"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then, not do it."
James 4:17 NLT
How many times do we fall for this? We know that we shouldn't do or say a particular thing but, we do it anyway. We tend to think that doing wrong is sin but, as we meditate on this scripture, it tells us that sin is also not doing right, when we should do. An example of this is finding out that a person within the church is sexually abusing a minor. Just because this person may be an upright member, does not give us the right to be quiet on this subject and sweep it under the carpet because you know the person well and revealing it could cause a major scandal. As citizens of the UK we have an obligation to report this matter to the authorities. It is against the law and in the eyes of God - sin.
It is a sin to lie and also a sin to know the truth and not tell it. In God's eyes, it is sin to speak evil of people by criticising and judging them. It is hard to like some people. No matter how hard we may try, there is just no connection. We are to love people but it may be hard to like them. Some people have a problem with this one. How can you love someone without liking them? It's a faith thing; we love them through Jesus Christ, we don't say bad things about them, we just love them. Ephesians 4:32 says: 'Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Being kind to one another is showing people love. It doesn't mention that we should like everyone. As long as we are loving and kind to whoever we meet, we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do. Keller says:
‘The Bible says we should do all we can to live in peace with everyone, love them, but we are not commanded to like them. Are we commanded to love them? Without a doubt. If love means wanting the best for someone, we should desire that everyone we meet know and love God and accept Jesus, His Son, as their Savior.’
And there it is in a nutshell. Not liking someone is not sin as long as we show them the love of Jesus; they may not know Jesus so, by loving them we are giving them this opportunity.
Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.
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