What is the nature of sin?

Luke chapter 12, verses 19 and 20, say:

"And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?'"

What exactly are we here for, and what are God's plans for this world?

The time is always short, and people are generally jaded and fed up with all the false predictions about the "end times" and such. But those of us that have been paying attention, know that the time really is getting short. If we're to understand prophecy at all, it is to first admit we don't know anything about it in the first place, and that we're all just trying to figure it out.

I'll be up front with you, I'm not so sure on all this prophecy stuff myself, but uhhh... It's been 2,000 years since Jesus walked the earth. I mean, if this were 2,000 years ago, wouldn't Jesus be 14 years old now and already teaching in the temple? That's even assuming the AD calendar we go by is even correct. So if he isn't back by now, something is seriously wrong in our estimations or what-have-you.

But Jesus, who is God in the flesh, came down Himself to both tell us we have it all wrong, and, to pay for our sins Himself. So why don't we just trust what He said, when He told us that we're ALL sinners? And in need of a savior?

A lot of people out there, don't know what love really is. Many of these people are trying to find love in all the wrong places, and sometimes end up under demonic influences. There are people out there that are openly worshiping Satan now, the fallen angel known as Lucifer, all over the place. In fact, I have been in a theological debate with one such person for just about 6 months now.

Just mentioning the name of Jesus Christ in my letters to him, sparks some real anger in his replies, and still I beg and plead with him to see this from God's perspective for once. Because in 6 months in arguing with a Satanist, I've learned that I can't convert anyone. It's only the power of Christ that does the conversions. Not you, or me, or anyone else on this green earth.

So why are we trying to draw people into our churches, just to get donations in the hopes for a fresh coat of paint on the building? There are people starving out there, and doing vile things to each other, all because they don't know the love of Jesus Christ. And why? Because we're bad examples! We're horrible people, face it.

In Matthew chapter 15, we have some interesting dialogue between Jesus and His disciples:

"14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?"

Jesus speaking like that to one of His disciples, should tell you to listen up real good now, because if we're to believe that we're followers of Jesus Christ, if He even chastised the 12, even telling Peter to "Get thee behind me, Satan", who do we think we are? Are we above them?

"17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

We're so caught up in having to make people jump through hoops in order to be truly saved by Jesus, and everyone is saying something different on what a "true Christian" really is. I think I've had about enough of it. We allow evil to thrive, because we are so very selfish. We build walls around ourselves, and have this "just in case" attitude towards prophecy. Like, just in case Jesus really does come down from on high, I'll be ready!

Oh really?

You can believe what you want, but I'm being sincere when I say that I'm not better than any of you. I tried for 6 months to convert a Satanist to Christ, and of course I failed. But I trust that God will work a miracle in that man's life, and I need your help in praying for him. Because if we are to believe the bible at all, then we have to admit that fallen angels are a very real threat.

Jesus Himself cast out demons. Are we above our Master? Do we not see our own sins, when trying to blame the reasons for gun violence and domestic violence on things like alcohol and drugs? As if, by legalizing those things, will make crime rates go down that very same day?

No, because they are sinners, just as much as we still are. No matter how righteous we may be, we're still not any more worthy to go to heaven, than the "other people" out there in the world.

So let me ask you a question: What is sin?

"For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:5 (KJV).

Was Satan, who is that ancient serpent, lying to Eve when he said we would know good and evil? Do we really know what good or evil is, at all?

You can call me self-righteous all you want, be a biblical legalist and quote tons of scripture, but I'm not asking for a fight. I'm asking to drop the church attitude, and lets first focus on trying to do something right for a change, even if it's just spreading the word. Because it isn't over yet. We're still here, and our Lord hasn't returned.

I mean, I'd like to think there's an easy way out of this tribulation thing, but I see pain and suffering no matter where I turn. Every news article is about something truly evil, and everyone is trying to pin the blame on this or that, in order to avoid the problem of evil and its solution. And this might be the easy part of it all. What if it gets worse? What if we don't "save the day" like a superhero? Will we spiritually perish in the face of physical oppression?

Believing that the bible is true, should change your entire perspective on life. It's not something you just talk about on the weekends to friends and family. There's got to be more to it than that, right?

Is God really going to send us into the lake of fire for shaving, before going to a restaurant to eat bacon-wrapped scallops? Probably not, I'd hope. That's a pretty strict God, who would want to serve that guy?

I hope you're starting to see where this is going. If not, then I'm going to explain it anyway.

Just the other day, I had an argument with a "Christian" on some other message board, over the topic of adultery. He was saying that "his friend" was in a marriage without sex, and that he was turning to other activities and cheated on her because of it.

Well that about infuriated me, and I told him that if he really did love her, he would stay with her no matter what and not cheat on her. A marriage isn't just about sex, damn it. Why would you ruin a person's life, by betraying their trust in you like that?

And it doesn't make it any better if they first cheated on you, get that clear right now. Two wrongs don't make a right. It doesn't matter what area code you're in, you're still cheating.

So of course this person got mad at me, for pointing out the obvious: His so-called "friend" is a bad person, a sinner, and he was trying to find a loophole in the bible that allows it.

Legalists! Pharisees! You don't really know what sin is, do you? Stop trying to fit the bible into your church, and start building "the church" around the bible.

I'm not trying to pick a fight, really. If the Lord is moving mountains for you, then keep going and He will keep moving the mountains out of your way. He's done it for me, and He can do it for you. Just trust Him.

But don't ever get comfortable, because the end is not yet. You can be assured your place in heaven, just because you call out to Jesus in your time of need. People will see, and know that it is real.

So we need to always be ready, else our Master finds us sleeping on the job.

I love God, and I want other people to know this glorious God that I know and love, too. But I can't do it alone, I need your help. No matter how corny this all sounds, I really mean it.

God bless you.