God’s Hands Have Made Me

Bible Text: Ps 119:73-80

It is a serious sin when human beings reject and deny God as their Creator and Maker. What do you think or feel if the children reject and deny their parents, saying to their parents, “You are not my parents. I come into existence by myself.” Sadly, many publicly deny God either through their unbelief or through human philosophy and theory like evolution. Many think that they are wise in a civilised society, but before God, they are just foolish, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good” (Ps 14:1; 53:1). Then, in God’s sight, a person who is poor and uneducated but believes in God and fears God is still wiser than a scientist who denies his or her Creator. God’s Word tells us that God’s wrath or anger is revealed against the unrighteous and the ungodly who reject and deny their Maker, and thus God gave them up to their sinful lusts even to their homosexual lusts (Rom 1:18-27). Sadly, homosexuality which was opposed a few decades ago is now a norm. Many homosexuals and lesbians are not ashamed of their “shameful lusts” any more, but proudly and publicly declare their homosexual status and fight for their equal rights in marriage. Shamefully, the same-sex marriages which were outlawed in many countries several years ago are now considered socially acceptable by many. This is one of the signs of the end times, “But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:29-30).

We thank God for giving faith to the Psalmist to believe in Him, confessing, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned (create, establish) me” (Ps119:73). David had the same confession, saying, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Ps 139:14). Do you and I have that same knowledge and confession? This is God’s command, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Ps 100:3).

Repentance (Part 1)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), “repentance toward God” (Acts 20:21) is the first step for you and me to enjoy God’s salvation. The message of repentance is so vital because it is the message preached by the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples, because it is God’s desire, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), because it is God’s command for everyone everywhere, “God…now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30), and because it is the Lord’s commission to His disciples, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

Nowadays, many like preaching an easy and open gospel to attract many followers while ignoring the message of repentance or failing to preach the complete meaning of “repentance”.  The message of repentance is for sinners and backsliders, so it is not easy at all to preach it to those who do not acknowledge their sins, shortcomings, unbelief, compromise or wrong doctrines.  

The Lord Jesus preaches, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15) and, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5), and “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev 3:19). The Lord’s apostles also “went out, and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). Peter preached, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

Have you and I repented according to the Scripture? Please read our next article.

Repentance (Part 2)

Dictionaries usually define “repentance” as a feeling of regret or remorse for something wrong one has done. That is not repentance according to the Scripture. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord Jesus, “repented himself” and then hanged himself (Matt 27:3-6). In Greek, Judas’ “repentance” only means “regret,” which is different from “repentance” that the Lord Jesus and His apostle preached, denoting “a change of mind,” turning to the Lord from sins, selfishness, idolatry, and anything displeasing Him

An illustration of “repentance” is the attitude of the son when his father sent him to work in his vineyard, “He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went” (Matt 21:28-31). That son changed his mind from disobedience to obedience to his father. Another illustration is the repentance of the believers in Thessalonica, who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess 1:9).

Many think that they have repented and believed in the Lord, but there is no change in their lives, having no fear of the Lord, and still living in sins and following the world! True faith must show a true repentant attitude, turning to the Lord from one’s sinful life, “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11) and “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim 2:19).

Biblical repentance is “a change of mind” toward God, toward oneself, and toward sins: from disobedience to obedience to God; from rebellion to submission to God; from unbelief to faith in God; from self-love, self-promotion, self-importance, self-centredness, or self-glory to God’s glory, God-centredness, God-promotion, and love toward God; from a love of sin and self to an abhorrence of sin and self-denial.

Then, have you and I repented according to the Scripture? Please read our next article.

Sin (Part 7)

 Sin is a violation of God’s law as well as failure to live up to God’s moral standard. The Scripture tells us that “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17), “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17), and “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom 14:23).

Whether you and I believe or accept this truth or not, we are sinners before God: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). The Scripture also tells us that we have a sinful and rebellious nature against God, and unable to please Him (Rom 7:18-20; 8:7-8), and according to His holiness and righteousness, the Lord will condemn sinners to Hell, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev 21:8).

However, because of His goodness and love, the Lord Jesus came into this world to die for you and me and rise again in order to give us eternal life, a new and victorious life over sins. The Lord Jesus says, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin... If the Son (Jesus Christ) therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:34, 36). The Scripture confirms, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new…And all things are of God” (2 Cor 5:17-18), and “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin (not keep on committing sin)" (1 John 3:9).

Only the Lord Jesus has power to forgive you and transform your life. Have you received Him as your personal Saviour? Please read our next article.

Sin (Part 6)

 Sin is a violation of God’s law as well as failure to live up to God’s moral standard. We have mentioned, “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) and “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17). Today we shall continue with other parts of the Scriptures talking about sins.

