Some
things are worse than others, but some people act as though one bump in the
road is as bad as any other, that all bumps are of equal consequences. They get
a hangnail and the end of the world has come. Their reaction doesn’t match the
event.
I
love looking through museums. Being able to get up close and personal with some
of the rarest and most beautiful things in the world lifts my spirit. It gives
me hope as I gaze in wonder at the genius given to us by the LORD.
But
there is something that bugs me when I am there. I see the signs that state
“Don’t touch” and yet some people just ignore the signs. I remember walking
into the Sistine Chapel in Rome and seeing a Japanese tourist just walk up,
right in front of the guard, and reach out and touch a tapestry. They were
willing to ruin the tapestry for the sake of their own tactile need.
In
a similar category are the “Danger” or “Construction Zone” signs. How about “Cliff
Ahead”, “Unstable Ground”, “Avalanche Danger” or “Do Not Enter” signs. And yet
people ignore the sign and then others risk their lives to rescue them.
John
has given us two very distinct warnings in connection to our faith. The false
teachers were perverting the Truth by warping the nature of Jesus they
preached. They also ignored the straight forward command to love fellow
believers. These two themes have permeated the fabric of this short letter. And
yet some even today would ignore these warnings and venture into dangerous
spiritual territory.
These
are two sins that lead to spiritual death. Denial of Christ leads to death in
that He is the only source of life available. So to reject Him in His fullness is
to reject salvation itself. And if we aren’t loving each other, then the
primary evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit working in our lives is
absent. No love, no life. These two sins lead to spiritual death.
So
if we see a fellow Jesus-follower in any other sin, we can be assured that prayer
can make a difference. They can be forgiven. They can be restored. They have
not cut themselves off from the grace that is found in Jesus.
But
if they have abandoned Jesus with evidence of a lack of love, then prayer for
them won’t necessarily bring forgiveness and restoration. They must repent
first. They must return to a correct understanding of Jesus’ person and work
before sin can be forgiven.
But
why do people not heed the warning? Why do they run headlong into sin knowing
that with sin comes death? We are a stubborn bunch, aren’t we!