Defining Sins of Omission

I am always amazed at how little you either read or hear the word sin in today’s world. Even within many churches it seems we have euphemized the word by referring to people’s sin as a personality shortcoming, an addiction, a social quirk. It is not surprising in one sense given we have become a society that emphasizes the individual above society as a whole. Given this mindset, sin becomes an insidious word because it conveys wrong doing and personal accountability to a holy God and to each other.

With this in mind, I wanted to try to tackle this issue of sin, specifically the sins of omission as I believe the majority of the world acutely understand the sins of commission, those acts or thoughts we commit that God has forbidden (see Romans 1:28-32 for an extensive list of these sins).

The sins of omission are a little trickier in that you will not find a neat and tidy list like the one found in Romans. A sin of omission is a failure to do something one can and ought to do and is defined by the Lord Himself in Matthew 25: 44-45, “Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.” Also, James 4:17, states, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” I believe the sins of omission are much more indicative of our relationship with God than the ones of commission, especially for the Christian.

I found a great commentary by the folks at BibleTools.org on this issue of sins of omission that I want to detail in part here. Let’s look at Zephaniah 1:12 for further insight, “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.” The religious Jew of that day was not on the streets committing horrible crimes like murder, rape or armed robbery. These verses speak about the thousands of ordinary people who were stagnant and indifferent toward their relationship with God. Their problem was not what they did, but what they did not do.

Nor does God accuse the Jew of the more apparent sins in Romans 1. He is angry with him because of what he is not doing! He is not a true and faithful witness, and indeed cannot be, because of his poor judgment in prioritizing his life. In focusing on his selfish pursuits and self-centeredness, he leaves God almost completely out of his life. Still, he bears the name of God, attends Sabbath services, and at least in a superficial way, worships God. Yet the relationship is growing cold as he fails to seek Him earnestly as in courtship.

I have come to realize in my own walk with the Lord that sins of commission have been stripped away from my life over the years as I have allowed the Spirit of God to cleanse me and give me victory. The sins of omission, however, I have found to be much tougher because they demand that my relationship with the Lord be right at all times. He does not just want me to stop doing certain things; he wants ALL of me.

Please comment and let me know if your experience has been similar and how you have found victory over the sins of omission.

"If" Poem

Per my previous blog entry on God's sports interest, I wanted to include the entire poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling. I had included one line from the poem in the blog, “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.” You may be familiar with this line as it is written on the wall of the centre court players' entrance at the British tennis tournament, Wimbledon. The poem was orginally written in 1896 by the then 31-year-old Kipling. It was first published in the "Brother Square Toes" chapter of Rewards and Fairies, Kipling's 1910 collection of short stories and poems.

I found the poem to be a blessing and hope you do too.

"If"
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man my son!

Is God a Patriots Fan?

With the Super Bowl fast approaching, the issue of whether or not God is rooting for a particular team to win always seems to surface. I find this to be one of the more intriguing questions given that sports entertainment has become more of a religion today than the God of the Bible.

I want to begin addressing this question by mentioning a couple of quotes from Tom Brady, the three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback of the New England Patriots. After Brady won his third Super Bowl in 2005 he was asked if he would still have the competitive drive to come back next year and compete for another championship after already winning three at the tender age of 27 (an NFL record). Brady’s response was both intriguing and insightful. He stated that after the initial euphoria wore off from winning his third championship, he asked himself, “Is this it? Surely there has to be more.”

More? Surely Brady was joking. He was at age 27 the epitome of success – three time champion, Brad Pitt type good looks, Hollywood actress girlfriend on his arm, and yet he was unsatisfied. The world would say his answer depicted his competitive spirit of wanting to be the greatest QB ever but I say his response goes much deeper. His response speaks of a spiritual void. You see for every person there is a spiritual void that we try to fill with all sorts of things – work, relationships, kids, hobbies, but yet we find ourselves very unsatisfied. “Because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot.” (Romans 8:7)

In his book, 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, Max Lucado says that when a man knocks on the door of a brothel, he is looking for God. So too with Brady. His question speaks of a void that seems untouched by his unmatched success. Subsequently, when Brady was asked a couple of years ago if he ever considered what God thought of his success, he said that he didn’t believe that “God gave a [expletive] if he could throw a football or not.”

On this account, Brady could not be more wrong and I believe this gets to the crux of our discussion about God’s sports interest. God most certainty does care that Brady can throw a football. He gave him the talent and ability. He also gave Brady a stage unlike anybody else to not only showcase that ability but to glorify God. I know Brady has never claimed to be a Christian but the Bible says God has fearfully and wonderfully made each of us (Psalm 139:13-14) and that our purpose from our birth has always been to serve and glorify Him in all that we do. “All has been heard; the end of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun].” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Winning or losing is not really the point with God. I would suggest that God gets more glory from a Christian who loses a big game and displays graciousness and humbleness than from a multiple champion who only glorifies himself. Rudyard Kipling wrote a wonderful poem called “If” in which he states, “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.” I believe this is God’s view as it relates to his children whether they are athletically gifted or not. He is looking for the individual that seeks to glorify Him on the playing field, at the office building, within the home.

In the end God will hold us all accountable for the talents and abilities we have been given and how we have used them to prosper His gospel. He will not look at Tom Brady any different than me or you as the Bible says God is not a respector of persons (Acts 10:34-35). He will look at how we responded to His revelation of Himself in our lives and how we used the gifts and talents He bestowed upon us for good and Super Bowl rings will be of no consequence.

