(Gen 18:20-23 KJV) And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
The interesting thing about ‘sin’ is we can be oblivious to it, until we find ourselves comparing or analysing our nature. People that live in the garbage tip all smell the same, only when we smell someone clean, can we be aware of our own stench. This comparison can have several effects, many will want to clean up their act, others will want to remove that which makes them feel bad. Generally it is easier to remove that which makes one feel bad, than change oneself. Which is why ‘good’ people are often cut down by 'bad' people, as were the prophets and Jesus.
To understand the importance of this, we need to grasp the insidious nature of pollution and the way in which it separates us from our creator and from one another. Sin, like dirt, accumulates into resistive layers, forming a filter and eventually eclipses the light that is our true nature. Sadly, in the world, we are encouraged to see this ‘accumulated dirt’ as who we really are… this is delusion.
Baptism in water or washing of the feet may remove the outer dirt, but how does one remove the inner dirt from the spirit of man? How does one wash the human brain of deluded thinking and destructive behaviours?
There are basically only two ways to change behaviour… pain or pleasure, stick or sugar. The law is like the stick, it will slap you every time you step out of line, it is the measure of crime and punishment. It falls down, because it is administered externally and impossible to police, except when it serves the law makers. The only people who are affected by the law are the ones that are caught (or targeted) at a point in time and these few are often committing lesser crimes than those in power, who are rarely brought to accountability, because they sit on and above the law.
To live in accordance to any set of rules takes discipline, which is why John the Baptist and Jesus both had disciples. One cannot be true to eternal God while serving other temporal things. The whole purpose of fasting is the removal of idolatries and attachments that pollute the spirit. The alternative to (the stick) external corrective legalism, is (the sugar) internal directive love, such that in being shown “the goodness of” and choosing the light, the darkness falls away automatically.
The advantage of Jesus’s way is that one does not have to impose ones will on oneself or others to give up this and that, one makes the “Kingdom of God” ones whole focus (sole purpose) and all “this and that” (sin) falls away by itself….. however, it won’t stop ‘entrenched sinful’ people from wanting to kill you.
(Mat 6:33 KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
SIN (PART 2)
SIN
DELUGE
SCRIPTURE
SERVING GOD
SACRIFICE
BAPTISM
LAW V LOVE
THE FLOCK
WORSHIP
MAMMON V GOD
PORNOGRAPHY
THE WAY
WAY TO PARADISE
DELUGE
SCRIPTURE
SERVING GOD
SACRIFICE
BAPTISM
LAW V LOVE
THE FLOCK
WORSHIP
MAMMON V GOD
PORNOGRAPHY
THE WAY
WAY TO PARADISE
When one builds a boat and launches it into the water, it is perfect, it is foolish to assume that water getting into the boat adds to its value, wise people bail the additional water out of the boat.