit once ridiculed and unthought-of practices spread from one to another. In time, degraded morals spread through the land like a plague. No longer was homosexuality, drug use, deserting families by divorce, lying, politically controlling school children’s upbringing, abortion, breaking laws, and doing whatever felt good even questioned. In many places, laws were ignored to further allow what was once shunned to continue. Sin rampaged throughout the nation.

Since the nation’s morality change was gradual, an entire generation became accustomed to the new “morality.”  When that group became parents, they were not troubled when their children also accepted and even practiced the new standards.

Many were busy with their lives and earning an income to obtain what they wanted. Those who did remember what used to be right and wrong made little outcry about the changes in society.

Pulpits that once boldly blasted what God’s Word clearly defined as sin hesitated in reminding their congregations of God’s standards. Worldly brain-washing continued, and churches seldom opposed the new “normal.”  Over time, few ministries remained to remind people of God’s standards.

Confusion about what was “right” and “wrong” became cloudier. People with lifestyles that would not have been acceptable decades previously became leaders, teachers, preachers, and socially recognized “heroes” of the changing society.

Over decades, those with millennia-held biblical standards were now the social outcasts. A growing majority now looks down upon those that will not tolerate or accept sin. What once was recognized as iniquity has become acceptable, and “good” is now seen by many as “bad.”

Names were created to negatively label those that would not accept the new “morality.”  Those adhering to biblical morals were now branded as “hateful,” anti-politically correct, anti-environmental, ignorant (because they did not think like the masses), social terrorists, and many more demeaning titles.

Freedom of speech is slowly removed from society. Some that hinted at holding onto past social beliefs are now having their employment threatened, dismissed from schools, not allowed in certain sports, and castigated from even vocalizing their opinion. 

Pressures to make more conform to the new morality is even spreading throughout the world. The growing insistence on rejecting the old morality is not unlike the Nazi movement before World War II.

Unstopped, this growing out-of-control movement will further divide and destroy freedoms all take for granted. Changing centuries of beliefs and practices will probably not be diverted by any political or public outcry.

Those that discarded and disobeyed God’s Words have suffered a significant loss while on this Earth and will face devastation in eternity. No nation or people has ever prospered when the commandments of God were not obeyed.
“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

There is still hope, however, if only for individuals. That hope is to recognize what is right and wrong. Society’s definition changes constantly and cannot be relied upon. However, there is a source God labored to save that identifies truth and what is right and wrong. It is His Word, the Bible.

It has been the guideline for previous millennia. Guidance from it has improved lives, even those that many thought had no hope. Families have been reunited after adhering to its laws. Those with no hope have gained insight and flourished. Nations abiding by His commandments have prospered and been blessed. Obedience to God’s commandments is the only solution for improving the current “mess” in society.

In your lifetime, have you seen how our society is degraded? Common sense is no longer common. Right is wrong, and wrong is right. Good is now evil, and evil is now acceptable. Most likely, there will not be a great revival changing the minds and actions of multitudes, but you can change.

Dive into the Bible. Find what God defines as right or wrong. Follow His way no matter if it is unpopular or the price you may have to pay to do what God says is “right.”  Living God’s way is the only hope we and our society have!
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Sliding Down Sin’s Slippery Slope of Ruin
Bill Brinkworth

Sin’s unrelenting temptations often push one into a position that often cannot be escaped. Romans 1 details a terrible, downward spiral in which many find themselves. Many find out too late that one sin leads to another and that no one gets away with iniquity’s dreadful wages.

The seven-fold decline described in Romans 1 started when people did not recognize and honor God for His creation. All around them were the glorious things that only God could have made:  innumerable stars, an Earth that has all the necessities of life, life itself, living creatures that do remarkable things, man and all he can do, and flowering and food-supplying plants.  

Many, as also happens today, explain away God’s marvelous handiwork with their imaginative ideas and theories of how they think those things came to be. God is not given credit for what He has done, and they certainly are not thankful for what He did.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:21

Because God’s wondrous works are explained away with concocted myths, fables, and the theory of evolution, a person can become unthankful for what God has done. Eventually, foolish hearts are darkened and hardened to hear and understand God’s truths. Many ruined lives find themselves without answers, a hopeful future, and the guidance and protection of an all-knowing, wise, and loving God. People often do not even recognize their depraved, weak conditions.

In many situations, since humanity often measures themselves by their standards or compares themselves to others, one often thinks he is intelligent and successful. However, what is considered wisdom in one’s eyes may be foolishness in God’s.
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” Rom. 1:22

However, man’s decline rarely stops there. Since one does not have God to worship, obey, and follow, one often creates his gods to worship. Sometimes it may involve worshipping a man-made idol, as in idolatrous religions. Others worship the creation rather than the Creator. The Earth is reverenced, as are animals, trees, etc.
“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Rom. 1:23

When one finds oneself at this stage of depravity, one usually justifies there is no God or that He does not need to be heeded. The sins of those rebellious often increase. One sin usually leads to others, and the rest of the Romans 1 verifies this. Verses 24 to 31 list at least 27 sins that resulted from the original sin of not glorifying God and all He has done.

The description of man’s sinful decline mentions three times that God “gave them up” and “gave them over” to their sins. Those words in those phrases mean “surrendered.”  

God saw that their mind was set on “doing their own thing,” not on acknowledging Him and not obeying His commandments. God then took His guiding, protecting hands off them and let them face the consequences of their sin. They wanted their sinful lifestyle, so God “surrendered” them to the wages of their unrighteousness. How hopeless, vulnerable, and lonely it would be to have the great God give up on helping and protecting a person, yet this is a reality for many.

The progression of unrighteousness described in Romans 1 explains why sin is rampant worldwide. In their early youth, most look around and feel what they see, hear, and feel can only be there by some creative Hand.  

