There is No Sin Bigger Than Jesus

 

--Bill Petite

It was a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. We were in a city park which just happened to be located next to the county prison. I thought it was a great setting for a public outreach to share the gospel of Jesus. I didn’t set up the location but whoever did must have felt the same as me. We were set up right in front of a large pavilion and we used free food and drinks as the attraction. Jim, the senior pastor, had been a professional musician in New York City before he was saved so he decided to set up the music team next the pavilion and play some Christian songs. We were in the city of Lancaster PA and the church was Calvary Chapel of Lancaster. I had arranged these types of outreaches when I was with a Calvary Chapel in Southern California.

We always had a great turnout and had about three or four Christian bands playing throughout the afternoon. It was similar to this outing with free food and drinks and curious people stopping to see what was going on. It gave us the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. This Sunday afternoon was very similar except we didn’t have all those bands playing. It was just Jim with the musicians from the church. I had also decided to use what is known as the wordless gospel. I used it in the form of a key chain; it is five different colored beads and each color explains the parts of the gospel. I would simply hand it to the people stopping by for the free food and ask if they would like for me to explain the meaning of the different colors. Most would say yes and I would explain the gold as the streets of gold in heaven and how everyone wants to go there when they die but….there’s a black bead which represents the sin in our lives and on and on and on I would go explaining what was needed to be done in order to reach heaven.

I had positioned myself at the end of the food line and would dangle the key chain and ask if the people wanted one when these two men approached me and asked what the key chain was all about. It was just as if Jesus had said, "Here are these two men and they need to know about me." So, I took them through the wordless gospel and explained the colors of the beads and they both appeared to be extremely interested. They explained that they had each just been released from the prison next to where we were and were living in a halfway house. I asked them to step up into the pavilion so we would be out of the sun and could talk. The taller of the two men told me his friend really needed help because he had been abused and molested by the foster family who had raised him. The poor man had the look of someone who had absolutely no hope and was about to take his last breath. It had the look of depression. I again talked to them about Jesus and how He could change their lives and asked if I could pray for them. The taller man asked me if Jesus could forgive him for everything and I assured him He could. But just as I was getting ready to pray, the man stopped me and again asked if Jesus would forgive him for everything and every sin. Again, I told him Jesus would forgive him for every sin he had ever committed.

He seemed to be content with that answer and I prayed. I prayed they would both ask Jesus to forgive them and invite Him into their lives as Lord and savior. When I finished, I looked at the man who had been abused and his face was shining. His entire appearance had changed and he told me he felt like someone had taken a fifty-pound bag of trash off of his shoulders.

That man was saved that day; Jesus had saved him and had given him a new life and had freed him from the memories of the abuse he had suffered growing up. Then, I turned my attention to the taller man and before I could say anything, he asked me again, “Jesus has forgiven me for every sin? Everything?” Now, this was getting kind of silly and I firmly told him, “Everything!” I reassured him that when we are saved, Jesus cleans the slate. He forgives us of all of our sin; from the time we were born and right up to that moment of salvation and beyond. It was already paid for at the cross when He sacrificed Himself to pay the debt for that sin. I assured him all he had to do was ask Jesus to forgive him. He told me he had done that as I prayed. Then, he seemed to be more relaxed and content with what I had told him. He and his friend found a seat and sat down to eat their food.

Jeanne, my wife, was sitting at one end of the pavilion and it was getting late so I asked her if she was ready to go. Her back had been giving her some pain and we decided to go. But just as I was turning to go, I heard a voice calling me and it was the man who kept questioning the forgiveness of Jesus. He waved me over to him and as I approached him and stopped where he was seated, he again asked me, “Everything?” And again, I assured him Jesus forgives us for all of our sins and not just some. That’s when he looked at me and said, “I think I might be wanted for murder.” Then it all made sense to me as why he kept asking me if Jesus would forgive him for everything. For the final time, I told him yes, even murder. I also told him I could only be his spiritual counselor and he had to hire an attorney for his legal counsel. I had to tell him that because he began to ask some legal questions. As a precaution, before I left, I told Jim about this man and how it might be wise to keep an eye on him. I also explained he had accepted Jesus and had been very calm. Jim acknowledged and we went home.

