Pastor's Corner
May, 2003
I opened the front page of the San Jose Mercury News this morning and read two depressing headlines of the day: Valley star (financial guru) faces criminal charges and Ex-Jesuit (Catholic Association) arrested on Sex charges. Later that day, I saw a news headline on CNN of a judge was caught on camera, taking bribe in cash or gifts to make favorable judgment for the giver. How sad it is that “justice” and “judge” don’t equal to one another! Greed and sex fill the pages of almost every newspaper and television programs. These kinds of crimes affect not only the persons involved; the damage is like a ripple effect that extends beyond one’s imagination. Cases like these don’t seem to stop any time soon. Not too long ago, we learned Enron and Worldcom falsified their financial records. And who can forget the sex scandals of many Evangelical preachers and Catholic priests? Chances are high that we will continue to hear these kinds of scandals. They are not going to go away!
What happened to the moral compass of society? Are there still people who care for the better good of humanity? I would hope so, but the painful truth is that the numbers are dwindling. This led me to remember Jesus forewarning us that at the Last days, there will be an increase of wickedness, and the adverse effect of that is the love of most will grow cold. But Jesus continued to say that he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:12f). Stand firm on what? Stand firm on the truth we have received through the Word—keeping the unbending ethics even if the moral standard collapses around you. Stand firm on the truth of God’s love—segregate the sinner from his sins; accepts the sinner but reject his sins. We must learn to live uprightly in this sin infested culture, lest we become a laughing stalk of our own. We may not be on any newspaper headline, but when we fall, not only our name will be at stake; we will hurt others and put God’s name in shame.
Greed and sex are the two grand pillars of temptation at all times. For Christians, it is all the more need to know how to live in contentment with money, and practice self control with sex. We must realize these are slippery slopes, so we need to guard against walking dangerously close to the edge. If you get too close to the slope, you will certainly fall. Some will never be able to climb out of it; others will carry bruises for the rest of their lives.
Before I sign off, let me encourage you to push the temptations away. Be strong! God paid for the penalty of your sin, but He certainly will let you pay for the consequences of your sins, especially if you have committed willfully.
Pastor Larry
