Theology of Sin

In the Biblical perspective, sin is not only an act of wrong doing but a state of alienation from God. (Elwell, 2001) Because of the original sin of Adam we are born into a state of depravity. In the New International Version of the Bible, the word sin appears in the Gospel twenty times. So what is a sin? Eaton’s Bible Dictionary defines sin as “any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God” (Easton, 1897).

Verses

1.      Matthew

6:14 for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you

12:31 and so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil

18:15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over

2.      Mark

7:20-23 “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

3.      Luke

17:1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come

17:4 even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

4.      John

1:29 the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

8:7 when they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

8:11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

8:21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”

8:34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

9:34 to this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out

9:41 to this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out

15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin

15:24 if I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

16:8 when he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment

16:9 about sin, because people do not believe in me;

19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Sin Key Verses

John 1:29 the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. John 18:34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. John 16:8 when he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. John 16:9 about sin, because people do not believe in me;

Luke 17: 1-4 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

Mark 7:20-23 “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Matthew 6:14 for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you

Summary

Because of the original sin of Adam, man is born into sin and depravity Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-24 NIV). We are all slaves to sin the same sin that separates us from God.  It is only through the Good News of the Gospel that we are forgiven of our sins and blessed by the grace of God. Just as we are forgiven of our sins, so we are to forgive others that sin against us. We need to show the love and grace that Jesus provides for us. Life, as we know it is tempory Life with the Lord, is eternal.

The Bridge Builder BY WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE

An old man going a lone highway,

Came, at the evening cold and gray,

To a chasm vast and deep and wide.

Through which was flowing a sullen tide

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned when safe on the other side

And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,

“You are wasting your strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day,

You never again will pass this way;

You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build this bridge at evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head;

“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,

“There followed after me to-day

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm that has been as naught to me

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”

Source: Father: An Anthology of Verse (EP Dutton & Company, 1931)

Servant Leaders

Life of a Pastor

To quote the famous poet Kermit the Frog “ It’s not easy being green.” In the song Kermit begins to tell about how hard life is in being green. When he reaches the end of the song, he says:

        When green is all there is to be

               It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why

               Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful

               And I think it's what I want to be[1]

This sums up the life of a pastor very well; it is hard, it is beautiful, and there is nothing I would rather be. The job of a pastor does not stop on Sunday. It is a way of life that calls one  to work twenty-four hours a day. The work of God does not stop at the doors of the church.

I grew up in the church because my father was a pastor, my brother is a pastor, and now I am a minister. This is not a job where a person just wakes up one morning and says” I think I will become a pastor.”. It requires a calling from God, Spiritual Gifts from God, and a love for others that comes only through knowing Christ.

The day of a pastor does not start  when he arrives at the office at 7:00 AM ; it starts hours before when he wakes up, grabs a cup of coffee, and walks out to the chair on his back porch to spend some quiet time in conversation with God to prepare himself for the activities of the day. Then it is off to the office. Sometimes it is an office at the church; other times it is just a home office, but either way the work day begins. It begins with checking and answering e-mail messages, posts, and checking out the news for current and local events. The pastor’s office duties may include counseling, board meetings, staff meetings, or staff training.

The pastor’s duties often take him outside the office. Activities range from hospital visitation to city council meetings. These duties can last into an evening at a local sporting event as he gives the invocation or an evening at a family’s home comforting them after a recent loss of a loved one.

The pastor’s job never stops. Because he is  a father and husband, he has to balance his duties as a pastor to include  an all- night  prayer vigiles or the 2:00AM call to the hospital. On Sunday morning at church, one should shake the hand of the pastor and tell him “thank you” for always being there for anyone who needs him.

---

[1] "Bein' Green" (also known as "It's Not Easy Bein' Green") is a popular song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It was later covered by Frank Sinatra and other performers.

The Trinity Explained

Understanding The Trinity

The Trinity is considered to be three separate entities: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While the Trinity is three persons with different jobs, They are one God sometimes referred to as the Godhead.  This can be a difficult concept to understand.  There is a need to know each person of the Trinity to understand the Trinity as a whole.

