I preached a message Sunday morning titled “Justification is
Everything”. I felt after I left the pulpit that there was so much more I
needed to say. So, this is an addition to that message.
We live in a world where justification is everything. As
long as we can justify it it is ok. This isn’t TRUTH! While that may be in the
world it is also running amuck in the churches among bible believing
Christians.
You may be thinking to yourself that this isn’t right. Well
let me give you some examples.
The Bible tells us that God hates gossiping but so many of
us are guilty of this. “What, not me, I’ve never gossiped a day of my life!”
Well let me ask you. Have you ever asked a prayer request for someone and give
all the details of the request? Has someone ever come to you and shared a
burden to which they asked you to pray for them and then you turned to your
prayer group and said, “pray for so and so because they are burdened by
complete disclosure”? Or has someone come to you and done this without you
stopping them? Justifying gossip by claiming it’s a prayer request is still
gossiping.
How about telling a little white lie to save someone’s
feelings? I know there is no one guilty of this because the Bible tells us not
to lie. We are caring compassionate people and we are to love others the way we
want to be loved. We would not want someone to hurt our feelings so therefore
we spare other’s feelings. Or we may stretch the truth to keep us from getting
into trouble. A lie is a lie no matter
how you justify it.
We even justify not witnessing to others because “I’m not as
educated as so and so”, “what if they ask me something I don’t know about the
bible”, “that’s the pastor’s job; that’s why we pay him”,
or “I’m just to busy with all the junk I have in my life”. What if someone
justified not sharing with you?
I tell you that there is coming a day when you and I will
stand before an all mighty righteous God and we won’t be able to justify the
actions we have committed. The only justification we will have on that day is
if we were / are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
I know that this is / has been a touchy subject because we
have all been guilty of this at some point in our lives. Lord knows I have been!
If you have in the past or if you are currently trying to justify your actions,
then I submit to you that it’s time to confess and repent. According to God’s
Holy Word “God cannot look upon any sin” (Habakkuk 1:13). I submit to you that
if you have unconfessed sin in your life that you aren’t in a right
relationship with God the Father.
The good news according to 1 John 1:9 is that “if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness”.
I love you all,
Pastor Anthony Kennedy
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