Well, Hi, Everyone!
It’s good to be back! I hope you all have enjoyed a fruitful and peaceful summer. I sure did.
How’s it going? Have you had a chance to talk to people about Jesus lately? If so, WONDERFUL! That’s a big part of your job description as a Christ-Follower!!! If not, may I ask why? Are you just in a slump? (I’ve been in one the last few weeks, sadly! Please pray for me?) Are you afraid? Try to let fear FOR people overcome your fear OF them! They face a dreadful eternity unless they are IN CHRIST! Are you just not sure how to start? (And continue? And finish?) Let’s prayerfully press on together, shall we?
PLEASE sign up for our 2 day evangelism training class given by Pastor Chris Peeler at Freedom Church Baltimore on October 1st and 8th. From 9-1. It will be SO WORTH YOUR TIME and effort! More details next week!
For today, I’d like to continue sharing some Awesome Analogies that we started looking at back in June. I’m gonna copy what Pastor Chris wrote in his training manual and I’ll also share it by YouTube if you’d prefer to watch and listen.
“SIN REALLY DOES HAVE TO BE PUNISHED: What if I slapped my sister?
All of us have a problem understanding how bad our sin really is. This is what helps me. Imagine that I slapped my sister. Maybe I'll get grounded for a week. But if I slap my teacher I may get expelled from school. If I slap the mayor of the town I may get thrown in jail for a week. Do you see where this is going? It's the same wrongdoing, but the punishment changes according to who I'm slapping. The higher someone is in authority, the greater the punishment. So, what happens if I slap the President of the United States? Maybe I'll get thrown in jail for a lifetime! Maybe I'll get shot! Are you following me? It's important that we understand that our sin is ultimately against God.
Think about it! When we sin we're rebelling against God. We're rebelling against the God who made the world, everything in it, and us! He's all good and all loving and all righteous and all powerful and all knowing. He never sins. He made the rules. He demands they be followed. Sinning against the God of the universe is much worse than slapping my sister. That's why sin must be punished. That's why there is a Hell.
SIN REALLY DOES HAVE TO BE PUNISHED: ANOTHER COURTROOM STORY
Remember the courtroom analogy? Let's say you're standing there, having committed a violent crime. You say to the judge, “I am so sorry, Judge! I'll never do it again!” What kind of judge would let you go free? Yes, that's right. A crooked one. Maybe one you paid under the table, right? A just judge would have to sentence you properly. It's the same with God. Yes, He's good and kind and loving, but he's also just, and perfect and completely holy. It would contradict His nature to simply forgive us and let us get off scot-free. By His very nature he must punish sin.”
A point that Ray Comfort likes to make in his YouTube witnessing videos, is that if someone says they won’t face God’s judgment because they’ve done a lot of good things, remind them that that would never work in a court of Law. “Yes, Judge. You’re right, I did murder that little old lady, BUT I’ve also done a lot of good things. The judge would say, “Well you should do good things, but we’re here because of your crimes.”
I hope this is helpful. Press on friends. God is with you.
Grace and Peace,
mary