God the Father

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1 NIV). God the Father is the Creator of all things in the universe. He is the Father of Israel and the king of His people. Unto Him all will face judgment. “The Father is a distinct divine Person (hypostasis, subsistentia, persona, suppositum intellectuale), distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Easton, 1897). The Father is often referenced as Elohim, the strong and faithful one.

God the Son

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, And the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1: 1,14). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the second person of the Trinity. Jesus is fully God and fully human. This is referred to as the hypostatic union. There are several places in the Bible where Jesus confirms that He is God (John 10:1; John 14:9).In Revelations 22:13 (NIV), Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last…”  Jesus became fully man to share the message of salvation and to die for our sins.

God the Holy Spirit

“And I will pray for the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17 KJV). The Comforter Jesus speaks of is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is fully God and the third person of the Trinity unique from the Father and the Son, but  He is one with Them in the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the forgotten member of the Trinity because He is not always given the same honor and worship as the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the Same as The Father and the Son in all ways.  On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down to dwell in the hearts of men.  Through the Holy Spirit came conviction and comfort.  The Holy Spirit gave us spiritual gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, healing, miraculous powers, and prophecy.

Conclusion

Although the Bible does not include the word “trinity,” it does clearly identify the three persons of the Trinity. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew name for God is “Elohim”; it is a plural name.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are identified, and their duties are defined. It is also made clear that the three are one God.

Bibliography

Easton, M. (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary (3rd ed.). Edinburgh, Scottland: Thomas Nelson.

Hack life with God

Hack life with God

 In my youth, I was what was called a gray hat hacker. I focused on what was right not what might be legal. I was thinking today about what it means to hack something the dictionary says “to cut with rough or heavy blows.” The big thing today is life hacks which are “A tool or technique that makes some aspect of one's life easier or more efficient.” Here are just a few life hacks http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html 

God puts all the tools we need to hack life in our hands. We can hack through all of the things that bring us down. We can hack through the sins that become barriers in our lives. 

There were several books used by hackers in my days the green book, orange book, pink book, the devils book Unix Bible, dragon book and the red book just to name a few. When we Hack Life there are also some books that we rely on.  The first and most important book is the bible then comes another book such as devotionals, worship books, and many other Christian writings. One of the most valuable tools I found as a hacker had a partner to work with, learn with, and to know had my back. God provided us with a reliable partner in his son Jesus, a partner that is always there and will never fail. There has always been a support community of hackers helping hackers and sharing what they have learned. God has put in place the same network for us when we hack life. We have the Christian community. Where we come together and share what we have learned about hacking life with each other and encouraging each other to become the best Life hackers we can be.  “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Mat 18:20 ESV). 

Methods of Evangelism

SECTION 1 

The Roman Roads Romans 

Road lays out the plan of salvation through a series of Bible verses from the book of Romans. (About.com 2015) It explains that we all need salvation (Romans 3:10-12, and 23), why we need it (Romans 6:23), how the Lord provides salvation through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10, and 13), and how we receive salvation through Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). The advantages to the Romans Road method is that it is a systematic method to lead someone through the steps for salvation through Jesus. This is also a very simple method in presenting salvation. This is a good way to approach someone who is an analytical thinker. It could be used easily in a text or instant messing opportunity. There are some disadvantages to the Romans Road method. The first is that it can be very impersonal. It does not include love or personal testimony. There are people that require more than just Bible verses to understand salvation. This also would not typically be a good method for bringing young people to Christ. I know of a person who was an atheist who could quote the bible better than I could and could take bible verses out of context to counter such an approach. It was only by showing true love for others and sharing God’s message of loving one another that I was able to break through the barrier he had built around himself and bring him to the Lord.   

SECTION 2 

Servant Evangelism 

 Servant evangelism is a simple straight forward approach to evangelizing. It is service to others in love without expecting anything in return. In the process of service when and if the moment arises the message of salvation is shared. We can see this method put to practice in the example set by Jesus when he washes the disciples’ feet (John 13: 1-5). We can also see this method in action in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In Evangelism is Earley and Wheeler say we should follow the instructions of Jesus and be a “slave to all” (Earley and Wheeler 2010). There are many advantages to this method. The first and what I feel is the most important is that is shows the love of Christ in action. This is also a very humbling what to approach evangelism. Servant evangelism reaches out to those in need improving their life in some way; sometimes is something small such as reaching out the hand of friendship to your neighbor or it could be something large such as feeding the poor. Servant evangelism is more than just a way to approach someone to bring them to the Lord it is the basic building block to our faith. It is a humble, loving approach to life that is lived out. There are some very real disadvantages. The most common is rejection, people are suspicious about your intentions. (Hahn 2015). This method also sometimes requires a long term investment in the unsaved people you are trying to reach out to. People may take some time to build up trust before you are able to share the message of salvation.   

