MOCKING SIN

“Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor!" (Prov. 14:9 NKJV).

There are many foolish people today who mock sin. Thus we want to note three ways in which these folks mock sin: they mock its criminality, they mock its condemnation, and they mock its consequences.

Mocking its criminality - Many mock sin by denying that they have done anything wrong. And this mocking becomes more serious when local authority pass laws that allows sin to be done without prosecution. This is nothing but mocking the criminality of the sin. It is foolish to pass laws condoning sin.

Mocking its condemnation - Those who mock sin will often mock those who condemn sin. Too often, preachers who take a stand against sin will be attacked and ridiculed as unloving and insensitive. The whistle-blower who expose evil on the job is often attacked, and in some cases even fired because they dared to take a stand against evil practices at work.

Mocking its consequences - Perhaps the most obvious and frequent form of mocking is the mocking of the consequences of sin. The mocker laughs at the idea of sin being punished, especially the eternal consequences of sin. Those who mock the eternal consequences of sin are going against the Word of God. If this continues, they will experience eternal judgment which will forever stop their mocking!

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Sin is not judged by the way we see it but by the way God sees it!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Draw near

In Heb. 4:16 we read, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (NASB).

Draw near is the Greek word proserchomai (προσέρχομαι = pros-er'-khom-ahee). It is made up of two words: “pros” which means to, toward, and “erchomai” which means come, go, come to, and approach. Thus the word means to come facing toward, to approach, come near, and visit. Figuratively, proserchomai means to worship, draw near, and go near to.

In classical Greek, proserchomai also carries the basic meaning of come, go, come to, and approach. In the Septuagint proserchomai is especially used of approaching the altar, or God, to approach equals to inquire. Often the approach is made in order to make a request or statement. In the New Testament proserchomai carries idea of approach. In 1 Tim. 6:3, the word also has the unusual meaning of consent to or agree with. Further, the word is present tense which signifies a continually drawing near to God in prayer, worship, devotion of heart and life.

Unlike the high priests of the old covenant, believers have personal access by faith through Jesus Christ to God the Father. What a contrast this truth presents with the Old Testament priests; believers today can boldly approach God’s presence. We have this boldness because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are a “royal priesthood.”

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would have a just character (Isa. 9:7)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 5:30

Did You Know…

In Gen. 2:7, God breathed on Adam to bring him to life. In John 20:22-23, Jesus breathed on the apostles to give them the gift of bringing spiritual life to others through repentance and confession.

Bible Quiz

Who was promised that he would not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: True or false: Bethlehem is known as the City of Abraham. False – Bethlehem is known as the City of David (Luke 2:11).

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

“Go to your reward”

“Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matt. 6:2 NKJV).

“Go to your reward” - The expression “go to your reward” carries the idea of getting what you deserve. As believers, we need to guard against hypocritical attitudes in our giving, prayer, and fasting. When we do our charitable works before men, we can expect nothing from God. Therefore, we need to make sure that God is the audience and not people because God’s reward is better than man’s reward.

Did You Know – Christian History

William Alfred Passavant was born October 9, 1821 in Zelienople, PA. He was a Lutheran minister noted for bringing the Lutheran Deaconess movement to the United States.

Passavant studied at Jefferson College before training for the ministry at Gettysburg Seminary. Passavant took Christ’s teachings and commands to heart. In addition to all his other labors, he pastored in Pittsburgh and edited church magazines that he had founded. Whenever William saw a desperate need, he tried to meet it.

Back in the 19th Century, government charity did not exist as it does today. Unless the church and private organizations met needs, people suffered. And so, without money, William opened Sunday schools, hospitals, orphanages, immigrant stations, libraries and colleges. He did so without fund-raising appeals or financial gimmicks. He believed that all such methods dishonored God. His work went on during times of great trouble. If the stock market plunged or plague left more people sick and orphaned, he took on more tasks despite fewer hands and smaller contributions.

All day he labored, and late into the night. Then, while others slept, he knelt praying. “The church is not merely a sheepfold, but a workshop,” he declared. Surprisingly enough, some people who thought of themselves as Christians harassed him. Some were terrified that they might catch diseases. Others resented him because his godliness showed up their spiritual anemia. Yet, through it all, Passavant persevered. And God rewarded his bold and loving faith with success time and time again.

Passavant died in his Pittsburgh home on January 3, 1894 after falling ill attending a fellow pastor’s funeral. He is buried in the cemetery of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Zelienople. After his death, people looked back with amazement at all that he had accomplished. The many institutions that he opened became foundational to the Lutheran Services Organization, the largest church social program in the nation. The house in which Passavant was born, Passavant House, is now Zelienople’s local history museum and listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

A Little Humor

Sunday school teacher Carolyn, said to her children, “We have been learning about how powerful the kings and queens were in Biblical times. But there is a higher power. Who can tell me what it is?” Little George blurted out, “I know, I know. It is Aces.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“In the dark? Follow the Son!”