For an individual the greatest struggle with sin may lust or greed or whatever they have a particular struggle with. It may be fair to say that what ever temptation a person is facing at the moment is to some extent the greatest one.
Probably most people who are biblically semi-literate have seen part of this, but I'm going to include a fuller reading:
Isa 5:18-24
Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it."
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
NIV
I realize that this was specifically written to a group of people who are now long dead and gone. Yet I keep pondering if this isn't a good description of people in American today. Americans, especially liberal Americans believe they are very smart, " wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight". Incrementalism is taught as a method of "social change". The terms "change agent", "advocate" "change advocate" are lauded as worthy and honorable roles to play in civilization. No one seems overly interested in defining what the "change" will look like or describing the desired outcome beyond the nebulous "better", "fairer", or "more inclusive". Sin is drawn along with cords of deceit.
Evil is called good and good evil. Perversion is proclaimed as a "civil right". Non-participants in perversion are required to praise it or face legal sanction. We are a conglomerate of people who over indulge and our system of justice frees evil doers while denying justice to the deserving.
The last 50 years of American civilization have been the most technologically advanced in recorded history. They have also been some of the most economically prosperous times man has ever enjoyed. Even in our economic depressions, we are wealthier than most of the human race throughout time. The United States represents "the best" humankind has achieved.
This has lead us to believe that we really are especially cleaver.
For the life of meI can not rememberWhat made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromiseFor the life of meI can not believe we'd ever dieFor these sinsWe were merely freshmen
We tried to wash our hands of all of this
We'd never talk of our lacking relationships
And how we're guilt-stricken sobbin' with our heads on the floor
We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip we'd say
Can't be held responsible
She was touchin' her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place
We still haven't learned our lesson. If we don't, and soon, our flowers will turn to dust and blow away.
Sorry about the Monday downer.
ReplyDeleteIt's the world we live in. May those lying lips never die and the fountain of youth find them so that their years may me numerous in the world they created with their deceit.
ReplyDeleteMay they live the lies for many years and curse the ground upon which they walk and the truth that haunts their dreams.
May they live in their darkness fumbling around for a candlestick to never find nor a match to never light. And the flame forever vanquished from their soul walk the darkness with feet of clay.
Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it."
ReplyDeleteWoe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
There is a basic reason for all of these: the sin of unbelief.
The Psalmist describes idolatry:
Psalm 115:4-8
But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (cf. Psalm 115)
One of the greatest sins is to willfully suppress the truth and persist in unbelief, subsequently living as if there is not above us a seeing eye, a listening ear, a mighty voice, and a careful hand that is recording all of our deeds in a book, deeds for which we are going to have to render an account someday before One Who is anything but blind, deaf, and mute.
The beginning of wisdom is fear of the L-rd, and it is the fool who says in his heart that there is no G-d.
Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
B,
ReplyDeleteI agree. In ancient times idolatry was easy to see. We still have it today. Now instead of statues we say, "its all about me".
Outlaw,
I think you just came up with your prayer of David that you were looking for. May God give them long life in the world they envisioned.
Times change; principals don't. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, but it was written not just for those people but for us as well. The truth is eternal.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the greatest sin lies in not speaking out against sin. Kudos to you, Res, for having the fortitude to not go along with the crowd.
I think that deliberately lying to people and covering up corruption like the media does is probably among the worst of the lot. People cannot make informed, good decisions when they are lied to.
ReplyDeleteThere is a good reason why liars are on the list of those who will go into the Lake of Fire permanently.
God says several times in the Bible that He loathes lying and bearing of false witness. When I ponder on this reality and then look at Congress and the media, along with the entertainment industry, it is no problem to me to see why God is going to judge this world in the near future.