“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:
1) Blaming Others for Our Sins (Mike Johnson)
2) A Man Called David (Robert F. Turner)
3) Psalm 61:1-4 (NASB)
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Blaming Others for Our Sins
Mike Johnson
It is very common for people to try to blame their mistakes on others; we have a tendency to want to shift responsibility. People also blame SIN on other people. Many did this in biblical times; regrettably, the blaming of sin on others also takes place a lot today. Commonly blamed for people’s sins today are:
1. Satan — The idea “the Devil made me do it” is very common. At least people who say this realize Satan is involved in sin. However, they may not understand that responsibility for sin cannot be shifted to Satan. Eve, in the beginning, tried to blame Satan when she sinned. She partook of the forbidden fruit and said in Genesis 3:13, “ . . . The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” It is true Satan tempts people; he does influence people to sin (I Cor. 7:5). However, Satan can be resisted (James 4:7), and the fact that Satan tempts us does not mean we are not responsible for our sins. It does no good to try and shift the blame to Satan.
2. God — Some people actually try to blame God for their sins. Perhaps this is what Aaron was trying to do in Exodus 32. He tried to explain the golden calf he made for the people to worship by pointing out (v. 24) that the people gave him the gold, and he went on to say, “ . . . then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.” Was he trying to say that it was some kind of miracle from God?
It is important to understand that God is not responsible for our sins. James 1:13 says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man . . . .” Thus, we cannot blame God.
3. Wives — Some husbands try to blame their wives for many things and some even try to blame them for their sins.
Consider one Old Testament example. Earlier we noted that Eve tried to blame Satan for her sin. Adam did not try to blame Satan, but instead, he tried to blame his wife (Eve) for his part in the eating of the forbidden fruit. She actually did give her husband the fruit to eat and had an influence on his deed. Nevertheless, this did not make him less guilty.
Further, when a man feels an inclination to shift responsibility for his sins to his wife to justify himself, he should consider the Old Testament example of Job and his wife. Job suffered much affliction, and his wife told him that he ought to just curse God and die. Job rebuked her and said in Job 2:10, “. . . shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” He resisted his wife’s bad advice.
4. Husbands — At times, a woman who is a faithful Christian will have a husband who is not a Christian. Sometimes she may be neglectful in her service to God, and when confronted about her neglect, may blame her spiritual problems on her husband. Again, the husband may have caused her to become discouraged. (Generally, it is more difficult for a person to be faithful to God if his/her spouse is unfaithful.) Yet, the wife is still responsible for her sins. Many women have remained faithful to God even though their husbands have discouraged them spiritually by their words and deeds.
Peter gave some good advice to women, whose husbands were not believers, in I Peter 3:1 when he said, “Likewise, ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.” The woman is to win her husband to Christ by her “conversation,” i.e. manner of life.
5. Preachers — Sometimes people become offended by something a preacher says in his sermon and refuse to attend any more services. They sometimes blame their unfaithfulness on the preacher when they are asked about their neglect. It may have been that the preacher said something that was correct and was needful in his sermon. II Timothy 4:2 says that he is to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.” It is also true that a preacher can make a mistake in judgment as preachers are not perfect. Regardless of mistakes that others might make, we must remain faithful to God. We can blame the preacher for our neglect, but we are still responsible and must answer to God.
6. Other Christians — Sometimes a Christian is mistreated by another Christian. He then may try to excuse his neglect in serving God by the fact he was mistreated. Some might say they will not attend services because there are “so many hypocrites there.” These are trying to blame their spiritual neglect on others, but they are still responsible for their sins.
Many people take the easiest course with regard to their sins. Instead of repenting, they simply blame others. It does no good for us to shift responsibility.
A person who is not a Christian must believe (Heb. 11:6), repent (Acts 17:30-31), confess Christ (Rom. 10:10), and be baptized (Acts 2:38). A Christian who sins must repent, pray, and confess his sins (Acts 8:22, James 5:16, I Jn. 1:8-10). God will not excuse any of us because of what someone else did or did not do. We bear responsibility of our own sins.
— Via The Elon Challenger, Volume 16, Number 2, October 2018
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A Man Called David
Robert F. Turner
Often it is asked, “How could David be called a man after God’s own heart”? (Acts 13:22) “Like David” usually means the querist sees only the sinful side of David’s life — and it is certainly there. But someone has answered this question, “Read Psalms!”
“I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies” (119:59). “My soul waiteth in silence for God only: From Him cometh my salvation” (62:1). “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked …but his delight is in the law of Jehovah…” (1:1-f).
“Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I take refuge” (16:1). “I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength. Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer” (18:1). “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will make mention of the name of Jehovah our God” (20:7).
“Who can discern his errors? Clear thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, and I shall be clear from great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer” (19:12-14).
“I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me: Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee” (41:4). “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight.” “Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.” “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.” “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (From Psm. 51).
“The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters He restoreth my soul…” Many thousands knew the “Shepherd Psalm.” But David knew the Shepherd.
— Via The Auburn Beacon
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Psalm 61:1-4
“Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a refuge for me,
A tower of strength against the enemy.
Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah” (NASB).
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermon)