The God Files

Reflections: questions to ponder to help Christians in their daily growth.

- How can one tolerate sin and yet serve God who is intolerant of sin?

The story, in itself, is a fascinating and often times a humorous look at very serious topic: the end of the world.

The story starts in the garden of Eden where the snake (named Crawley) poses two questions: (1)What’s so wrong about knowing good from evil? and (2) Why was the tree in the middle of the garden where they (Adam & Eve) can have easy access to it? Why not put the tree in a very high mountain where they can’t reach it?

Sadly, the story’s answer these questions were not very satisfying and non-Biblical. The real answers, however, can be found when you have studied the Bible in its entirety or if your pastor/priest/minister has the time, they’ll give you these answers:

Question #1) What is wrong with knowing good from evil? According to the Bible, it is wrong because it is knowing good from evil APART from God. The Bible says, WE (that is all people, all generations, all the people who lived on this planet from the past, present and future) were created for His (God’s) pleasure. In a sense, we were never created to be apart from God. And what’s the thing separating us from God? SIN.

Question #2) How come Adam & Eve have easy access to the forbidden fruit of the tree? When you read Genesis, you’ll find out that there are two trees. One is the tree of life and the other bears the forbidden fruit. Most people concentrate on the tree with the forbidden fruit, but anyway, God placed the two trees in the midst of the garden in order for man to have a choice. In order for people to exercise the free will God gave us.  Some people say, "If I were God, I won’t give people a choice, I’ll create people to automatically love me and worship me." Well, then that love means nothing, because they were built that way. However, If one person has decided to love God then that love means everything, because the person had a choice, to love God or not to love God.

I recommend this book as long as the reader knows his/her Bible and can separate fact from fiction. This is a work of fiction and by that means the book exists for entertainment purposes and not for basing your faith on.

What would you do if someone who is not your brother (read: non-Christian) sins against you for the second time, for the same offense?  The first time, of course, the non-believer was shown grace. Grace, meaning he received what he did NOT deserve. He deserved judgement but received mercy instead, that is grace. But, going back to the question, how then should you react when he sins the same sin, yet again?

You are left with two choices, one is to let it go and the other is to take action. But, what does the Bible teach? What principle is written in the Bible?

Let’s say that we are going for the first choice; we’re letting it go, we are forgetting about it for the sake of upholding the peace. We are taking the pacifist route. The Peace-no-matter-what attitude. Now, Is this attitude Godly?

Simple answer: NO. Upholding peace while compromising with sin is never Godly. We Christians are called often to make a stand against sin. If your boss is involved in some shady business then you, as the salt of the earth, should tell him/her to repent lest it’s too late and God passes judgement. Or maybe, there’s an election going on for the legalization of abortion (read: murder of unborn children); as a Christian, you are called to make a stand. We make a stand by voting and by telling people your convictions and priciples.

Knowing the right thing to do but not doing it is a sin. basically, it is disobeying God. The Bible says in Jeremiah 48:10 "A curse on him who is lax in doing he Lord’s work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!" As Christians, we are not just called to love but also to hate. We should hate sin, evil, and wickedness.

Now, going back to the original question: "What should you do when an unbeliever sins the same sin against you again?" The answer: Seek legal help. Why? the unbeliever does not understand grace when they receive it (for if the unbeliever understood then he won’t do the same sin) And since they don’t understand that then the next best thing is they’ll understand when the judge knocks his gavel against them. If you simply "let it go" then what lesson did the unbeliever learn? simply this: "I can do it again and get away with it because Christians are door mats to be trampled with." Is this the lesson you want the unbeliever to learn? Christian, Make a stand.

Most of us heard the term "leavened bread" but when we read it on the Bible, we just scan it over and think nothing of it. However, there is  a deeper meaning locked within that passage and the only key to unlock it’s meaning is the Holy Spirit of God.

I hope you’re familiar with sourdough bread? It’s that certain type of bread you get from restaurants. But in any case, sourdough is made with leaven. The way it works is this: it lightens the dough by turning some parts of the dough through decay. It rots some parts of the dough and converts it into gas. It is interesting to note that, it does not take much leaven to affect a mass of dough.

With that picture in mind; likewise, sin works the same way. It will only take a "little" sin to affect a person. It will only take a "little" sin to initially, eat away at a person and then ultimately consume him.

If you are a Christian and you have a "little" sin then, right away, submit to God and ask His help to get rid of it. Similarly, if within your circle of influence is a person who harbors his sin then cut them off and treat them as an unbeliever. How do you treat an unbeliever? simple, teach them in the ways God wants them to live.