Sin of Omission: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Many do not accept this sin because their conscience has not been tuned up to the Lord’s moral standard. However, the Lord is the Creator and the Judge on the Judgment Day, and He will judge everyone according to His moral standard whether they believe or accept it or not.  Failure to thank the Lord, to worship Him, or to reverently love Him is a great sin of omission in God’s sight (Rom 1:21, 25; Rev 2:4). Parents’ failure to raise and teach their children in the fear of the Lord, children’s failure to do their filial duties to their parents, and our failure to do many other good things to our loved ones and mankind, and so forth, are sins of omission already.  Remembering this will help us humble and trust in the Lord due to our many failures!   

Sin of Unbelief: We usually feel insulted when others disbelieve us or doubt our words. Children commit a great sin when saying to their parents, “You are not my parents.” Disbelieving God or doubting God’s Word in everything we do or say is sin. The Scripture says, “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom 14:23), and “But without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb 11:6). The Lord Jesus says, “Of sin, because they believe not on me” (John 16:9).

Thanks be to God because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15) and, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:13). The Lord Jesus has power to forgive your sins and transform your lives. Have you call upon the name of Jesus Christ to save you? Please read our next article.

Sin (Part 5)

Sin is a violation of God’s law as well as failure to live up to God’s moral standard. We talked about “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) in the previous article. Today we shall talk about “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17).

“Unrighteousness” is contrary to what is righteous, just, upright, right (e.g. wrong), true (e.g. lies, hypocrisy), and good (e.g. iniquity, wickedness). The Scripture describes the unrighteousness of human beings who were created by God but “glorified him not as God, neither were thankful… changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever… Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful” (Rom 1:18,21,25, 29-31). Our Lord Jesus describes the unjust judge as the one who did not fear God nor regard man (Luke 18:2, 6). The Scripture says, “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth” (Prov 14:21) and “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin” (James 2:9). The Lord Jesus says to those who fail to enter in at the strait gate (fail to live in the boundaries of God’s Word), “I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (unrighteousness)” (Luke13:24-27).

Thanks be to God for His good news for you and me: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18) and “If we confess our sins (to the Lord), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Please read our next articles.

Sin (Part 4)

The Lord Jesus sums up His law, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30-31). Many disregard God’s Word or His law, saying, “I only want to live freely at my ease. Just leave me alone. Who is the Lord, that I am supposed to obey Him?”

Human beings did not evolve from animals but were created by God with eternal soul, will, conscience, concept of worship, power of reason, intelligence, skills, etc. (the article on “Man with His Concept of Worship” on our Website). God is the almighty Creator, wise, holy, righteous, and loving. He gave life to human beings and all living things (Job 12:10; Acts 17:25). He has the right to bless or curse (Deut 28), and He will judge the living and the dead (2 Tim 4:1). Because of His holiness and righteousness, God will condemn sinners to Hell (Rev 21:8).

God wants you and me to love Him, worship Him and obey Him in order to be blessed by Him. His commandments are written in Exodus 20:3-7: 

(1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me, 

(2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, 

(3) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, 

(4) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (to worship God),

 (5) Honour thy father and thy mother, (

6) Thou shalt not kill (hate, avenge or despise others, sell or consume the things harmful to health …are sins already), 

(7) Thou shalt not commit adultery (sexual lusts in the heart are sins already), 

(8) Thou shalt not steal (tax evasion, breach of copyright, unrighteous gains… are sins already), 

(9) Thou shalt not bear false witness (lies, false declaration, double life …), and (10) Thou shalt not covet.

Sadly, no one is able to keep God’s Word, “For all have sinned” (Rom 3:23). Thank God that the Lord Jesus Christ is able to save you and me perfectly. Please read our next articles.

Sin (Part 3)

Human conscience is not a reliable judge to condemn sin because many are living in sins but do not acknowledge their sins. The standard to judge sin is God’s Word, the Holy Scripture, God’s law. Without the knowledge of the Scripture we shall not know the truth of how sinful we are, “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Rom 7:7).
 

The Scripture tells us that “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17), “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17), and “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom14:23). Sin is not only breaking God’s law but also missing God’s holy standard. For example, God’s holy standard is 7 points, but if you and I have tried our best and got only 6 points, we have failed already.  Using sinful human standards to judge sin is a great mistake because on the Judgment Day, God will judge human beings according to His holy standard!
 

