or in implication (1 John 3:4): "Whosoever committeth sin
THE FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN
claimed most loudly to follow Him have been the furthest from His teaching. But don't let that divert you or keep you from Christ Himself. At times people have said to me, "Christians are all hypocrites-I don't want anything to do with Christ!" But that is an excuse to keep from having to face the truth that is in Christ. Instead, understand His teaching and examine His life. And if you know Christ and have committed your life to Him, learn from Him and live a consistent life for Him. Let others see something of Christ-His love, His joy, His peace-in your life. True Christians are supposed to be happy! Our generation has become well versed in Christian terminology, but is remiss in the actual practice of Christ's principles and teachings. Hence, our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians.
Balancing the Scales
Let's look at an old pair of country scales for a moment.
On one side is the holiness of God. On the other side is you.
God says the scales must balance. In other words, you must be as holy as God before you can enter Heaven and before the scales can balance.
Let's see what God requires. Have I broken God's commandments? Am I a sinner? Have I sinned against Him?
1. Sin is any transgression of the law in act, in thought, or in implication (1 John 3:4): "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."
We may say that the law is summed up in the Ten Commandments. The entire moral law is summarized in these rules of life, which express God's holiness. The ceremonial laws were expressly commended to Jews under the law and to nobody else, but the moral laws are for all.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Perhaps
READINGS FROM BILLY GRAHAM 127
you have broken that commandment by permitting a heart affection for money or something besides God. If so, you have bowed to another idol. To bow and to worship before a saint of any kind is idolatry, whether that idol be a picture of Christ or an image of the Virgin Mary or a crucifix or the likeness of a saint. If you have bowed before it, you have sinned. You have transgressed the law.
Let's look at another commandment. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." Cursing or using God's name as a byword, saying "Praise the Lord" when we don't mean it from the heart, pretending to praise God in prayer when actually we are thinking more of the people than of God, closing a prayer in "Jesus' Name" when we are not asking the petition for Jesus' sake-these are sin, violation of the third commandment.
Another of the commandments says, "Honor thy father and thy mother." If there has been a time when you have not, you have sinned You have transgressed if you have failed to provide for your parents' needs when they were old or dependent.
"Thou shalt not kill" is the fourth commandment. Jesus said, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." You are guilty!
"Thou shalt not commit adultery." Jesus said, "I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." In God's eyes lust is adultery.
"Thou shalt not steal." Most of us have broken this commandment. We have pulled a few shady deals. We have gotten the best of bargains.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Even little so-called "white lies" break this commandment. All of us are guilty of transgressing this law.
"Thou shalt not covet." Perhaps we have coveted something that is our neighbor's. If we have kept every one of these commandments and have broken only one, and that only slightly, we are transgressors nevertheless: