BBD 03.12.14 Deceit and Other "Little Sins" (Classic)
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Classic from 2005
03.12.14
Deceit and Other “Little Sins”
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all DECEIT, hypocrisy, envy, and all
evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. - 1 Peter
2:1-3.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave
them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being
filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, DECEIT, evil-mindedness; they are
whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of
evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,
unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those
who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also
approve of those who practice them. - Romans 1:28-32.
Colin Dowse has an idea that on the surface seems
somewhat strange. His idea? Chemically treated (to increase the adhesive power)
mud to spray on SUVs. The product "Sprayonmud” is selling for about
$14.00 a quart in the USA. The product will allow urban SUV owners to appear to
be "all-terrain adventurers.” Would anyone actually buy such a
thing? Dowse says,"I'm just shipping a load to Japan we're opening up distributorships
in Canada and in the U.S. I'm talking to people in Germany and Holland. The
interest is phenomenal. We've had a hundred thousand hits on our website."
On the surface, this desire to appear to be something
that we are not does not seem to be such a bad thing. Who is going to be hurt
if I have some mud on my SUV that did not actually get there by driving
off-road or through a swamp? However, it is a symptom of a more serious
condition, this wanting to deceive - to be something that we are not. Deceit is
a serious condition as evidenced by it appearing in a list along with "murder, strife" and many
other ugly things.
Does it really hurt anyone if you appear to your neighbor
to be someone that you are really not? Most likely, the only one it is hurting
is you and your relationship with your God. As with many sins there appears to
be degrees from our view of them. (However, the Book of James makes clear
that any sin makes you guilty of all. James 2:10, "For whoever shall keep the
whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.") As
in a "little white lie" at one end of the scale, and a "whopper"
at the other. Sin has a way of growing; as we participate, and grow accustomed
to one level of the sin, it is easier to slide up to another level. We may
start out with "sprayonmud” and move on to cheating on our income
taxes.
The point is that when we become aware of these little
imperfections that is the time to repent, confessing them to the Lord (1 John 1:9) and overcome them. If we tolerate them, it
is like watering a weed, and it will grow becoming more and more difficult to
take care of later. So, if you’ve become a "sprayonmud" customer it
is time to visit the car wash and come clean.
Copyright © 2005 - 2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
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