Press On by Brian Whitmore
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV
Repent — turn from your sins and to Jesus Christ for salvation.
That message is repeated in God’s Holy Word, The Bible.
The world doesn’t listen. The world is too proud to admit its sins.
The world can’t get past the first step to salvation, admitting we are sinners.
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) — eternal punishment, separation from God in Hell (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
The world doesn’t believe hell exists. How could a loving God send someone to hell?
Instead, the world should ask: How could a just God, not send sinners to hell?
Ultimately, a person chooses hell by rejecting the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” – John 3:19, NIV
Today many sinners want everyone to rubber stamp (approve without consideration) their sin.
And the world goes so far as to argue with God.
Abortion
God: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV)
The world: It’s my body and my decision.
God: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)
Homosexuality
God: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NIV)
The world: It’s my body and my decision.
God: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT)
Gender identity
God: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NIV)
The world: It’s my body and my decision.
God: “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, HCSB)
Adultery/Sex outside of marriage/Porn addiction
God: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, NIV)
The world: It’s my body and my decision.
God: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, KJV)
Conclusion
These are just a few sins that are flaunted in this day and age. What God says trumps our opinion.
We all sin, maybe not in the above ways, but we all sin in some manner. Sin is sin to God; He has no hierarchy of sin. We all must repent, turn to Christ and be saved.
This column is not written in a spirit of judgment. Christians are called to love everyone (all sinners). But we are to hate sin and turn from sin to avoid destruction and this column is meant to warn, as Christians are called to do. No warning would show no love.
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’” – Ezekiel 33:6, NIV.
Brian Whitmore is a sinner, saved only by God’s Grace. He wants others to have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Press On is a Christian blog - whitmorebriank.wixsite.com/presson