As they get older, soon that feeling is explained away. God is forgotten, and the regression to a life devastated by sin results.

God may have every reason to take his guiding, protecting hand off lives because of their sin, but He is still a loving and forgiving God. There is always an opportunity to recognize the true, living God again, ask His forgiveness, and turn back to what was once believed. One can get back to having Him direct and help one through life, no matter how far down sin’s spiral one has plummeted. There can be hope!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

“Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson

The BIBLE VIEW #874 — Doers of His Word

In This Issue:
Spiritual Gluttony
Forgotten Treasure
God’s Commandments Are Not a Burden
The Hedge on the Way to the Mansion
The Natural Man

Volume: 874     September 5, 2022
Theme:  Doers of His Word

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Spiritual Gluttony
Bill Brinkworth

Many have heard scriptural teaching again and again.  From the pulpit, they have heard what God wants them to do.  From television, radio, and biblical-based articles, they have also heard what God’s will and way is.  Christian acquaintances and family members may also have voiced biblical principles.  All the biblical input has fattened their head-knowledge of spiritual and biblical things, but they have not reacted or moved on what they have learned.  They are hearers of God’s Word but are not doers of His commandments (James 1:22-25).

Through preaching, they have heard a clear message on what the Bible says one must do to be saved, yet they have not trusted Christ alone as their way to Heaven.  They have heard how God expects every child of God to tell others how to be saved.  Yet, many have not even tried to tell others how to be born again.

A sermon showed them how it is stealing from God not to tithe (Malachi 3:8-10).  They nodded in agreement with the preacher on that matter, yet they still have never faithfully given to the local church part of what they earned that week.

A radio message convicted them deeply of a sin they were involved in, and their guilt over the sin’s commission has bothered them.  However, they still have not made one attempt to curb their iniquity.  On and on the list could go of truths that have been heard from the Word of God.  

Admittedly, most know what God wants them to do and what He does not want them to do.  Yet, all that knowledge lies in their brain, unused and unapplied.

Many are appalled at those that have gained enormous amounts of weight.  They shake their head as television interviews reveal people that weigh 500 pounds or more.  They diagnose the eater’s problem quickly; the overweight person eats more calories than he is burning in exercise or daily living.  They see how dangerous it is for the heavy one to sit all day in front of the television consuming bags of chips and other junk foods.  Yet, they do not see the parallel between one who eats more than he uses and their spiritual fatness of absorbing the things of God and utilizing very little of what they have absorbed.

Spiritually, they have become obese, yet they do not see their unhealthy spiritual condition.  They hear preaching, read their Bible, go to church often, and even listen to Christian radio and television regularly.

I have heard many “obese” Christians wax eloquent.  They boasted of how many years they had attended church or how much Scripture they knew.  I have often felt dumb after hearing them demonstrate their head knowledge of the scriptures.  They are quite knowledgeable.  However, that feeling goes away when I hear their testimony of never having witnessed to one soul, never having done anything for the Lord but sit and soak, or never having shown any signs of spiritual growth in their lives.

What are you doing with the things of God you have heard?  God did not allow you to learn His ways to appear smart about the things of God or to inflate your pride.  He allowed you to hear His message so that you would do for Him what He desires.  Are you doing what God has shown you to do?  Are you burning spiritual calories?

Scriptures related to this subject: James 1:22-25, Matthew 7:21, Luke 6:46, Luke 11:28, Luke 12:48, Romans 2:13, I John 3:7.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25


Forgotten Treasure
Dr. Edmond

A man once entered a home in Germany and found it very wretched — no fire, no furniture, no food.  Everything bore the appearance of utter poverty.  Glancing around, he saw a copy of the Bible in a neglected corner and when he went away, he said to the poor tenants, “There is a treasure in this house that would make you all rich.”

After he had gone, the people searched the house for what they thought must be a jewel or a pot of gold but found nothing.  They dug up the floor, hoping to discover the hidden store of wealth.  Their labors were all in vain.  One day, the mother lifted the old Bible and found written on the flyleaf these words, “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” (Ps. 119:72)

“Ah!” she said, “can this be the treasure the stranger spoke of?”  So, she told her thoughts to the rest of the family.  They began to read the Bible and were changed in character, and the blessings of God came to stay with them. 

The stranger returned to find poverty gone, contentment and peace in its place, and a hearty Christian welcome.  With grateful joy, the family told him, “We found the treasure, and it has done all you said it would.”

God’s Commandments Are Not a Burden
T. Watson

Cicero questioned what can be called a burden if one carries it with delight and pleasure.  If a man takes a bag of money, it is heavy, but the joy in his treasure far outweighs any burden it may cause.

God gives inward joy that makes His commandments delightful.  That joy is like oil to wheels that makes a Christian run in the way of God’s commandments so that it is not burdensome.

“Obedience is the way to experience God’s greatest blessing.”


The Hedge on the Way to the Mansion
Dr. J. Hamilton

Reconciliation to God is like entering the gate onto a beautiful road, which takes one to a splendid mansion.  The avenue is long, and sometimes it skirts the edge of dangerous cliffs.  There is a fence of hedges to save the traveler from falling over their edges, where he would be dashed to pieces. 

That “hedge” in our lives is God’s commandments.  They were given so that we may do ourselves no harm.  Like a fence of briars, they protect the one traveling the road if he keeps to the route.  They only hurt him when he breaks through the hedge.

Temperance, justice, truthfulness, purity of speech and behavior, obedience to parents, mutual affection, and the worship of God are righteous requirements.  When keeping them, there is a great reward.  Life’s possible “thorns also do no damage.”  Happy is he who stays on the “road” and never feels the pricks of the hedges by breaking God’s commandments.

