Top 10 Reasons to Read the Bible Today: The Life-Changing Benefits of Daily Bible Reading (Top 10 Bible Study Series) by Davies Wayne

Author:Davies, Wayne [Davies, Wayne]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2015-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5:

The Bible Provides Power to Kill Our Sin

How would you complete this sentence: Christianity is the most __________ religion in the world. Take a moment to fill in the blank. I’ll wait right here.

How did you respond?

How about this: Christianity is the most loving religion in the world. Would you agree? Or what about this one: Christianity is the most truthful religion in the world?

What other word would you use to describe Christianity? Kind. Compassionate. Helpful. Perhaps many words like that come to mind.

Here’s one that might surprise you: Christianity is the most violent religion in the world.

If you are a Christian, did you know that are commanded by Jesus Christ Himself to perform gruesome acts of violence?

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out” (Mark 9:43). Jesus said that. And He didn’t stop there.

“If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell” (Mark 9:45).

And if that wasn’t enough gore, He then said, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:47-48).

“But Jesus was speaking figuratively,” you say. Of course He was. But that only makes the meaning more severe. We only use figurative language when ordinary language doesn’t do the job. Jesus is saying that we must do whatever it takes to remove sin from our lives.

Or how about this verse, written by the Apostle Paul: “If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).

We are commanded to perform gruesome acts of violence, including killing and murder – not against people, but against ourselves. What are we to kill? “The misdeeds of the body.” And what are these “misdeeds”? Our sins. We are commanded by God to take drastic measures against our sin, and to get rid of it by killing it.

I rest my case: Christianity is the most violent religion in the world.

In a previous chapter we discussed the meaning of salvation. A true Christian is a person who has received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation from what? “You are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Salvation means to be rescued from our sins. Justification is the one-time past event that through which God provides salvation from the penalty of sin. Sanctification is the ongoing present experience in which God provides salvation from the power of sin. And glorification is the future hope of God providing salvation from the presence of sin.

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