Tag: Sin

Cautious of the Cliff

I believe in being cutting-edge! Finding modern ways to express the old path; that is cutting-edge and culturally relevant biblically. I want to be liberal enough to use new ways and conservative enough to stick with God’s solid, specific path.

Changing apostolic doctrine to accommodate the times is dangerous and not merely on the edge; it’s totally over it.  It is unwise, senseless, ill-advised, and thoughtless. That’s not cutting-edge. That’s a cliff-hanger, at best.

I need to share a secret. It’s personal. It’s frightening. But, after all, blogs are meant to be revealing and personal. Blogs are like one’s personal diary in cyberspace. Let me get to the point. I’m terrified of heights. No cliff-hanging, diving off a mountain into the ocean, tight-rope walking, for me. None! Zilch! Ferris wheels are out of the picture. I’m not going up in the arch in St. Louis. I used to be terrified of walking across the bridge or those see-through glass-looking floors on the third floor of the mall. I’ve overcome my fear by simply staying away from what makes me fearful. Hopefully that makes me an overcomer.

In a spiritual sense I’m even more fearful of falling off some spiritual cliff. My heavenly flight will happen so fast I won’t even realize it. Anyways, I will be changed in a twinkling of an eye, and my fear of heights will be zapped for eternity.

It’s not the fear of going up that is dreadful. It’s the fear of abandoning truth for a lie that causes me and those that hear me to go down, down, down; if you know what I mean!

A wealthy lady interviewed three men for a driving position. She asked “How close can you get to the edge of the cliff without falling off?”

First guy: “Twelve inches.”

Second guy: “Six inches”

Third guy: “I’ll stay as far from the cliff as I can.”

He got the job.

Mark Wilson said, “When staying close to the cliff appeals more to us than staying close to Christ, we are trying to manage sin. Spiritual victory is never found along the fuzzy edges of compromise. God calls us to steer clear of the cliff altogether.”

False teachers are not only close to the cliff, they have fallen of the cliff.

My advice for one and all: Be cautious of the cliff!

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The Tragedy of Ignoring the Alarm

Howard Hendricks in Color Outside the Lines gives an excellent illustration of what can happen to those who refuse to heed advice. A boat made its way toward its destination. On board were 1,358 people enjoying an afternoon outing. Thirty minutes after leaving the shore, a fire broke out. People started shouting, fearing their lives would be lost. Although the ship was close to shore, the captain steadily kept his course. No one knows why he did not return to land for help. Some say he did not understand the severity of what was taking place. Others say he thought the crew could take care of the situation. He refused to pay attention to the fire alarms, the screaming people, or the smoke and flames. The tragedy resulted in the loss of over a thousand lives. Investigations revealed the crew was unskillful and inspectors had been bribed. Fire buckets had been filled with garbage, and life vests had rotted.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Hebrews 2:3).

  • God sees sin.
  • God sees the sinner.
  • God judges sin and sinners.
  • He provides only one way of escape (salvation).

The Bible is very clear that there are only two kinds of people (both in life and in death). (See Romans 3:9-31; 6.) They are

  • Saved
  • Lost

“Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying, “Thank you, God, for providing a sure way to get to you!”
(Acts Commentary)

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