November 4,1996
Dear Br. Appleton:
I just finished writing a letter to a man
who is residing in jail. He is a former minister who is charged
with child abuse. What do you say to a person like this. You expect
that a minister, of all people, is trustworthy and certainly wouldn’t
molest children. I didn’t want to condemn him, for that is
no way to win someone back to Christ. Yet, he is most assuredly
guilty of something, after all, where there is smoke there is
probably fire. Yet, I could imagine myself also sitting in jail,
innocent, but falsely accused. How would I want someone to write
to me? What would I want them to say? This was one of the most
difficult letters I have written. I wanted to encourage the man,
but did not want to minimize his crimes, if he was guilty.
As I wrote to him, I couldn’t help
but think that we are all guilty of trespasses, if not against
the state, then certainly against the Holy Spirit. We may be outwardly
pure of any wrong doing, while inwardly guilty of violating God’s
law of ten commandments. While people go to jail for child abuse
(a type of adultery), murder, stealing, etc., no one is sent there
for swearing, worshiping idyls, disobeying parents, or violating
the sabbath, at least not yet. God’s laws are divided into
two categories, offenses against Him and offenses against man.
We are lawbreakers when we violate His rules pertaining to man
but seldom do we consider ourselves guilty for breaking His laws
regarding our conduct toward Him.
There are greater and lesser degrees of
crimes in the sight of God but all are equally worthy of punishment.
I may be regarded as a good Christian while guilty before the
Lord of pride, jealousy, envy, hatred (which he describes as murder)
or an uncontrolled temper. God regards jealousy or pride as more
worthy of condemnation then He does some of the lesser crimes
for which we are punished. (I do not minimize child abuse, it
is most certainly a crime worthy of punishment. But those Christians
who judge and condemn him may be guilty of equal or greater crimes
in God’s judgment.)
Do you know the story in Deuteronomy where
a heathen king wanted to curse Israel in order to destroy them
on their journey to the promised land? He called Baalam, a prophet
to cast a plague upon Israel. He offered him great and wondrous
inducements. Three times, Baalam came but could not curse God’s
chosen people. Rather, in spite of his efforts, only blessings
came out of his mouth, much to the chagrin and annoyance of the
King. (This is the same Baalam whose donkey talked to him.)
Baalam wanted the money offered by the king
but was prevented by the Lord from obtaining it. He realized that
as long as Israel remained faithful to the Lord, they could not
be overcome. Devising a plan, for their destruction, he approached
the king again and suggested that he send the most beautiful women
in his kingdom into the camp of the Children of God to seduce
them into adultery. This he did and the Lord was so displeased
with the national apostasy that thousands of people were destroyed
in the judgment that swiftly fell in the camp.
Can a similar fate be long delayed in God’s
church today. Millions of professed Christians flout the seventh
commandment with apparent impunity. Where is the Lord’s judgments,
they say, if they even think of the Lord at all.
But God does not punish lightly. He sends
messages of warning and reproof. He encourages his children to
abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. He warns,
reprimands, chastises, encourages, but, ultimately he will destroy
those who continue to transgress His laws. He will not be trifled
with much longer. His judgments are already abroad in the land.
This nation, the most favored of God in the history of the world,
next to the ancient nation of Israel, is about to feel his judgments.
He chastises out of mercy, nor revenge.
His corrections are sent abroad as a warning to those who have
not fallen totally under the curse of sin that, through their
example, He may save many from the same fate. While some may die,
as happened to ancient Israel, others will heed the lesson and
live.
No, I am not implying that you are committing
adultery. I am not a prophet and I cannot see your sins. I am
only writing to warn others to abstain from all appearance of
evil. Never let it be said that you or I have forsaken the Lord
and fallen into adultery or any other sin. However, “If any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous.” I John 2:1
All sins, no matter how wicked, can be forgiven
if we confess them, for Christ says “If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.”
May the Lord bless you. Your brother in Christ.
Allen Benson
