The Point

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The Point of Responsibility

Leviticus 5:3

"Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty."

One of the questions that I am often asked is if a person does wrong and doesn't know it, is it still a sin. This is asked because people know that there are times when someone does wrong and doesn't know it. However, though ignorance may be bliss, ignorance is no excuse to do wrong. It is the responsibility of humans to find out what they are supposed to do. God fulfilled His responsibility by giving us His Word. Therefore, we are to do our part to find out what is right and wrong. Let me give you several principles that God discusses about a person doing wrong through ignorance.

First, God acknowledges that there is a sin of ignorance. In Leviticus 4:2, God says that a person can sin through ignorance. God understood that there would be times when we would do wrong because of our lack of knowledge concerning His Word.

Second, ignorance of sin does not change God's laws. In Leviticus 4:13, God shows us that though a person sins through ignorance, they are still guilty in His eyes. Just because you don't know God's laws in a certain area doesn't mean that you are not guilty. For instance, there are times when you may be speeding and not know it. Maybe you entered a certain roadway and the speed limit sign is not posted. Depending on the laws of the state, the unposted speed limit could be lower than what you expected. Does your ignorance of that law make you not guilty when the policeman pulls you over? No! You are still guilty of breaking the law. Likewise, you are still guilty of breaking God's laws even when you break them through ignorance.

Third, the point of knowledge is the point of guilt. In the verse above, you will notice that God says, "...when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty." It is when you know that you have done wrong that you are now guilty, not only in God's eyes, but also in your own eyes. You are already guilty in the eyes of God when you committed the sin, but when the knowledge of sin comes to personal reality, then guilt will set in.

Fourth, the moment of guilt is the point of accountability. In Leviticus 5:5, God shows that a person is to immediately confess their sin upon the point of accountability. God holds you accountable for your sin once you know that you have done wrong. You become accountable for your actions at the moment you know you have done wrong. In other words, accountability should cause you to confess your sin to God.

Last, your response at the point of accountability determines God's blessings. What you do once you know you have done wrong will determine how much God blesses you. If you continue to do wrong after the point of accountability, then God will withhold His blessings from you.

Let's make this applicable to your daily life. When dealing with people, if they do wrong out of ignorance you need to use that opportunity to show them where they were wrong. However, if they did wrong out of ignorance then apply mercy, but from that point forward you must hold them accountable. This principle should be applied to rearing children, the workplace, the church, etc. When people know that they have done wrong, then that is when they should be accountable for what they have done.

Don't Promise

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Don't Promise

1 Samuel 24:1

"And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi."

One of the mistakes many people make is in making promises that they knowingly cannot fulfill. Making a promise should be something that is taken very seriously, for your name is put on the line with every promise. David made a promise to Saul that he knowingly couldn't fulfill. Saul asked David to promise when he became king that he would not have his family killed. It was a normal practice that when a king from a different family took the throne that he would kill the family of the preceding king. The purpose of this was to protect their throne from any uprisings. David, being a sincere and upright man, promised Saul that he would not destroy his family. However, in 2 Samuel 21:6-8, David was faced with having to destroy the family of Saul. Though David still kept his promise by keeping Mephibosheth alive, he destroyed the rest of Saul's family. Though David was sincere with his promise, he made a foolish promise that was difficult to fulfill.

Let me warn you about making promises that you cannot guarantee. Many times in your sincerity you make a promise without really thinking through the ramifications of your promise. You can't always guarantee what the future holds, therefore you should be very guarded with promises that you make for a lifetime. For instance, when you get married you are making a promise that is for life. This is why you should be guarded about whom you marry. Once you say, "I do," then you have made a promise that you must fulfill for the rest of your life.

Furthermore, don't promise what you can't always do. Many times you will make a promise to your spouse that you don't know you will always be able to fulfill. Likewise, parents must be careful about promising their children something that they don't know for sure that they can do. This is what leads to hard feelings between a child and their parent. If you promise your child something, then you better be sure that you carry out your promise. If you don't know that you can carry out your promise to its fullest, then don't promise at all. It is better not to promise than to promise and not be able to follow through.

Moreover, don't promise something that could be taken away. For instance, be careful about promising money for a lifetime. I have watched churches promise a retiring pastor a salary for the rest of his life, then not be able to fulfill that promise because of rough financial times. Though they were sincere in their promise, they could not see what the future would hold for their finances. When you promise something forever, then you better have the capability already in place to fulfill that promise.

Making a promise should never be taken lightly. Many relationships have been damaged because of broken promises. Whenever you make a promise, be sure to follow through. Though you may have good intentions with your promise, good intentions can't fulfill a promise. Be sure when you make a promise that you have the wherewithal to completely follow through with it. If you can't, then don't make the promise.

First impression((Tag:Devotional by Allen Domelle))

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The Importance of a First Impression

1 Samuel 17:45

"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."