SECTION 3 

Door to Door Evangelism 

The Door to Door Evangelism method gets its name from the Door to Door sales approach. In this method you walk a neighborhood going from house to house knocking on doors hoping to share the message of salvation with whoever answers the door. This method is a very “in your face” approach to evangelism. This is sometimes done through pre-scripted approaches. One of the advantages to this method is what I like to call the “shotgun effect” in the fact that if you knock on enough doors there is a good chance you message will reach someone. You also get to reach people that you may not have been able to reach in any other way. While you may think that you only reached a small number of people your visit could be what starts someone on the road to salvation. This method allows God to put you where he needs you that would not have happened if you were not out knocking on doors. We can’t always rely on people to come to the church when there are special events going on. This is a true example of the great commission at work. There are a number of reasons that this method can be the most difficult of all the methods. To begin with you must be bold in your sharing of the gospel. This method does not work for shy or timid people. Because this is a confrontational method you can expect people to challenge your faith. Often, we sound as if we don’t really believe what we are saying.” Fearing that we will lose God’s favor if we don’t present the full gospel in a rigid formula every time we speak with an unbeliever, we become pushy and mechanical and thus lose the joy and intimacy of the gospel. (Markos 2014). Many times you are not the first to come knocking on someone’s door you may not even be in the top 10. With so many people out knocking on doors people can build up a knee jerk reaction and slam the door on your face as soon as you say the words “Can I have a few moments of your time?” People instantly think you are a salesman or a Bible thumper coming to interrupt their day. I have been out knocking on doors before and felt that one of the worst thinks is when you see the curtain move and you know someone is home but they ignore you. 

 SECTION 4 

Conclusion 

While there are many different methods of evangelism that we put into use at various times depending on which is best for the person we are trying to reach. Of the methods of evangelism I favor the servant method. The servant method is the best way to show the love of Jesus in action. I believe start by loving that person. We become their friend out of that love. And when, and if, God deems that we are to be the one to teach them about God’s word, that’s when we do. (Getter 2012). For me servant evangelism is more than just a method it is a way of life. I have found that servant evangelism has been very successful for me in bring those close to me to God. I have a very close friend that I have known most of my life. He used to be an atheist, but just about a year ago he found his way to God and is saved now. He told me that he went to church because of the Love he saw me showing those around me. He felt that if God could change me from a self-centered jerk to a person who cared more about others than I cared about myself that there had to be something more to Christianity and he wanted to know what it was. Before Christ came back into my life several years ago I was a very self-center, egotistical person. God put me through a process when I first came back to Him. He started by showing me love then he humbled me. About 3 years ago I woke up one morning in an extreme amount of back pain. I live in this pain every day but the pain reminds me that what I feel is nothing compared to the Pain God feels every day for the lost. This method works best for me because it reminds to live every day in service to God by serving others.   


Bibliography 
About.com. What is Romans Road to Salvation. April 20, 2015. http://christianity.about.com/od/conversion/qt/romansroad.htm.
 Barker, Kenneth, and undefined Zondervan. Zonderervan NIV Study Bible. United States: Zondervan, 2002.
 Earley, Dave, and David Wheeler. Evangelasm is... Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2010. Getter, Forest. A Daily Walk to Understanding God. Charleston: Loving Church Online, 2012. 
Hahn, Dustin. FAQs About Servant Evangelism. 2015. http://www.servantevangelism.com/about-servant-evangelism/faq-about-servant-evangelism/#.VTjs_SFVhBc (accessed April 23, 2015). Markos, Louis. The Dangers of Door to Door Evangelism. December 16, 2014. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/december-web-only/dangers-of-door-to-door-evangelism.html (accessed April 23, 2015).