Online Articles
Toxic Treatment for Sin part 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 willingly 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 cannot be said for sin. Some folks are seen using “toxic treatments” for their sin. Not only will these so called treatments do nothing to alleviate the eternal consequences sin, but in many cases have harmful side affects on the individual’s attitude about 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 treatment Christians take, thinking that God judges as man. "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.” Sin simply doesn’t matter. 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. This treatment for sin may salve the conscience, but is toxic, not offering cure, but spiritual death?
Thinking Ourselves Better Than, or Belittling Others is another commonly used toxic treatment used by many. 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 others does not diminish the charges against me for my sin. Our God does not grade on the curve and further states, “The righteous 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.
The cure for sin is found by coming to the “Great Physician” with humility and trust, and taking His prescription for this universal spiritual ailment that all men suffer from - sin. Jesus will treat your conditions with His blood, (Heb. 9:14) and heal you by His stripes. (Isa. 53:5) Think about it.