They often say that your first impression is a lasting impression. Sadly, we make many judgments off the first impression of a person. However, how you present yourself will make a lasting impression on how people will judge you.

When I read the story of David and Goliath, I find that both men presented themselves in two very different ways. There is no doubt in my mind why God used David the way that He did. Throughout the life of David you will see that he carried himself in a proper way. However, when I look at how David and Goliath presented themselves, I see that many people must choose one of these ways to make a good lasting impression. Let me show you three ways that these men presented themselves as they came to each other.

First, Goliath came with the physical, but David came with the spiritual. Goliath came flaunting his sword, spear and shield, whereas David came lifting up the name of the LORD. Christian, you can choose to live your life with the physical, or you can choose to live your life in the spiritual. There are many Christians who keep their eyes upon the physical aspects of life, and they will only do so much for Christ. However, there are others who choose to use the spiritual and accomplish great things for God. The sword and spear is no match for prayer and the power of God. The sword and spear are no match for God's presence with someone. Too many times we focus upon the physical in our church work, when we need to get back to the spiritual if we want God to do something great. Yes, you need the physical to get things done, but the physical without the spiritual will cause you to utterly fail in the Christian life.

Second, Goliath came by sight, but David came by faith. Goliath came looking at his own stature, whereas David came looking at the magnitude of a great God and what He could do. Goliath came flaunting his past victories, whereas David came by faith and trusted that God would help him to overcome Goliath. Christian, you will never be able to serve God if you must live by sight. The Christian life is not a life of sight, but it is a life of faith. Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that you will never please God without faith. The success of your Christian life will be determined by whether you live by sight or faith. Yes, there is an unknown in faith. However, if you are a Christian who needs to live by sight, then place your sight on the past works of God as you step out by faith. When your faith is weak, then place your eyes on the sight of God's past works to give you the confidence you need when you step out by faith.

Last, Goliath came arrogantly, but David came humbly. Goliath came telling David what he would do to him, whereas David came humbled that God would use him to fight His battles. One of the determining factors of how much God will use you is how much credit you give God. If you become arrogant in the Christian life, then your usefulness to God will be very little. However, if you will stay humbled that a great God would use you, then God will have the capacity to do great works through you.

Let me ask you, how do you present yourself in the work of the LORD? Don't follow the world's model of serving God, for the only thing the world's model will give you is failure and death. Look at how David presented himself and follow that model, for his model is the model that God can use to do great works through you.

Tongues

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Medicinal Tongues

Proverbs 15:4

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."

Most often when you hear a sermon on the tongue, you hear about how the tongue is used in a negative way. Sadly, this is most often the case. However, the tongue that has been used to destroy can also be used to heal. The verse above talks about the "wholesome tongue." The word "wholesome" means, a healing or medicinal tongue. Just like you go to the doctor to get medication to heal an infirmity, likewise the tongue can be used as a medicine to heal different situations that it faces. The power of the tongue can be a healing power. There are four ways to use your tongue as a medicinal tongue.

First, use your tongue to appease a wrathful situation. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." This verse is teaching that you need to use your tongue to diffuse explosive situations. When you see people coming who have a countenance that is filled with wrath, instead of answering in a sharp way, answer them with a soft answer. For instance, when someone comes to accuse you of things that are wrong, then you would be wise to diffuse their wrath by acknowledging they are right. I recently had a pastor tell me about a man who came to him and told him that he wasn't right with God. This pastor responded back to this man by telling him he was right. This pastor told the man that he is constantly working on making sure he was right and asked the man to pray that one day he would be right in all areas of his life. This man who came to accuse and attack with his tongue was diffused because of a soft answer. You don't always have to retaliate with your tongue. Learn to answer softly so that you can diffuse explosive situations.

Second, use your tongue to heal a broken spirit. The verse above says, "...perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit." The medicinal tongue will be used to help heal those whose spirit has been broken. Learn to use your tongue to let those with a broken spirit know that you are praying for them. Just a simple statement of encouragement can be used to help heal the broken spirit.

Third, use your tongue to refresh someone's soul. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Using pleasant and graceful words can be refreshing to someone's soul. In other words, giving a right answer can help refresh someone's soul. Knowing what to say at the right time can make or break someone's thoughts of you. Always ask God for His wisdom so that you will have the right answer for every situation.

Last, use your tongue to create a happy atmosphere. The word "pleasant" not only talks about having the right answer, but it also means to be cheerful. There is nothing like being around people who use their tongue to lift the atmosphere. Let your tongue bring happiness to people. Work hard at using your tongue to cause people to be happy that you have been in their presence.

Christian, don't let your tongue be used to destroy, but let your tongue be used to be a medicine to everyone with whom you come in contact. When you have a medicinal tongue, then you will find that people will want to be around you because your tongue helps make them feel better.