“A child on a rocking horse is much like many Christians.  They have plenty of motion, but no progress.”


The Natural Man
Bill Brinkworth

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Corinthians 2:14

Many people try to understand the things of God, but they never truly grasp their truths, nor do they seem real to them.  They may have studied the scriptures, memorized them, and appeared knowledgeable about biblical facts.  However, there still seems to be a missing connection that does not allow them to grasp the truths from the Word of God.

Preaching also may be entertaining and even interesting to them.  Still, the truths spoken to them from the pulpit never make it to their spiritual heart and change anything.  Many even feel church attendance is meaningless, which is why they seldom attend.

It is often not the preacher’s fault that they “get nothing from the service” or “do not feel convicted.”  I Corinthians 2:14 puts the finger on who some of them are and why a spiritual connection is missing in their lives.

The reason that they are not grasping biblical truths or are not Spirit-led is that they are “natural” men and women.  They are either not born-again and cannot have a relationship with the Lord until they are saved, or they may be so worldly minded that they could not hear the convicting Spirit of God if He blew an air horn in their ear.  A “natural” man is one that is just the way they were born, without any spiritual alterations, illuminations, and connections.

No one can understand the things of God unless the Holy Spirit shows them (I Corinthians 2:11).  A person can have head-knowledge of biblical and spiritual things.  However, unless the Holy Spirit is involved, there will never be a connection between what the brain knows and what the spiritual “heart” believes.

Well-educated preachers have often been in left field regarding understanding God’s desires because they were under their power of understanding and not the Holy Spirit’s.  Education alone does not make the “connection.”

Preaching and the things of God are not appreciated and are meaningless to a “natural” man.  However, preaching God’s Word is essential to a saved person.  The exhortation of God’s Word and its teaching are spiritual food to a believer.  It encourages, guides, and strengthens a child of God.  To that person, it is foolish not to be at church, where God’s Word is taught.

The BIBLE VIEW #865 — Gossip

In This Issue:
“Beware of the Drowning Man!”
Three Things to Remember
The Spreader
Slander

Volume: 865     July 6, 2022
Theme:  Gossip

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“Beware of the Drowning Man!”
Bill Brinkworth

It is said that it is very dangerous when trying to swim out and save a drowning person.  Too often, the rescuer is drowned by the flailing, panicking drowner.

The natural reaction of the one going down, for possibly the last time, is to keep their head above water.  In an effort to survive, he can grab hold of the rescuer, and in trying to get another breath of air, drown the person who is trying to help him.

A disgruntled, unhappy person is often much like the drowning man.  For whatever reason, they are dissatisfied, they share their unrest and discontentment with others.  In most situations, they mean no harm.  They are unloading their burden and anguish on others hoping the person can say something or change something to stop their dissatisfaction.  However, their complaining, or “venting,” does much the same as the drowning man.  He can take the listener down with him.

The one listening may not know what is to follow in the conversation or genuinely may want to be a consoling ear to the one doing the complaining.  Before the “rescuer” knows what has happened, he is a casualty of gossiping lips.  Those words may do more than “sink ships,” as they said during World War II when referring to those that said more than they should have.

Making oneself a listening post for complaining, gossip, or dissatisfaction can result in one having the same thoughts as the one floundering.  The complaints and opinionated talk can spread like an infectious disease.  Soon the grumbler’s frustrations are shared feelings of their audiences.  Here are some common scenarios that trap too many:

  • “Well, maybe that person at work is lazy and making us do his work like the other person said.”
  • “Hmm, Sonya said that the person in the back of class is responsible for all the things missing in our class.  Maybe he is a thief.”
  • “Oh, oh.  She thinks her husband is cheating on her; perhaps mine is doing the same thing.”
  • “Things are not the same in church as they were.  So-and-so says it’s because of what Deacon Jones is doing.  Our problems in church are all his fault.”
  • “My friend says So-and-so looks like he’s hiding something, and he is right; he does look suspicious.  I don’t think I will trust him, either.”

On and on the opinions and observations of others can go into listening ears, doing damage by intentional or unintentional words.  Most often, we want to help, and that is why we listen.  However, words often turn into improper or unjustified judgments or actions by the listeners. 

Here are several guidelines one can keep in mind when lending a listening ear:

  • What the other person is saying is only his side of the story.  If the listener wants to know the truth, he should hear the other person’s side of the situation.  Suggesting to immediately get the other person’s view of what is being said often silences what is being said, as the talebearer may know what he is saying is more emotional than factual.

 “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13

“Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?” John 7:51

“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” Deut. 19:15

“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.” I Timothy 5:19

“It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.” John 8:17 

  • Why are they telling me?  Can I change the situation for them?  Are they just gossiping, backbiting, complaining, or do they want the problem they are speaking of handled their way?  Can what they are saying result in anything positive?  

If it is discerned what is being said is for the wrong reasons, change the conversation or walk away from it.  Why would anyone want to take part in another’s sin?

“They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.” Psalm 12:2

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.  “Psalm 34:13

“Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2

  • Is what is being said edifying?  Can it be destructive to my ears?  Will it reinforce the problem to them as they share their concerns and make both of us miserable?  Is what is said going to help or change anything, or is it gossip?

“They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips.  Selah.” Psalm 140:3

“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Proverbs 17:9

  • If a suitable solution is given to solve the speaker’s dilemma, will he follow the advice, or will he keep grumbling to anyone who listens?

“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Proverbs 23:9

“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.” Proverbs 9:8

  • Why am I listening to them?  Am I doing it to be a help, or do I want to hear some dirt about someone else?

