By Van Yandell
Romans 3: 10 & 12 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
We humans have an inclination to observe and form opinions of others much more readily than ourselves. We are fortunate and God-blessed that God is our judge and not other people.
Unfortunately however, our great failure is to ignore our own inconsistencies. Even when we know at times, our actions are wrong; we make excuses for our weaknesses. Justifying in one’s own mind the sin, doesn’t make it not a sin.
I will never forget a statement made by a teacher in graduate school. The class was industrial design; it was intended to open our minds as well as develop design insights and possibilities.
The statement was “Always be your own severest critic.” Those words have echoed in my thoughts for many years and the many aspects of our lives it which that concept applies.
To judge ourselves is probably an action that would circumvent God’s authority. But to evaluate ones self is not only acceptable, it is necessary for a balanced existence.
Being my own “severest critic” has caused me a lot of heartache and others might possibly see themselves in that light. Being constantly observant of our thoughts, words and actions is a conscious effort at first and can become a curse.
Of course we must examine our words before stated aloud, “Are they necessary?” “Might they be hurtful?” “Will they be understood?”
Does anyone actually do that? We often speak before we think and later regret those words. The idiom “You can’t un-ring a bell” has been attributed to several. Its implication is consistent and very true. Once words are spoken, the effect can be long-lasting.
People are more likely to remember what we say that is hurtful than what we say that is good. Proverbs 18: 21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
At creation, God gave mankind the ability to communicate. The U.S. constitution gives Americans freedom of speech.
Just as the ability to communicate was abused at the building of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), the freedom of speech has been drastically abused by people today in all walks of life.
Sad to say, the freedoms of communication and speech are ignored by many Christians. Our freedom and mandate is to share the Gospel of our Jesus to a lost and dying world.
I was once asked (by an individual that knew absolutely nothing about Christianity or the Holy Bible) concerning the word “believe” in John 3: 16, “Just exactly what am I supposed to believe?
It is difficult to explain the Biblical connection in the Old Testament about the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross in detail and make it clear what the crucifixion involved. To say “Jesus died for the remission of sin” is complete for initial salvation purposes but to describe in detail the process and His ultimate sacrifice may initially be too detailed.
As one matures in their Christian life through Bible study and other sources, the specifics of crucifixion become a strengthening awareness.
The process of crucifixion is a horrible and painful method of capital punishment. Crucifixion was preceded by a flogging with a whip which consisted of thirty-nine lashes with a flagrum (or flagellum).
That instrument had nine strips of leather tied on a wooden handle. On the ends of the strips were cutting objects that pierced the skin and flesh of the victim deeply and caused tremendous blood loss.
Many victims of the scourging died of shock or blood loss. Jesus lived through the beating and was consequently nailed to a cross (Colossians 2: 13-14). Some were disemboweled and at times, the crucifiers smeared feces in the wounds to cause infection which increased the suffering.
Any way we address the subject, Jesus suffered immeasurably for the eternal salvation of the world. The victory for believers is the resurrection.
Matthew 28: 5-6 “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
“He is risen” are the some of the sweetest words in the Bible. The tomb was not powerful enough to hold our Jesus. Just as He said, He rebuilt the Temple of His body in three days.
John 2: 19 “Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He was referring to His own death and resurrection.
Many saw Jesus after His resurrection. How many witnesses does it require to establish a fact? There are numerous cases in the scriptures of those that saw Jesus alive after His death on the cross.
Believing is being convinced something is real and true. When we are asked, what must we believe about this Jesus, how are we going to answer?
My personal answer is born of a virgin/fathered by the spirit of God, crucified for the remission of sin, resurrected from the dead and ascended alive into Heaven.
Jesus’ blood sacrifice is scripturally connected to the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament. Without the virgin birth, He could not have been that perfect (1 Peter 2: 22), without the blemish of sin, Savior for the sin of the world (Deuteronomy 17: 1).
If this article is “not about politics.” then what is it about? It is about the Christian responsibility to rescue the world from eternal damnation! Politics is from the word policy. What is your policy concerning the sharing of your faith in Christ Jesus?
If Christians don’t tell the world about Jesus, who is going to?
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary. His email is vmy3451@gmail.com.