That was the only time I had ever met someone with that repeated question. Of course, I am sure he had to ask under the circumstances. But what has to be known is when Jesus died on that cross, He died for all of our sins and not just the little ones. Actually, there are no little ones. There is no difference in any sin; sin is sin and without Jesus’ forgiveness, it will send people to hell. Oh, there’s that word that no one wants to hear. They ask, “Is that place real? Does it really exist? Isn’t that just a scare tactic Christians use just to get people to believe their drivel and invisible God?”  The answer to those questions is, NO. It does exist and anyone who dies and has not accepted Jesus as Lord and savior will find it as their final destination.

Heaven is also a real place and those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and savior will be there for eternity. Those of us who have been saved and know Jesus as our Lord and savior know and realize that any sin is simply sin; regardless if it is living a good and honest life and dying without Jesus or being a serial killer, their unforgiven sin will send them to hell. There is no sin that is too big for Jesus to forgive. When He sent Himself to the cross to die in our place, He paid the price for every sin a person will or has ever committed. It doesn’t matter how many or how terrible the sin, He has forgiven it for whoever has come to Him asking forgiveness. Also, remember this; the only sin which will keep a person out of heaven is the sin of rejecting Jesus and dying without Him as Lord and savior.

 Tex Watson was Charlie Manson’s right-hand man and was involved in all of those murders way back in 1969. He was given a life sentence for his part in that awful mess. I don’t have all the details of his actions or involvement but even if it was just one senseless murder, it was enough. He was saved years ago and is similar to an in-prison pastor. He runs Abounding Love Ministries from prison. This man was involved with what might be the evilest predator of the mid-20^th century and Jesus forgave him of those evil and senseless activities. So, yes, there is never any sin that is too big for Jesus to forgive. Now, after saying all of this, it doesn’t give us a license to sin.

Jesus forgives and gives us a new life (2 Cor 5:17). If you talk to anyone about Jesus and they question His ability to forgive them, just tell them Jesus is bigger than any sin that anyone can commit. He is God and He is all powerful and He cannot be defeated by anyone or anything and that includes any sin.

 

Study the Bible, Know the Bible

-Bill Petite

It’s just my opinion and it might be correct but, I think there are far too many Christians in this country, the USA, who don’t spend any great amount of time reading the Bible. Christians fill up seats in churches all across this country on Sunday mornings and if they hear anything from the Bible while they are there, that is all the Bible they will get all week, all month and for many months. For many reasons, Christians just don’t make time or take time to read their Bibles at all.

These numbers are from Lifeway Research.

Among people who attend church at least monthly:

·        61% read the Bible regularly

·        Breakdown:

o   31% daily

o   30% a few times a week

o   14% weekly

o   11% a few times a month

o   5% monthly

o   9% rarely or never

The most accurate summary is: About 1 in 3 Christians read the Bible daily, about 2 in 5 read it weekly, and engagement is rising again after a long decline.

From the stats above, if 31% of Christians are reading the Bible daily, that means 69% are not. Some might see 31% and think that is good but the 69% not reading daily is the real important number. Now go to the 9% number; That’s the number of church attenders who read the Bible rarely or never. This is the number church leaders and pastors should be concerned with. If that number is the result of 100% of church attenders, and I’m not say it is in this case, there is a serious problem. That would mean that 91% of those attending churches rarely or never read the Bible. Their entire Christian life is based on what they hear on a Sunday morning unless they are attending more than one service a week. But then the only Bible they know about is what they hear in a church service and that’s if the pastor is teaching anything from the Bible and not a sermon based on a few verses.

There are many reasons why Christians don’t read the Bible. Many will say they don’t have time to read it. Okay, so what is filling their time which doesn’t allow them any time to read the Bible? Most will say their job, their children’s activities, their own activities, can’t get up early enough in the morning and too tired at night. There are many other excuses or reasons but the bottom line is this: How does a Christian’s relationship with Jesus survive if they don’t know anything about Him? Also, how can they tell anyone anything about Jesus if they don’t read the Bible and learn all about Him? But I think the biggest reason these Christians don’t read the Bible is because their interests are focused more on this world and its activities than on God’s word. They have no desire to read the Bible and it has taken a backseat in their lives.