When you and I break the law of the country we are living, we shall be called to court, judged and sentenced. Many committed sins secretly and cleverly escaped the judgment of men, but no one can “escape the judgment of God” (Rom 2:3), who is present everywhere, sees and knows everything and condemns sin, even our heart, our thoughts, our motives. Having never murdered anyone but despising or hating others is sin already (Prov 14:21, John 3:15). Having never committed adultery but embracing sexual lusts in the heart is sin already (Matt 5:28). Not giving thanks and proper worship to the Creator is sin already (Rom 1:21-25).
 

The Lord Jesus sums up His law in two commands: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30-31). Have you and I broken God’s law? Please read our next articles.

Sin (Part 2)

When hearing that “for all have sinned” (Rom 3:23), many still take sins lightly, saying “I have not done anything sinful. I have not stolen anything, nor murdered anyone, nor harmed anyone, nor done anything against my conscience…” They regard their conscience as their judge, and because they have not done anything against their conscience, they do not care about their sins. Is it reliable to trust in one’s own conscience?

Many years ago, it is the custom for the Indians to bury the wife alive together with her dead husband if he died first. When they were under the British colonial rule, this cruel custom was banned. The Indians requested, “Please allow us to keep this custom because we do this with a clear conscience.” The British officials replied, “Your conscience tells you to keep that custom, but if you continue doing such a wicked thing, our conscience forces us to hang you.” This shows that human conscience is not a reliable judge.

A man who murdered someone the first time felt conscience-stricken and could not sleep well. If he did not repent but kept on murdering, he would be hardened in his conscience and murder would become a norm to him. The moral depravity and rampant crimes everywhere have made many tolerate sins and regard lies, false declarations, tax evasion, breach of copyright, arrogance, hatred, contempt for others, anger, curse, covetousness, sexual immorality, homosexuality…as a norm because their consciences are not clear and sensitive any more.

Then, what is the standard to judge or condemn sins? That is God’s Word and God’s Law, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). God’s Word is like a Mirror (James 1:23-24), showing us our sinful state and leading us to the Saviour Jesus Christ. It is wise to look at ourselves in a mirror to see how our face is. Please read our next articles. 

Sin (Part 1)

Many feel uncomfortable or even offended to hear a message or read an article against sin as they think that such a message is only for the wicked and not for them.
 

How about you? Do you like to hear God’s Word (the Holy Scripture) or human words? Do you like to hear the truth a good specialist says about your illness with his serious warnings, suitable remedy and treatment or to hear the words of lousy “healers” who say that you are healthy and need no treatment at all? The doctor cannot help you if you do not believe him nor accept his treatment. The Lord Jesus says, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32), and warns, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5).
 

Many others deny the existence of sin and think that sin is only an illusion, so they do not need repentance nor the Saviour Jesus. But the Scripture says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) and “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
 

Many others do not care about their sins, thinking that death is finished. But the Scripture says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27).
 

Many others acknowledge their sins but think that they can save themselves by their good works, merits or their religious beliefs and practices. But the Scripture says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
 

Then, what is the truth about sin and how can you be saved? Please read our next articles.

The urge to conform

There is a common saying that goes like this: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” More often than not, the workplace  is made up mostly of a non-Christian workforce with Christians comprising the minority. Given such a situation, it is not unusual for one to be exposed to some unethical and sinful practices at the workplace. Very often, the Christian worker may be drawn to his colleagues’ habits and lifestyles that run contrary to personal convictions as well as biblical principles and standards.

Among the common unethical practices are the following:

a) Lying – giving out misleading and false information, as in the case of one who takes sick leave when he is not sick, falsification of office records, etc.

b) Cheating – like the practice of having somebody clock in and out (on

your behalf) at the office daily time recorder when you are actually late in reporting or have not reported at all.

c) Stealing – it comes in many forms, ranging from the more obvious

act of taking away company resources (including money) to the subtle practice of using your working hours in doing personal matters (and getting paid for it!).

d) Corruption – engaging in under the table (illegal) transactions for personal monetary gain.

e) Bribery – the act of giving or receiving gifts (often expensive ones) for a “favour” or a “service” rendered.

While Christians are supposed to uphold the principles of the Bible and bear a good witness to others, it is sad to see that many would rather conform to the “norms” and go with the flow.

We often hear this line: “Since everybody’s doing it, then it must be alright; I might

as well do it too!” Enticed by the profit and benefits that come along, and the comfort of not being marginalized and marked out as “different”, many a Christian has succumbed to the urge to conform to unbiblical practices at his workplace.

However, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:17-24, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

As Christians, much is expected of us! We have a high standard that is patterned after God’s holiness and righteousness that should be manifested in our conduct. In the words of the Apostle Paul, we read, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Realize then, that giving in to the urge to conform is tantamount to lowering our standards, if not letting down our guard, making us vulnerable to even more temptations.