“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

  • Does voicing their grievances bring confusion and division to others?  If it brings adverse side effects to others, then their “beefs” are probably not of God.
    “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” I Corinthians 14:33

It is natural for most of us to want to listen to the concerns of those we are in contact.  It is also quite normal to want to help them with our suggestions.  We must always be aware of what our ears are listening.  Often, a person does not know the damage their words can do to themselves and their listeners.  They may not even know they are “drowning” in their trials and tribulations, but a drowning man can take others down with himself.  Beware of drowning people.

Although some quoted scriptures were in a different context, they were used to show a biblically taught principle.

“Oh, be careful little lips what you say, for the Father up above is looking down in love …”   — Words from a child’s Sunday school song


Three Things to Remember
Gospel Banner

Remember, three things come not back
The arrow sent upon its track.
It will not swerve; it will not stay
Its speed; it flies to wound and slay.


The spoken word so soon forgot
By thee, but it has perished not.
In other hearts, ‘tis living still.
And doing work for good or ill.


And the lost opportunity,
That cometh back no more to thee;
In vain thou weepest, in vain dost yearn;
These three will nevermore return.

“You cannot stop people’s tongues, and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your ears and never mind what is spoken.” — Spurgeon


The Spreader
Author Unknown

On a well-equipped farm, you will find at least one machine that looks like a low-slung wagon.  It is called a “spreader.”  It is used to disperse seed and fertilizer.

Unfortunately, in every town, big or small, you will find men and women that might be placed in the category of the “spreader.” They run about from place to place spreading gossip, which is the dirtiest kind of dirt.  Gossip helps no one and harms everyone.  It is about the meanest manifestation of dirty work that a human can do and not be exiled.

“Chances are, if one speaks ill to you about others, when you are not around, he will speak ill of you.” — Barbara Brinkworth 

The BIBLE VIEW #864 — Carnality

In This Issue:
Baby Christians 
Stay!
Blinded by Carnality
What the Bible Says about Carnality

Volume: 864     June 27, 2022
Theme: Carnality  

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Baby Christians
Bill Brinkworth

In I Corinthians 3, Paul discusses spiritually weak people.  He identifies this type of Christians at the church in Corinth (I Corinthians 1:2) as baby Christians (I Corinthians 3:1).

Because they had not spiritually matured, the preacher had to watch what he said and taught them.  He could only tell them less demanding things about God.  If he revealed the “harder” things of God, they would react improperly to the spiritual “meat.”  They were saved because Paul addressed them as “brethren” (I Cor. 3:1), but they were very carnal (I Cor. 3:3). 

Noah Webster defined “carnal” as “pertaining to the flesh.”  The “baby” Christians’ deep involvement in things of the world clouded any dealings the Spirit of God tried to have with them.  They did what felt good and interested them, but were not spiritually pliable.

Today, Christianity is also weakened by those trying to straddle both worlds.  They never grow in the things of the Lord.  They try to be like everyone else, have all the pleasures this life can offer them, and minimally tip their hat to God.  Obedience to God is not a priority in their thinking.

Any mention of the “harder” things of God, and many today also get uncomfortable or mad.  They can agree on being saved and may even be baptized.  Heads will nod in agreement with Christian practices that do not require sacrifice or changes. 

However, mention separation from sinful practices or from influences that could get one too close to sin, and suddenly, “the preacher is fanatical.”  Suggest obeying the commandments recorded in the Bible, and their justification will be, “I don’t think God meant it for today’s people.  That was for people a long time ago.” Show them where the Bible says that one should give God part of their income (Malachi 3:8-9), and their anger turns their face red and they stammer, “God knows I can’t afford it, so he doesn’t expect me to give.”  Hint that they should be faithful in attending church, and you will hear more justification and excuses for their lack of commitment to the assembly of local believers.

We still have “baby” Christians today.  They never “grow up” spiritually.  They never take the steps of faith necessary to help them grow closer and depend more on their loving Father.  Amazingly, many even model themselves after the early, carnal church of Corinth and ignore Paul’s rebuke of that church’s immature Christian practices.

Carnality will always be a temptation for all Christians.  Encouragingly, some still step out by faith and follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads them.  They are the ones that are saved and commit, “Okay, Lord, show me what you want me to do next in your Word, and I will do it.”  They happily do what they are shown to do and allow God to use them and work in their lives.  They are the ones that have no problem digesting the “meat” that God allows them to hear.  Those Christians are the ones God is looking for and uses the most.

“If Christians do not read and obey the Bible, they will never grow spiritually!”


Stay!
Bill Brinkworth

Paul, like so many Christians today, faced some opposition from other Christians.  Some in the churches where he spoke questioned his apostleship, and others accused him of walking in the flesh (II Corinthians 10:2).

No matter the accusation, Paul chose not to fight back.  He decided not to fight those who were carnal with his fleshly retorts.  He let his works for the Lord speak for themselves and let the Lord do the rest of the battling (II Cor. 10:4-8).

Everyone that attends a church has someone falsely accusing him of something or else has his feelings hurt at least once.  No church is perfect.  It is a God-commanded assembly of believers, and it may have mostly Christians in attendance, but none of them are without sin. 

Some members of the church family are more carnal than others.  They see things from a fleshly perspective and not how God sees them (II Cor.10:5).  To make matters worse, they often voice their opinions about other members.  When this is done, someone usually gets hurt.

Too many, unfortunately, get wind of what was said about them and leave the church.  My first thought is usually, “Who would be behind such a move of leaving a ministry for the wrong reasons — God or Satan?”  It certainly would not be of God to disobey his commandment (Hebrews 10:24-25) to assemble with believers. Yet, people leave churches all the time for the wrong reasons.

In the past, my wife and I have had things said about us by other church family members.  The false accusations hurt us deeply, but we remembered we were not in attendance for those people but for God.  He wanted us to stay, and we did.

