Bible Thoughts

December 3, 2000

The values of men are different from the values that God desires all to have. Christ is helping the disciples to understand that God does care for them, even when they are in danger. Jesus points out that God cares even for the sparrows that are sold in the marketplace. If the Lord cares for them, should he not also care for you? God values every human soul; men tend to value material objects.

Anxiety often is the product of one having and keeping the wrong values. When one's interest is focused on worldly matters, there is always the danger of losing one's possessions. Such a person is worried about obtaining things of this life and fearful of losing what one owns.

The Christian understands that all we possess and enjoy comes from the God who created each of us. His faith will cause the disciple to realize that the Lord will see to the physical needs we have in life. God values those who respect his commands and cares about those who follow the Lord's word.

The values of the world conflict with the values that God desires men to hold. Is it not strange that many in the world want to kill unborn babies but will spare murderers from their just punishment? How sad to be so mixed up.

Paul pointed out that the rudiments and ordinances of men have no "value" when it comes to avoiding the indulgence of the flesh(Colossians 2:23). Multiple books have been written and many radio/TV programs have been aired that attempt to help people get their values straight. The answers often set aside the values that one should possess and allow various sins to be committed in order to satisfy the lusts of the flesh. The advice given has little or no value, and often tends to encourage the very practices that one should be avoiding in order to put "value" into life.

The word "value" refers to what one considers important, that which is desirable, and what one thinks highly of. These descriptions are words used in the dictionaries to describe "value." We could add, in the light of Paul's statement in Colossians, that proper values include one avoiding that which would destroy and/or interfere with the values to be cherished by those who would follow the Lord and His way. Thus it is that the positive practice of righteousness contributes to one's being able to hold onto the values that should be in a Christian's lifestyle.

Just what do we value in this life? family? righteousness? the church? friends? fellow disciples? the truth? and a host of other relationships that have to do with godly thinking and behavior. Do we recognize that such are higher than material possessions, the offerings of men, and the indulgence of the flesh?

The sparrows do not possess a soul; God cares for them. Each human is a soul; God values each beyond the rest of creation. The Lord valued man enough to send his Son to die on the cross for all of mankind. Do I value my own soul enough to follow the commands of Christ? to put the Lord and His cause first in my life? to fully support the Lord's work in this place? to do everything within my power to stand up for right whatever the cost? Let each of us ask: what do I value? Our lives and attitudes answer these questions. After all, we treasure what we value and we value what we treasure.

The writer is talking about sin here, he tells us that if we sin and we know we are sinning then there is no more sacrifice for them, which is not a situation that we should want to be in.

So, first we need to understand what this sin is, because if we don’t know what it is then how will we know when we are sinning? In Galatians 5:19-21 we read what Paul writes about sin and he gives us a list of sins. Now we know that to get drunk is a sin, and we know that murder is a sin and we know the same goes for adultery and hatred and envy, to go out and do these things even though we know they are sin will be willfully sinning.

Man today has come up with a scale for sin; we see it everywhere. This world makes us believe that some actions are worse than others, and, to man, murdering another man is worse that stealing an apple. But ask yourselves, is it this to God?

In 1John 5:17 we read that all unrighteousness is sin, and if it is not from God then it is unrighteous.

Now the majority of this world are “good“ people and most of them would not go out and murder someone else but they think nothing of stealing or getting drunk or even breaking the laws of this land, and so they believe that everything is OK, but if God does not see the difference in sin then why should we?

Our law system today says that if you break the law in one way you get a ticket or maybe go to jail for a couple of years, and if you break the law in a different way you get life imprisonment and sometimes even death.

God's law is not the same as man's law. Be careful the next time you do something. Make sure that you are not sinning, because all sin will send you to hell even if it’s just telling a little white lie.-Vaughn Botha

Everyone has a work to do. What is your work in the church where you worship? Do you feel that others are to do it all?-H. M. Phillips, Gospel Advocate, 2/7/52.(Comment: A good thought for each of us. Diligence in the Lord's work is manifest in many different ways.)