This is going to be a short post, but it requires some contemplation.
I've been writing allot on the sin of omission recently, and I will post the entire teaching as soon as it is done, but for now I would like you to imagine two scenarios.
Imagine a well dressed man, walking beside a lake, and he sees another man in th lake who is obviously drowning. His head is bobbing up and down, he's barely able to catch his breath before he goes back under, and for fear of getting his suit dirty, the man walking beside the lake simply walks by as the other man inevitably drowns.
Now imagine a father, who having no other means to feed his family goes out and steals a loaf of bread in order to feed his children.
Who commited the greater crime?
Most would point to the well dressed man in the suit, and say, it was he that commited the greater crime, but my question to you would be this: Why? Why did the well dressed man commit the greater crime? He did absolutely nothing. He just continued on his journey after all.
Omission, is simply the act of failing to do something. The well dressed man's crime was doing nothing.
How many souls will stand before God one day and be guilty of doing nothing? How many will try to justify their failure to speak up, and to testify of Christ and His enduring love?
"But we didn't do anything! How can we be guilty? We did absolutely nothing!"
Exactly right. We did absolutely nothing.
Just a thought!
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
please pray that God would help me to not be a coward for him, i'm laden with sin and i dont know why i become fearful when i know what i ought to do, lease pra y that God would forgive me and help me to repent
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that sin is sin, that there is no difference. Also with in your example of the well-dressed man, it makes me think of those in the story of the Good Samaritan. But isn’t that what the church is doing in many ways?
ReplyDeleteThere once was a family, which were members of a church, while all members knew what was going on in the house and they chose to not help and do nothing. The children, were not invited to the birthday parties and sleepovers, unless it was a church group function, because the people didn’t want those people’s children in their home, while turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the children’s cries for help. The worse part was that the pastor had received a letter from the abusive parent, which told their intensions with the children and the pastor choice to remain silent and not tell the other spouse or help those children or the other spouse.
After escaping their imprisonment in their teens, 2 of the children turned to drugs and alcohol and played with thoughts of suicide, with 1 attempting it. 1 of them became a self-mutilator and their marriage is now ending, but is already in another relationship while still being married.
The youngest then has gone from 1 abusive relationship to another to another, marrying the 1 who tried to kill them. After now exiting this marriage years later, they are now living with another person in a relationship before the marriage ended.
2 say that they are saved, with the 3rd having a relationship with the Lord.
The abused spouse remained unmarried for 17 years, while praying for their children.
This is just one of the effects from the sin of omission.
I applaud the man who stole the bread for at least attempting to feed his children though he knows the consequences of his actions, but will do anything necessary for them.
So. What is the greater sin? Sin is still sin isn’t it?
In the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of Jesus Christ, named Dirk Willems, was apprehended at Asperen, in Holland, and had to endure severe tyranny from the papists. But as he had founded his faith not upon the drifting sand of human commandments, but upon the firm foundation stone, Christ Jesus, he, notwithstanding all evil winds of human doctrine, and heavy showers of tyrannical and severe persecution, remained immovable and steadfast unto the end; wherefore, when the chief Shepherd shall appear in the clouds of heaven and gather together His elect from all the ends of the earth, he shall also through grace hear the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” I Pet. 5:4; Matt. 24:31; 25:23.
ReplyDeleteConcerning his apprehension, it is stated by trustworthy persons, that when he fled he was hotly pursued by a thief-catcher, and as there had been some frost, said Dirk Willems ran before over the ice, getting across with considerable peril. The thief-catcher following him broke through, when Dirk Willems, perceiving that the former was in danger of his life, quickly returned and aided him in getting out, and thus saved his life. The thief-catcher wanted to let him go, but the burgomaster, very sternly called to him to consider his oath, and thus he was again seized by the thief-catcher, and, at said place, after severe imprisonment and great trials proceeding from the deceitful papists, put to death at a lingering fire by these bloodthirsty, ravening wolves, enduring it with great steadfastness, and confirming the genuine faith of the truth with his death and blood, as an instructive example to all pious Christians of this time, and to the everlasting disgrace of the tyrannous papists.
Martyrs Mirror
Dirk Willems, A.D. 1569
Pg. 741
Your Sister in our Lord
To anonymous:
ReplyDeleteI never asked who committed the greater sin, I asked who committed the greater crime.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.