Introduction. No one who has read the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about his famous character Sherlock Holmes or watched a show on forensic science has any doubt about the great power of deductive reasoning. With it people see what others can’t see and succeed where others fail. The power of deduction lies in its amazing ability to go beyond the five senses. Because time moves, what we see, hear, touch, taste, or smell can only give limited information. The crime scene no longer holds all the answers since the criminal has left. Yet inferences and logical conclusions can recreate what could have been easily seen just moments earlier. The detective using inference and logic can recreate the events with hair, skin, footprints, blood, and so on.
Introduction. While every Christian understands the conditional nature of God’s forgiveness, few seem to realize that our own forgiveness of others is also conditional. God demanded that we believe (Jn. 8:24), repent (Lk. 13:3), confess (Rom. 10:9-10), and be baptized (Acts 2:38) before He grants forgiveness and “remembers our sins no more” (Heb. 8:12). Before fulfilling these conditions, God only gives forbearance (Rom 2:1-11). He offers “a truce,” “a suspension of wrath which must eventually be exercised unless the sinner accepts God's conditions.” Sin will still be accounted for until it is forgiven (2Cor. 5:10; Mt. 12:36-37) and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
What about us? When someone sins against us, can we unconditionally “remember it no more?” Introduction. Forgiveness and redemption are precious words to a Christian. The amazing truth that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16) fills the heart with hope and joy. Because this forgiveness is the most valuable thing in this life, our greatest efforts should be focused on what God has demanded we do to receive it. While still on the earth, Jesus was very clear that there were conditions necessary to receive forgiveness and salvation.
Introduction. After speaking angry words or being guilty of a breach of trust, we fear the loss of a good friend and quickly seek forgiveness and restoration. At times like these, we long to hear the words in the title of this article. No matter how hard we try, we occasionally say or do something that hurts or offends those we love and care for.
Some of the deepest regrets and emotional wounds we carry come from our actions and words. An unaccepted apology can lead to the loss of a good friend and a lifetime of sorrow and loss. The closer the relationship the deeper this grief will be. Yet there have been friends who gave us those three precious words above and we learned what a wonderful blessing granted forgiveness is! There is nothing more refreshing and wonderful than to be offered forgiveness by one we have deeply offended. We have no right to expect such forgiveness. It is truly an undeserved gift of grace and favor. Yet from time to time, we meet someone with so much love and compassion they go far beyond what we could even dare to ask. Introduction. As children, when we saw the authority of our parents or teachers as an obstacle to our own desires, we may have tried insubordination (just say "NO!") or outright disobedience ("I WON’T") a few times. But we quickly learned that such overt behavior was too obviously a sign of disrespect that always brought serious consequences. But that didn’t end our desire to evade responsibility. Willfully misunderstanding instructions was much easier to get away with and even if we were caught, led to less serious punishment. From that time perhaps even to the present moment when we are given an instruction or law we don’t like, we simply misinterpret it to our own liking.
Many times we got away with it. But even if we were caught, we could fall back on excuses. “All my friends were doing it and I just went along.” “I’m sorry, but I forgot exactly what you said.” “I didn’t understand precisely what you wanted me to do.” “I did the best I could.” Sometimes we even convinced ourselves! But if we are really honest, we now realize we were dodging authority and being disobedient. The purpose of this article is to expose something of great importance. What we used to evade responsibility as children is often what we will now be using to evade God’s authority. Discouragement. The weakening byproduct of fruitless hard work. The sad legacy of taking a stand and finding no one standing with us. The bitter outcome of great plans cut off. Some of God’s greatest servants found themselves in its grip. First Moses said “I am not able” then “the burden is too heavy for me” and finally “please kill me here and now” (Num. 11:14-15). After the great victory over the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah believed “I alone am left" and therefore “prayed that he might die” since “they seek to take my life” (1Kings 19:4). This is what discouragement does to the best of God’s servants. But God helped them through these times of dismay and gave them victory. And he can do the same for us.
Introduction. Whenever we speak of the future, James warned “you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’" (Jas. 4:15). The devout take this warning seriously. While some speak them out loud, others utter them within their heart. If we are wise, these words are never far from our mind when thinking about or making plans for our future.
There are some important reasons behind this exhortation. It helps us remember this world is a very complex place where God is working out his purposes. Our own plans must always be conditional based on his plans. This is what prompted Jesus to say, “nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done” (Lk 22:42). For God to work out his plan, Jesus had to give up his own desires, we need to be prepared for the same thing. Introduction: It is amazing how quickly our perspective of authority changes after we become parents. As children we often saw authority as confining, sometimes even arbitrary, or heavy handed. We sought to avoid or escape its full meaning, looking for an easier way. Most of us never realized these commands had purposes and goals. Good parents make rules to keep us safe and help us grow.
When we become parents all this changes. Suddenly as we hold our own infant and look into his eyes, we realize it now falls to us as it did to our parents before us. We must protect and guide this wonderful new person --- first from the dangers of infancy and later by giving them the guidance they need to become their best. Parents see the flaws in their child's character, the tendencies toward laziness, a bad temper or pride and use discipline to remove them. “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.” “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” (Pr. 22:15; 29:15). Introduction. One of the most fundamental reasons people become and remain a Christian is the hope that we will continue to live after the body has died. As we age, we learn from personal experience what Paul did nearly 2000 years ago: “our outward man is perishing,” yet with the hope of eternal life, “the inward man is being renewed day by day.” With this promise from God “we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." By faith we now understand that “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:16-18
From the Beginning, God has been open and honest with the children of Adam. Death came as a result of sin. Though we brought this terrible curse upon ourselves, God began to offer a second chance to possess eternal life as far back as Abel. Introduction. Each time we discover a new hobby or begin a new job, we look forward to learning and mastering it. One of the very first steps is learning a new set of vocabulary.
Every school subject, sport, hobby, or job has a special and exclusive vocabulary. In our youth we learned numbers, then to add subtract, multiply and divide. This vocabulary is the foundation of nearly every activity in life. There are also special vocabulary words in English, history, biology, geography, anatomy, etc. If we want to speak intelligently and understand intricacies, we must know these words. As the word "strike" moves from bowling, baseball, a gold mine or work, our minds shift. "Needle" is an entirely different thing in sewing, medicine, sports, knitting, and music. If we know the subject, we know what it means. If we don’t, then it means nothing and is only confusing. This is why college courses require pre-requisites. Without a knowledge of new vocabulary and principles, we can’t understand some of what the teacher says. The "great... mystery of godliness" is exactly the same (1 Tim 3:16). The Holy Spirit uses vocabulary words found nowhere else and uses common words in entirely different ways. If we want to initially be saved and then mature as faithful Christians, we must learn the vocabulary of the Bible. We cannot fulfill the command: "if any man speak, let him speak the oracles of God;" (1 Pet 4:11) without this knowledge. |
Alan HitchenAlan is a preacher for the Holly Street church of Christ in Denver, CO. He has preached in various other locations in his +35 year career. He is also active in spreading the Gospel to Malawi, Africa. |