Firm Foundation

1 John 5:16-20

If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

William Booth, (1829-1912) a Methodist preacher who along with his wife Catherine lived and worked among the poor and whose work established the Salvation Army prophetically once said:

 “Consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century  will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ,  forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration,   politics without God, and heaven without hell”

Now over 100 years later, Booth’s statement has proven itself correct and somewhat prophetic. Today, church attendance in all of the main churches is collapsing as congregations fall away.  However, this is not the norm, as “fresh” or “new” expressions of church, buck this trend with exceptional growth rates.

But why are traditional churches failing?

Have we as Booth suggests, replaced the Holy Spirit with religion?

Do our sermons point to Christ?

Do we preach salvation, our need for repentance, and turning from our sins?

Do we preach that God will give those who reject him in this life, their heart’s desire of an eternity without him in the next? Or put it another way, hell and damnation!

Whilst it is great to see fresh expressions of church thrive, all of us must hold fast to the teachings of Christ, who gave us our faith, and not be tempted to build on the quicksand of liberalism that offers no hope or firm foundation to anyone.  Perhaps if all of us begin afresh, with earnest prayer and supplication, and seek the Holy Spirit to guide us, then perhaps God will help us restore His Church.

A few months ago, the news broke about the founder of a global megachurch resigning in disgrace. He resigned after apologising for inappropriate behaviour in separate incidents involving two women. One of which was a fellow staff member of the church. It’s not the first time something like this has happened and it won’t be the last. But incidents like these bring the whole church into ridicule. All of us need to be aware of the dangers and take every precaution against it. If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, that would never happen to me. A word of caution, remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:12

“If you think that you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall”.

The deceiver is never very far away from those who are helping to bring the good news of salvation to the lost. And the more any of us do Christ’s work, the more we will be under attack. We are mere mortals, and easily brought down, and the devil knows it better than we do.

Sometimes people can get too close, in the work environment, or in church. But the lowest and dirtiest trick of the devil is to strike when we are trying to help someone in need of support. Because in times of need, people are vulnerable, and they open themselves up to the helper, grateful for their comfort and love. And as we help, we give of ourselves, and we become too close. Temptation raises its head, turning that firm ground we’ve been standing on into quicksand. Even those who are supposed to be the strongest amongst us fall.

Many once plutonic relationships, that began wholesomely, fall into sinful relationships. As those involved get fooled into believing that their mutual feelings of warmth and respect have grown into something more. Something that they fool themselves into believing has been birthed out of pure love. The deceiver then whispers, “surely love can’t be a sin”? and they then convince themselves that it has to be right, it must be right! But the sad truth is, this love is the wrong sort of love!

Care and respect blur over time through warm loving glances, turning into something that hints at romance. We are all vulnerable in this regard, do we not have blood in our veins? And when temptation comes our way, all of us can feel a certain thrill or excitement, that seems right. Yet we know only too well, is simply wrong.

But why do men and women dive into adultery?  For every reason they know it’s wrong, they find twice as many reasons to justify what they find so appealing in it. Then to make matters worse they start bending the rules as they twist and distort their beliefs to justify this lust and make it right in their own mind.

Physical relationships in the right setting are good, created by God not just for procreation but also for enjoyment, companionship, and to become one flesh. We read in Genesis 2:24

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Adultery, on the other hand, is lust masquerading as love in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and in the wrong context.

Our text from 1 John talks about two types of sin. Firstly, the sin that does not lead to death, and secondly the sin that leads to death. What’s the difference? Surely sin is sin, or are there sins that we can commit that will not lead to the penalty of eternal death and separation from the Almighty?

Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death”, therefore we know that all sin leads to death. However, if and when we sin, and if we genuinely repent, we are forgiven. But our holiness in this life is a “work in progress” that will only be made complete and perfect when we get to heaven. But, if we knowingly and deliberately continue to sin in any way, and are unrepentant from the outset, then we commit the sin that leads to death.

By willingly persisting to commit the sin that leads to death, the sinner places themselves beyond help. Not even our Lord can help, and the sinner will receive their rightful wages, which is death. God doesn’t take away anyone’s freedom to choose how to live their life. But as believers, our desire should always be to follow his will for our lives. None of us know when a person is wilfully committing a sin that leads to death, but God can, and unlike us, God cannot be deceived, even if we deceive ourselves.

Hoping you have a great day, and God bless,

Trev.