It was a hard time, and much praying was done on our part.  However, we never missed a service and kept at the work the Lord had for us.  Over time, we looked around and noticed that we had our nose to the grindstone doing what God had laid on our hearts, but our accusers were no longer in attendance.  God takes care of his own, but that does not mean that there will not be difficulties.

Paul stayed and did what God told him to do, and God used him greatly.  His accusers’ names are not mentioned in the Bible, but Paul is still remembered. Purpose in your heart who you will serve (Joshua 24:15), and let the Lord handle the light work.  Be a “Paul.”

“Hopefully, you didn’t go to church for ‘feelings,’ so don’t leave if they get hurt.  You should go to church to be obedient to the Lord!”


Blinded by Carnality
Bill Brinkworth

Many of Paul’s letters rebuked the Corinthian church (I Corinthian 11:17, 22).  Because many in that church never truly rid themselves of the snares of their past worldly lives, it hampered them often from growing in the things of the Lord.  Scriptural instructions intended to help them grow spiritually and get closer to their God and Christian brethren often became a source of contention amongst themselves and caused division instead (I Cor. 11:18-19). One such instance was the way they conducted the Lord’s Supper.

The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was to help them remember (I Cor. 11:25-26) what Jesus had done for them. It was to be a solemn remembrance of God’s Son’s sacrifice for them when His body was “broken” (nailed to the cross) and His blood spilled for their sins.

Instead, they took that time and made it into a feast. Some went hungry.  Some got drunk (I Cor. 11:21). Others were embarrassed for not having what others had (I Cor. 11:22). The meaning of the Lord’s Supper was forgotten.

Because they lost the supper’s meaning and purpose (I Cor. 11:29), Paul warned that it would bring them harm rather than good.  Instead of blessing and unity, their drinking and eating brought them damnation and division. So wicked did the event become that some got sick and others even died (I Cor. 11:30) because they refused to discern the Lord’s body.  They were to judge and remember their sins.  They did not, and God judged some of them for their added sin.

Believers are to continue this time of remembering the broken body and spilt blood of our Saviour even today (I Cor. 11:26). It is not a “party-time” but a judge-our-own-sins time.  It is a time that we do not look around at others to see their faults, but remember our own.  The intent of this time is for us to remember.  Remember what Jesus did for us and keep our spiritual “slates” clean between Him and us. 

“Humility is produced by remembering the pit we have come from.”


What the Bible Says about Carnality

  • “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:5-7  Many worldly Christians think themselves spiritual, but God says they are His enemies.
  • “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [worldly desires of the flesh].” Matthew 6:24
  • “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Corinthians 2:14  A person may be saved on the inside, but he still has the natural side of him He was born with. He will battle the desire to do what his “natural man” wants to do until the day he dies.eaven, bu Those living for the flesh’s wants will not understand the things of God.
  • “Ye adulterers and adulteresses [Those that serve the flesh are committing spiritual adultery.  They are going after the ‘gods’ of this world and are not faithful to the God in Heaven], know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4

“Christian, if you feed the ‘carnal’ part of you more than the spiritual part, the worldly, carnal side will grow stronger.  You will battle spiritual weakness and immaturity until you change your feeding habits!”

The BIBLE VIEW #861 — Life-changing Sin

In This Issue:
Man and The First Sin
The Wages of Sin Loomed Overhead

Volume: 861     June 6, 2022
Theme: The First Sin

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Man and the First Sin
Bill Brinkworth

Sin’s first commission is the one event that changed the history of man.  Genesis 2-3 details the first sin and how it affected the first people on Earth and all following generations. 

Here is the biblical account of the first sin:
God made man from the dust of the ground.  We find that when God made man, His creation was placed in a garden, which was probably created on the third day.  The beautiful place of plenty was called the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8).  Eden was most likely located east of the Mediterranean Sea and West of the Persian Gulf.  Although the exact spot is unknown today, it was near the Euphrates River, joined by three ancient rivers.

We also find one crucial detail about God’s prize creation, man.  We learn of a feature of man that no other creature that God created had.  The first man was Adam, and he was made with a living soul (Gen. 2:7).
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen. 2:7

His Creator immediately gave Adam responsibilities.  Some of the man’s jobs were to take care of the Garden God gave him (Gen. 2:15) and to name the animals (Gen. 2:19-20). 

The first man was also given his first commandment from His Creator.  Although Adam could eat any of the fruits in the Garden, he was forbidden to eat from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Gen. 2:17).  Adam was warned that he would die if he ate of the forbidden tree’s fruit!
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen. 2:17

We do not know what kind of fruit it bore.  It could have been an apple, a pear, or some exotic fruit.  Most people imagine the fruit was an apple only because that is what an artist painted many years ago.

Although the other animals had companions, the man had none.  God saw that it was not good that man was alone (Gen. 2:18).  The Creator put Adam to sleep and took one of his ribs (Gen. 2:16).  God closed up the incision on the man’s side and made Adam a companion from that rib.  When God brought what He had made to Adam, the man called her “Woman,” which means “she was taken from Man” (Gen. 2:23).  Now Adam had someone with whom he could share his life and work.  They were husband and wife (Gen. 2:25), naked and not ashamed of it.

In the Garden, there was a deceitful and crafty (“subtil”) serpent.  That snake did not slither on its belly as we see them do today (Gen. 3:14), and it talked (Gen. 3:1).  Perhaps, at the time, other creatures in the Garden also talked.

The sneaky serpent was Satan.  We know that the serpent was Satan, as he is called a serpent in Rev. 12:9.  Throughout the Bible, we see Satan’s intervention as one who tries to get mankind to do contrary to what God commands us not to do. He also is a deceiver (I Chron. 21:1, II Cor. 11:3, Rev. 20:2, 10).
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev.  12:9.

