Online Articles
Toxic Remedies For Sin #1
When we are ailing with sickness or disease, we are usually willing to take any and all necessary steps to be cured. This may include the foulest tasting medicine, or treatments which may have undesirable side effects. However, no one knowingly accepts treatment for their ailment if they know it will not affect their problem positively, or even worse, cause them harm. It is sad that the same reasoning is not used regarding the cure for sin. Some folks are seen using “toxic remedies” for their sin. Not only will these "so called" remedies do nothing to alleviate the sin in their life, or it's stain on their soul, but always has harmful side effects on the individual’s attitude toward sin. It has been said, "Someone, somewhere, has tried to excuse or justify every sin under the works of the flesh that Gal.5:19-21 talks about. Satan’s subversive tactics have succeeded in minimizing sin so that people who commit such things are not responsible for their actions!!”
"My Good Outweighs My Bad" is a toxic remedy Christians take, deluding themselves into thinking this is how God judges them. For example, some folks’ reasoning goes something like this; "I" go to church 3 times a week, “I” attend meetings, "I" don't bother anybody, "I" help the needy, "I" teach others, "I" work on the building "I" teach Bible class. However, they fail to remember they are still persisting in sin. Certainly the Lord “keeps a record,” but not for the purpose of weighing good against evil by a system of weights and measures. Those of Matt. 7:21-24 discovered their iniquity was not overlooked at the expense of their good works. The Ephesian church had done well, but the Lord promised to remove the “candlestick” without repentance. Rev. 2:1-7. This attitude toward sin can be summed up in one word, “indifference.” In the minds of some, sin simply doesn’t matter, especially if I am "basically a good person." But God says otherwise, “…if he trusts to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he has committed, he shall die for it.” (Eze. 33:13b). Can we not see how our own cures are toxic, not offering cure, but spiritual death?
Thinking Ourselves Better Than, or Belittling Others is a toxic delusion too. These are the folks who whitewash themselves by blackening others. Who do you want for a standard? I esteem friends and brethren for their good attributes and might like to improve things in my life that I see in theirs. But no mortal is good enough or bad enough to change my sin, or be my standard. The Lord overthrows this reasoning in Lk.18:10-14. Two men went up to pray. One rehearsed his righteousness before God and went so far as to thank God he was not like the man beside him. This self-righteous man was not justified for exalting himself, but discovered his cure produced the opposite result, he was abased. The sin of another does not diminish the charges against me for my sin. Our God does not grade on the curve and further states, “The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sins.” (Eze. 33:12b) Again, we see how our own cures are toxic, resulting in spiritual death.
We need to remember that, "...there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account." (Heb. 4:13)
