But I Tell You…

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:21-22, 27–28, NIV 1984).

My Musings – Passive: accepting or allowing what happens without active response or resistance.  Aggressive: pursuing one’s aims and interests forcefully.  Passive-Aggressive: the expression of aggression in an unassertive passive way rather than through direct confrontation.  Leave it up to mankind to combine two seemingly contradictory responses into one.  Passive sin, aggressive sin, passive-aggressive sin.  Common denominator? Sin. 

People like to justify themselves by claiming such things as “at least I didn’t kill anybody,” or “it was just a white-lie,” or “it was a victim-less sin.”  But guess what?  “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”  (James 2:10–11, NIV 1984).  Adam and Eve had only one-point where they could stumble. They did, and paradise was lost.  We have a myriad of points where we can stumble, but it only takes one to keep us out of paradise.  And we have all stumbled on at least “just one point.”  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, NIV 1984).  With “the wages of sin [being] death.” (Romans 6:23, NIV 1984). 

My Advice – That could be how the story ends.  But just as it only takes one sin, it only took one act of grace.  But it had to be the right one, and there is only one right one.  For “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV 1984). He aggressively dealt with our sin by passively consenting to His own death, “even death on a cross.”  How do you wish your story would end?  Wishes can come true, because “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, NIV 1984).  If you want to be “in Christ Jesus,” check out my “The Born Again Experience” musings to find out how.

Author: thebrewisamusing

I was raised in a Christian family and my earliest childhood memories include regular Sunday school and Church attendance as a family. I was taught that our Judeo-Christian values were not just a part of our Sunday routine they should be part of our character and influence all aspects of our lives. I was also taught that as important as these values were they could not save us. We must also be “born again” by accepting Christ. View all posts by thebrewisamusing