Satan had a plan to get the man and his wife to break God’s commandment.  He got Eve to question what God commanded Adam not to do.
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.  And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Gen. 3:1.

The serpent’s ploy confused Eve, as she had only heard God’s commandment indirectly from Adam.  She incorrectly re-iterated to Satan what God had said to Adam.  God never told Adam not to touch the tree.  Adam was to tend (“dress”) the trees, so he had probably come in contact with the tree.  He was told not to eat the fruit of the tree.
“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Gen. 3:2-3.

Satan continued with his deception.  He got Eve to think that God was not telling the truth and that she surely would not die if she ate of the tree (Gen. 3:4).  The enemy of God advanced his attack by convincing Eve that God did not want them to eat the fruit because if they did, they would know good and evil and be as “gods.”  She was also tempted by the idea that she could be like God.
“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:5 

Eve fell for Satan’s trickery.  She ate the fruit and gave it to Adam to eat.  Although the woman was deceived, Adam also partook of the fruit.  That brief moment of his disobedience to God’s commandment changed his and Eve’s life, the world, and much that was in it.  It was the biggest disaster that ever happened on this planet!  The first sin was committed.
”And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”  I Tim.  2:14

Sin is the most destructive activity on Earth.  It has ruined, destroyed, changed, and shortened lives.  Iniquity has broken hearts, sent billions of souls to Hell, separated man from God, and had many other disastrous results.  Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin was now in the world!  The world would never be the same!

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil did not have to be there.  God put it there for a reason.  It was an opportunity for the man and his wife to trust God and do what He had commanded.  There was always and will always be a temptation to do wrong.  It is always up to individuals to make the right decisions and not submit to temptation.

Although we have not walked and talked with God in person, as did Adam and Eve, we still have commandments that we should obey.  The Bible is the source where we can learn al of sHis commandments. 

Many of them we have already learned.  We know that lying is against God’s commandment.  We know that stealing is wrong.  It is also understood that it is wrong to disobey our parents.  Most may know what is right and wrong, but when they purposely commit those sins, we are deciding, as did Adam and Eve, to disobey God.

We can see how Adam and Eve ruined their relationship with God and hurt themselves, but we do the same too often.  We may think that what the first man and woman did was more serious than our disobedience to God’s commandments; however, our sin is a life-changing iniquity in God’s eyes.  Sin is against God.   It hurts us and others around us, as did the first sin.

“If God put Adam out of the earthly Eden on account of one sin, do you
think He will let us into the Paradise above with our tens of thousands
of sins upon us?”  — D. L. Moody

The Wage of Sin Loomed Overhead
C. H. Spurgeon

I am reminded of the story of Dionysius, the tyrant.  He wished to punish the one who had displeased him.  He invited him to a noble feast.

Rich were the foods that were spread upon the table and rare the wines he was invited to drink.  A chair was placed at the head of the table, and the guest was seated upon it.

Horror of horrors!  The feast might have been rich, but the guest was miserable.  However splendid was the array of servants and rich the dainties, yet he who had been invited sat there in agony.  For what reason?  Because over his head hung a sword; a furbished sword, suspended by a single hair.  He sat with the sword above him, with nothing but a hair between him and death.  You may conceive the poor man’s misery.  He could not escape; he had to sit where he was.  How could he feast?  How could he rejoice?

My unconverted hearer, thou art today in a similar position.  You have all thy riches and thy wealth before thee, and with the comforts of a home and the joys of a household.  You are in a place from which thou canst not escape.  The sword of death hangs above thee.  It is prepared to descend; and woe unto thee, when it shall cleave thy soul from thy body.  Canst thou yet make mirth and yet procrastinate?  If thou canst, then surely thy sin is presumptuous in a high degree.

The BIBLE VIEW #858 — Drifting Away

In This Issue:
Keep from Backsliding — Again!
Hymn Writer Loses Joy of Salvation
Go to the Devil

Volume: 858    May 9, 2022
Theme: Drifting Away  

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Keep From Backsliding – Again!
Bill Brinkworth

If there is a point when a Christian says, “I used to do” some spiritual feat that they are not doing any longer, chances are they are backslidden.  They may be “slidden” away from the spiritual height they once were. 

Some of the common “I used to do’s” include: I used to attend church, read my Bible, have a prayer life, go on visitation, teach a Sunday school class, fast, have a closer relationship with the Lord than I do now, and on the list can go.  If they are honest, every Christian will omit that they have been in a backslidden condition more than once.

Sometimes, not only can an individual be farther away from God than they were in the past, but also a nation or people can.   Such was the case with the people of Israel, as can be read in the book of Nehemiah.

The main center of Israel’s worship, Jerusalem, was deserted and in disarray in Nehemiah’s day.  No longer did its temple host sacrifices and the worshipping of God.  The place of worship was destroyed, as were the city’s walls and gates.  Streets were cluttered with debris.  No longer was the city used for worship because the people were backslidden away from their Creator.

God raised up a man, Nehemiah, who had the burden and fortitude to rebuild the center for worship.  It was difficult rebuilding the city.  Individuals opposed him.  The government tried to stop him.

As hopeless as the situation first appeared, others quickly joined him in the battle to return the city to what it should have been.  The people came out and joined him in the reconstruction. 

When the enemies increased, the rebuilding became more difficult.  There were times they built with one arm and wielded a weapon in the other to protect themselves.  However, the task got completed.  The place for worship was repaired and ready to be used.

As in any “backslidden” condition, it is hard to return to where one once was.  Reconstruction can be more difficult than the original “construction” in an individual’s life.  When people decide to return to where they once were with God, it is difficult to do, as Nehemiah realized.  The only way out of the backslidden condition is to do hard work, as did Nehemiah and the other Israelites.