The Power of Forgiveness

One of my dear Christian sisters had mentioned to me recently how she was struggling to forgive someone who has repeatedly offended her and continues to offend her. She has not seen any evidence of a changed heart to suggest this person will stop his/her behavior yet this person continues to ask for her forgiveness.

To forgive may be the hardest virtue that the Lord asks his followers to perform but how often are we supposed to forgive someone who keeps offending us with no apparent change of heart? The great apostle Peter posed this exact question to the Lord Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’”(Matt. 18:21-22)

That is not a typo. Jesus said seventy times seven which would be 490 times! This seems impossible, doesn’t it? I would suggest that it is impossible until we focus our attention on how God forgives. Forgiveness is first and foremost a divine virtue that I believe is not possible to the extent that God requires until one has been forgiven by the Lord Jesus for his/her sins. It is only then that a person has a clear picture of their sinful condition before a holy and righteous God and understands the extent of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to pay for one’s sins. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 3:23 and 5:8)

You see Christianity poses a personal Savior to forgive your sins and mine. In one sense Jesus did not die for the masses, He died for each and every person that comes to the cross asking for forgiveness for their own sins. Martyn Lloyd-Jones acutely understood this truth when he declared, “I say to the glory of God and in utter humility that whenever I see myself before God and realize even something of what my blessed Lord has done for me, I am ready to forgive anybody anything.”

I would be remiss if I did not also mention that not only is forgiveness the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is necessary to ensure we do not let offenses fester and turn into bitterness. "To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner was you." Someone once said to me that harboring bitter feelings against someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. “For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." (Acts 8:23)

The Lord is not only asking us to forgive because of all He has forgiven us for but to also ensure that we do not become bitter people and make the gospel of no effect in our daily walk. This is not to say that we are to be doormats for the world to walk all over but in my experience, I have seen no other virtue that when on display brings the gospel into sharper focus to an unbelieving world than forgiveness. It is just that powerful.

Do All Roads Really Lead to Heaven?

If I had a nickel for every time someone has said to me that all roads lead to heaven, I would not be writing this blog but making flight arrangements to Hawaii. All kidding aside, for those of us that believe there is an after life, I would imagine this question of how one attains eternal bliss would be of the utmost importance. What is even more remarkable is that so few people spend any time at all understanding the religion they were raised with and even less time researching other religions of the world. It may or may not surprise you to know that the Bible is one of the most frequently commented on books that has never been read in its entirety or even at all by its commentators.

Bearing this in mind, I wanted to briefly detail what Christianity offers as opposed to the other major religions of the world. I will be paraphrasing some of Max Lucado’s thoughts on this subject as detailed in his book, 3:16: The Numbers of Hope. First, Christianity is not technically a religion at all. It is a relationship. It is the only faith where one attains heaven based on the sacrifice of its God - Jesus Christ - and not through any human merit. The Bible states that God’s followers are “saved” based on the grace (unmerited favor) of God and their faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for their sins, “For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Every other major religion of the world offers eternal bliss through the means of human achievement. Christianity offers it through the cross of Jesus Christ. Judaism refuses the claim of Christ as Messiah. Christians believe He is the promised Savior. Buddhists look toward Nirvana, achieved after numerous reincarnations. Christians believe in one life and one eternal life. Muslims earn their way to Allah by performing the duties of the Five Pillars of Faith. Christians rest in the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Humanists do not acknowledge a creator of life. Jesus claims to be the source of life. Spiritualists read your palms. Christians consult the Bible. Hindus perceive a plural and impersonal god. Christ followers believe “there is only one God.” (I Corinthians. 8:4) And most supremely, every non-Christian religion says “You can save you.” Jesus says, “My death on the cross saves you.”

How can all religions really lead to God when they contain such disparate claims about how one attains eternal life? We don’t tolerate such illogic in other matters. We don’t pretend that all roads lead to Boston so why do it with something as important as your eternal destiny?

Is God Still in Control?

Given the current state of the economy and a president that has been espousing socialistic rhetoric, many people have asked me if God is still relevant in today's world and if He is, does he care about what is transpiring as we head into the year 2010. To answer this complex and layered question, it is best to start at the beginning.

The first principle to understand on this topic is that power belongs to God alone. Mankind thinks that he is the one who plans his own destiny but the Bible says that even though we may plan our own way, our steps are directed by the Lord, "A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) We must also realize that leaders and those in authority do not govern outside of God’s will and they have no power to take our nation where God is not going. There are two important passages that explain this. First look at Proverbs 21:1: “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

The Bible says that God puts it in the hearts of the world’s leaders to fulfill the purposes of God and the word God has spoken. It is not man who picks his leaders, but God who raises up leaders and orchestrates the events that raises them to power. Look also at Daniel 2:20-21: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise. And knowledge to those who have understanding.”

Bearing in mind that God is ultimately in control than we can surmise that political leaders cannot exalt a nation nor can they bring down a nation. God has the power to turn their hearts, overthrow their plans or bless their efforts. When you really dig down and look at the personal lives of our political leaders during the greatest times of our nation’s glory, you find things that show human nature and not divine inspiration. God is not limited by our leader’s religious views. Even when we had ungodly leaders and men of questionable character, the Lord still blessed the nation. It is not the leaders but the church that determines whether a nation is blessed. Let’s look at a passage that is often quoted but rarely obeyed, 2 Chronicles 7:14: “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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

God does not say that He exalts the nation because they elect evangelical Christians into office, but rather if His people (the church) humble themselves before Him, repent by turning from their own ways, and seek His face. Only then will God answer this prayer and heal the land. God’s promises are not determined by who are leaders are, but by the holiness of His people.