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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Dare to Believe   CURRENT TV SERIES Dare to Believe

… he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. --Philippians 1:6 There are many churches these days that avoid talking about sin. It’s not a “feel good” topic. But sin is a critical topic if we want to be effective servants of Christ and to grow spiritually. So let me address one of the big questions before we go any further. People frequently ask me, “Can sin cause me to lose my salvation?” And I’ll tell you what I’ve told them, “Absolutely not!” You cannot sin your salvation away. You see, when you asked Jesus to forgive your sin and made him Lord of your life, he began a “good work” in you. And he promised to complete that work within you! But beyond salvation, God is also at work to help you deal with the issue of sin in your life on a daily basis. You and I desperately need this because sin will remain a reality in our lives this side of heaven. But we can overcome. We see this clearly in some of God's choicest saints. Men like Simon Peter and Paul admitted to the sin in their lives. But listen, sin was not a pattern in their lives! And that’s the difference that Christ made in their lives! Will you let Jesus do the same for you? He wants to! Let Jesus break the sinful patterns and habits in your life! Let Jesus break the sinful patterns and habits in your life!

You Choose the Measure

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Luke 6:36–38

William Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure features a cruel and corrupt judge named Angelo who is making life miserable for the people of Vienna and using his office to satisfy his selfish desires. The duke who rules the city appears in Angelo’s court in disguise to determine for himself whether the reports he has heard are true. When he finds that they are true, the duke arranges for Angelo to be exposed as a hypocrite who does not himself keep the laws he so strictly enforces on others. The unjust judge suffers the consequences of his evil deeds—receiving the same measure that he had given to others.
Each of us has the opportunity to choose the measure that will be applied as the standard for us by the measure we choose to apply to others. Those who give mercy, do not judge harshly, forgive willingly, and do not condemn will find their own faults and failings treated with mercy when the need arises. On the other hand, we should not be surprised to find mercy in short supply if we have shown none to others.
Of course we should not cover up wrong or enable sin to continue, but even in confronting sin there is a necessity for kindness and humility on our part. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The law of sowing and reaping applies not just to our deeds, but to our treatment of others as well.