After one has returned to the level he had once been, there is still a danger of backsliding again.  Nehemiah knew this, and after the city was rebuilt, he took several steps to make it difficult for the same disarray to happen to his people’s lives and worship. Those measures included:

  • Returning to proper worship.  Nehemiah’s situation differed from ours, as in his day they were under the law.  Still, he made sure that all who served in the temple were qualified by their lineage to be in the priesthood and were willing to worship correcrtly.

To return from a backslidden condition, we must make sure we worship properly in a good, Bible-obeying church.  Many get far from God, and when they want to get closer to Him, they pick the same worship (or lack thereof) that may have helped them get into the far-from God condition initially.  The spiritually wrong leaders or way of worship may lead them in the same wrong direction.  

When attempting to return to the Lord, make sure worship or the place you attend, has godly guidance.  Many have wanted to turn back to God, but the liberal, watered-down preaching they heard never included enough of the Word of God to guide them away from their backslidden condition.

  • Making changes.  Nehemiah’s charges had to stop their sin and get back to obedience to God.

No one can have two masters.  We cannot serve ourselves and God.  It must only be God that we serve, or we can end up far from Him.  The same selfish decisions that got us in the spiritual condition before will get us there again if we do not make the right choices!
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  Matthew 6:24

  • Scripture.  Today, reading the Word of God is one of the most important measures one can take to prevent spiritual decline.

The source God has left behind for us to know His will and way is in the preserved King James Bible (for English-speaking people).  It has been kept so we would know what God desires of us. 

The Word of God cannot be replaced by opinions, Christian radio or television, or other media.  Although those sources can be a spiritually positive influence, we must read God’s Word ourselves.  Without doing so, we will not know God’s will and way. Too many have gotten far from God because they trusted another to feed them spiritually.  Because the spiritual “food” was tainted and not feeding one spiritually, they were not strong enough to make the right decisions.

  • Obeying God’s Word.  There is no way to return to God unless we follow, by faith, what God speaks to our hearts about and shows us in His Word.  Obedience is the difference between the “used to be”s and the ones sitting in the front row pew and serving God in a ministry.  The only way to get closer to God is to obey Him!
  • Remembering the spiritual errors they made in the past so they would not be repeated.

Ex-backsliders must know what they did to get themselves in the far-from-God position.  It will seldom be “he made me do it”, or “it wasn’t my fault”.  Usually, it is personal decisions that got us into a not-obeying-God-state.  We could have always said “no” to temptations.



Some paid a tremendous price to say “no” to disobedience.  They may have lost their job, friends, social standing, or even their lives, but they chose to obey.  To prevent backsliding, one must take responsibility for what was done wrong against God and avoid it in the future.  Seldom, if ever, are we “victims” in not obeying God.

As a Christian, we can follow and obey God every single day of our lives, but we will always have a weakness that we will have to battle the entirety of our lives.  That weakness is our sinful nature.  We may be forgiven, but we can quickly follow that nature and not God. 

When we obey God, we please Him.  Disobedience will cause us to backslide from a close fellowship with God.  There is always hope for a return to a close relationship with Him.  One should leave the self-life and return to the spirit-led life.  Do all you can to avoid backsliding again!

Christian, are you backslidden?  Come on home!



Hymn Writer Loses Joy of Salvation
H. Bosch

Robert Robinson, author of the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” lost the happy communion with the Saviour he had once enjoyed. In his declining years, he wandered into the byways of sin.  As a result, Mr. Robinson became deeply troubled in his spirit.  Hoping to relieve his mind, he traveled.

In his journeys, he talked with a young woman about spiritual matters.  She asked him what he thought of a hymn she had just been reading.  To his astonishment, it was none other than his own composition.  He tried to evade her questions, but she continued to press him for a response.

Suddenly, he wept.   With tears streaming down his cheeks, he said, “I am the man who wrote that hymn many years ago.  I’d give anything to experience again the joy I knew then.” 

Although greatly surprised, she reassured him that the “streams of mercy” mentioned in his song still flowed.  Mr. Robinson was deeply touched.  Turning his “wandering heart” to the Lord, he was restored to full fellowship.

Come, Thou Fount
Hymn writer Robert Robinson

(1) Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.  Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above; Praise the mount — I’m fixed upon it — Mount of Thy redeeming love.

(3) O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I’m constrained to be!  Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above.

“Inbred corruption is the worst corruption.  ‘Lord,’ said Augustine, ‘deliver me from my worst enemy, that wicked man — myself.’”— Spurgeon


Go to the Devil
Author Unknown

Before the turn of the last century, an ardent and dedicated Christian wrote a tract entitled “Come to Jesus.” It became famous and influenced many for Christ.

Later, he became engaged in a theological dispute.  In reply to a publication against his tract by an opponent, he wrote an article bristling with sharp and cutting words.  Looking for a title, he asked his friend.  His friend wisely suggested: “Call it ‘Go to the Devil’ by the Author of ‘Come to Jesus.’”  The writer destroyed the article.

“When a man, who professes to be converted, says that he goes into the world and sin for pleasure, it is as if an angel went to Hell for enjoyment.”  
— Spurgeon

The Bible View #854 — Our Sin Nature

In This Issue:
Die, Old Nature! Die!
Remarried

Volume: 854     April 11, 2022
Theme: Our Sinful Nature

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Die, Old Nature! Die!
Bill Brinkworth

When a person is saved, he becomes a different, “new” person. One may be “new” on the inside, but all have the same “flesh” they were born with. Those fleshly, worldly desires may be tucked away out of sight for now, but they will always be waiting for their chance to make an appearance. If the indwelling “new man” does not keep them in check, they will ruin one’s life and cause one to be in the same miserable state, or worse, than before.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

No, one does not get unsaved because he does not follow the “new,” Holy Spirit’s guidance. However, his life may not appear much different than an unsaved person’s life. He will not have the joy he could have had, and he will not be all he could have been. He will go through many hardships that he would not normally go through, and God will not use that person the way He desired.

