BBD 07.27.05 Deceit and Other Little Sins
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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07.27.05
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 had an idea that seems on the surface to be 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 web site."
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. 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.
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