They have been saved and are satisfied believing they have their fire insurance, or are safe from not going to hell, and they are happy with that. If they are reading the Bible all the time, their unsaved friends are going to think they are religious fanatics or Jesus freaks. Well, guess what? If you’re a Christian, you should be a Jesus freak. And also, Jesus paid a serious price for your salvation and eternal life with Him. When these people were saved, they should have had a mentor who would have helped them understand the importance of God’s word, a healthy prayer life and fellowship with other Christians. They should have learned the importance of church attendance at a solid Bible teaching church and Bible study throughout the week. Then as they matured in their Christian faith, Bible reading and study would have become a natural activity for them.

Another reason many say is that they don’t understand or can’t comprehend what they are reading. First, the Christian must have a Bible version they can easily read and understand. Now, I’m not referring to some paraphrase Bible; that’s not a version or accurate translation.  Some of the more accurate and reliable translations or versions are the New King James Version (NKJV), the New American Standard Version (NASV), The English Standard Version (ESV), the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT). The NLT should not be confused with the Living Bible which is not a word for word translation but is a paraphrase Bible. There are some other versions but the ones listed here are the most commonly used versions or translations.  

For those Christians who say they have a difficult time comprehending what they are reading, there are many different Bible helps available. A good Bible commentary can help with explaining those difficult passages and verses. Also, a good Bible dictionary is helpful. But if a Christian purchases a really good study Bible, it will be loaded with helps. I have recently noticed several ads attempting to sell material to help Bible readers understand and know what they are reading. Some of these will sell for $35-$60 but if you have one of those good study Bibles, all of that information is placed right before each book in the Bible. So, don’t spend money for something which you already have. Allow me to give an example.

I have a Life Application Bible that I will use in this case in order to prove you don’t need to buy information which you already have in your study Bible. Let’s look at the book of Romans which might be the greatest theological writing ever. First, in this Bible, there is an overview of the book. It is like a mini commentary which presents what the book is about. Before you even begin to read chapter 1 of this book, you will already have an idea of what Paul is writing about. Next, you have the purpose for the writing, the author, who the audience is, the date it was written, the setting, the key verse, key people, key place, special features. There is also a blue print which includes verses pertaining to what to believe and how to behave and finally there are megathemes which pertain to the book. That’s a format used by The Life Application Bible. Other study Bibles might have similar information but with a different format but it’s everything you would be getting from one of those booklets you would pay for. You don’t need one of them since you already have it in your study Bible.

These study Bibles also have reading plans which guide you through a daily reading plan or reading the Bible in a year. There are other study helps in these study Bibles which are really a big help. That’s why they are referred to as a study Bible. So, don’t waste your money on material you already have in your study Bible.

I use a very simple reading plan for reading the Bible in a year. I read three chapters a day on each week day and four chapters a day on each weekend day. That’s 23 chapters a week and will take you through the Bible in a year. Regardless of how you read the Bible in a year, it is a great familiarization tool. You will become very familiar with the whole Bible as you read it through year after year. And, this is simply a read through plan and not a study plan. If you are reading through and something really catches your attention, jot it down and come back to it later and dig in. Do your study on what it was that got your attention earlier.

Studying the Bible is a process you as an individual must find out what works for you. What I mean is you will have to develop a process that allows you to dig into scripture using a variety of study tools such as commentaries, dictionaries, original language dictionaries and word studies and even a Bible atlas if it helps. If using a computer or a similar device, there are apps which can be downloaded. Just be careful with what is included and how reliable it might be. Whatever works just do it; read and study the Bible and put yourself in a position to be ready when someone asks you why you believe what you believe. Be ready when you are asked about a certain verse or passage in the Bible. You don’t have to be a pastor or seminary grad to know the Bible and be able to tell others all about it when they ask. How can you defend your faith in Jesus and His word if you know nothing about it? If you are in the 69% who is not reading daily, make time right now and begin to read it. Start with a daily plan whether it’s a plan included in your Bible or the one I am using. If you miss a day don’t try to make it up just keep moving forward. Remember, it’s a read through, not a study.

The worst thing you can do is to sit down and just open your Bible randomly. That’s not a reading plan, that’s confusion. However you decide to read and study the Bible, the most important thing to remember is, just keep doing it. And talk with other mature Christians who have been reading and studying the Bible and share your findings and the stuff which has you stumped. It’s a great source of fellowship and learning. Read the Bible and know the Bible.