All have to battle the pull from the old nature’s stranglehold to rule and get its way. Many of our personal and social problems are because someone’s “old man” is trying to rule the roost — again. It is that old man that is prevailing when the green-eyed monster of jealousy raises its unruly head between brother and sister, or when one gets angry quickly with another. He surfaces again when a lie is offered to get one out of trouble.

It is the “old man” (the old self) that creates power struggles between peers, becomes selfish, and it is that same villain that spreads gossip to defame one’s testimony because someone hurt the gossiper’s feelings.

The “old man” exposes himself when a mouth spews out hurtful words and filthy talk. The old nature gets control again when we allow it to criticize someone that is not doing something our way, or when we are scared others are not accepting us, and other countless ways. The “old man” will always haunt our lives, until we do what God commands we do to our old, could-be-dominating nature. Our “old man” must die, sometimes even daily.  He must be forgotten and ignored!

No, do not even suggest one’s committing sin and taking one’s life. That is definitely letting the “old man” have his lecherous control on one’s life. Everyone, if they want to please God, must put the “old man” of the flesh to “death” and let the new, spiritual man lead. The old nature must have as little control of one’s life as possible.

 Here is some of what the Bible says about the subject:
When one is saved, he is a new, different person with new needs, desires, and purpose. His second “birth” creates in him a new part of him that never existed before.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3   Also:  II Cor. 5:17 (see above).
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” Galatians 6:15  Religious ceremonies, traditions, and works should not be the governing factor in one’s life, but a new, spiritual life in accordance with God’s Word should be guiding him.

Do not live for “self.”  Let the “new man” in you be your life’s leader. Put self-ambition, self-goals, and self-desires behind you and let your leading force be the desire to be obedient to God’s commandments found in His Word and to be a godly testimony (example). Listen to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Let many of your self-motivated desires “die,” and not have any control in your life. In so doing, God will live through you. The “new man” has a new mind, new spirit, new master, new goals, and a new joy.
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” Colossians 3:9-10  

Let your “old man die”. Self-will will have less dominance when the “new man” is leading.
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6

Do not let worldly desires and habits rule and reign in your life. Being born-again is being born into the family of God. What kind of child are you that, while a member of one family, acts like and wishes you were a member of another family? That is what those that are living for the world, by living the world’s way, are doing. By their actions, they are telling God, “I love you Father, BUT I like how the unsaved live; and I will behave, have the same goals, and strive to be like them.” That is what Christians do to their own Creator!

We are on the winning side!  Why would anyone ever want to act and live like those on the losing side?
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts … And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 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. … Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:22-32
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; ….” Isaiah 43:18-19
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Romans 8:9
“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.” I John 2:15
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” Colossians 3:9  

You are not your own anymore, if you are saved. “I’m born again, but I don’t want to do all God wants me to do,” is what too many say by their actions and words to God. You are not your own, you are purchased by God when you are saved. The blood that Christ shed on the cross purchased you. You did not like how you were before, and how you were headed to Hell claim many when they got saved. He has done great things for you, including rescuing you from an eternal Hell. Don’t you want to do something for Him? Live the life He wants you to live!
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” I Corinthians 3:16
“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.” Romans 12:2
“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3

If all the children of God would obey the “new man,” and let their “old man” “die”, their lives would be much different. There would be fewer disagreements, tensions, and disunity in churches, families, schools, and even the workplace. All would have the same godly purpose and direction when the “new” creature guides them through life. If you want the “new” life God desires you to have, let your “old man” die — and please, don’t ever let him be resurrected!

“There is but one question, and that is, what is the will of God? That settles all other questions.”  — William E. Gladstone


Remarried
Bill Brinkworth

In Romans 6, Paul lets us know that when we trust Christ as Saviour, our “old man” is “dead” (Rom. 6:6). The part of us that was once unrestrained, did whatever it wanted to, even things that were against God’s desires for us, is “dead”.  Once we are saved, we no longer have to serve our sin nature.

Romans 7 takes that understanding and explains how we are no longer under sin’s dominion, and the Old Testament laws that identified the sins. Paul likens the new arrangement of being saved to a new marriage (Romans 7:2-3).  Like a marriage, one is bound to one spouse as long as they are alive. Before we were saved, we were bound to sin, until that nature died. It led us where we allowed it to take us: into bars, into adulterous relationships, into bitterness, into blasphemy, and hosts of other places. Our sin nature was in control.

Like a marriage, we are no longer bound to the first spouse, when that spouse dies.  Our first “spouse” died when we got saved. That first “husband” contained over 600 Old Testament laws. A saved person is “… dead to the law by the body of Christ …” (Romans 7:6).

The law is important, however.  It shows us what God likes and dislikes.  From it we learned that lying is wrong; as is adultery, deceitfulness, disobedience, rebellion, hatred, and on and on the list goes (Romans 7: 7).  Without the law of God we would not have known the whole mind of God concerning sin.

The law is very hard, however.  It curses and condemns us for the sins we have committed.  Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, when accepted, pays for our sins, and now we can have grace and mercy.  As Matthew Henry put it, “The sentence of the law against us is vacated and reversed by the death of Christ to all true believers.”

For the believer, the “old man” is dead.  We can be “married” to another.  The second spouse is Christ.  We are not bound to the “old man” and his laws.  Yes, the old nature and new nature will still battle for control (Romans 7:18-19),  but with the new mind a Christian has, he can be free from the control of sin (Romans 6:7).

“If you are saved, you sin by choice, not by chance.” — Barbara Brinkworth