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Sometimes in the Church you hear words that they don't use anywhere else. Call them Church Words. Some of them need more explaining to understand.

Iniquity - injustice; unfairness; wickedness; sin. The acts or actions that lead to sin and to bring it about.



Luke 18:11 (NIV) The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector.



I DIDN'T GET IT



The water from the lake comes up on the beach. The birds chirp in the trees. The wind blows through the air. The horns and the tires of traffic make noise on the street.

All these sounds are always there but I don't listen to them. I here them but they have become all too common in my life. I don't get it. Why should I pay attention to them? They're just sounds and they don't concern me.

That's how iniquity is and I didn't get it.

My focus was on what affected me personally and I give no concern to anything else. As long as it wasn't me it was O.K. I didn't care, it didn't matter. I give no mind to it and I didn't take it to heart. I just didn't get it.



Big Sin vs. Little Sin



The thing is I went to Church, I believed in God, and I wasn't that bad. I could point out a whole bunch of "them" that were a whole lot worse than me.



I didn't get it.



Just like the Pharisee, I was not one of them. I saw myself as not doing what they did.

Sure I told a few lies, but that was O.K.

Later I told bigger lies and that became O.K.

When I started drinking and drugging it was O.K. because my guy's did it. Money was short and I started cuffing stuff; it was O.K. because I had a habit.

It was O.K. to grab a gun and start taking stuff because I wasn't scared. If they wouldn't give it up it was O.K. to use the gun because they were my Victims.

Finally when I got locked up it was O.K. because it's all part of the game.

It was about ME, what I wanted to do, and I listened to MYSELF



I just didn't get it



Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

There is no "Big" sin or "Little" sin; there is only SIN, period! Every big sinner started as a little sinner and all sin leads to DEATH.

Drive by's, suffering, injustice of any kind; all unrighteousness is wrong. It's not just wrong when it happens to me or the people I care about. If I say it's O.K. when it happens to somebody else then I'm also saying it's O.K. if it happens to me. Jesus said to love your brother as you love yourself. Any time that I say anything other than what Jesus said, then... in iniquity... I've stopped listening.

Proverbs 12:15 (NIV) The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

Why is one little sin O.K. and why do we keep telling ourselves that it is. The reality is that all sin is the same, and is all bad. It's never good and that's the TRUTH.

The effects of Hitler in World War II were very bad, but so are the effects of an average liar on society. Which do you think is worst? If you're trying to choose an answer to the question... stop. Both start when you choose believing a little wrong is alright, that it doesn't hurt. The little stuff just gets bigger. You don't understand what wrong is and when you do understand, you somehow think its O.K. to still do wrong under certain conditions.

When I get thirsty... I need a drink. I don't just want one... I need one.

It's the same way with the Living Water that flows from Jesus Christ; I needed to understand that I need to need Him.

That's what I didn't get.

The law, the Ten Commandments didn't change or stop sin at all. Even when I know what sin is... I still won't stop sinning. My sinful nature keeps my in it's grip; powerless.

I needed to understand my need for needing Jesus. Not just a need for Jesus... but a need for needing Him!

It wasn't until I knew that I needed Him that I started wanting Him. Only then did it start to matter to me personally. That's when I became concerned, and finally it was not O.K. to go a day without Him.

When you need that water you drink it in and nothing else will satisfy your desire.

The LIVING WATER is the spirit of Christ. I had to get to know my need for needing to take it in. That day came and I thank God it did.

That's the day that I was born again, born of the spirit, taking Christ to heart.



Blessings,

Matt.