Sin, Salt, and Peace

Psalm 19:7-14 / Mark 9:42-50

Take sin seriously

Commandment 3 - v42

Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

Don’t mess with a man’s wife, or their kids… What about God’s?

Cut it off

Not hyperbolic / Also not exactly prescriptive

Not just physical appendages:

Revelation 13:16 “ Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,”

Revelation 7:3 “saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.””

Hand - things you do

Foot - places you go

Eye - where you look

The childhood rhyme mentioned recently by Bro. Luke as he spoke: “Be careful little eyes what you see,” turns out to be profoundly needed and godly wisdom that is rare these days.

John Newton at 82:

“Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”

God takes sin seriously

Hell - v43, 46, 47

γέεννα -

Mark 9:48 “48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”

Luke 13:28 “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.”

Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.””

Justice

Psalm 19:7-10 “7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

The justice of God and the sinfulness of mankind necessitates that there be a Hell. It is true that God will send souls to Hell, in that He will see that it is carried out, but it is also tragically true that men and women choose their eternal destinations because they ultimately desire to either be with, or apart from God.

Calvary

Isaiah 53:5 “5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Mark 15:34 “34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

Mark 15:37-38 “37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”

2 Cor 5:21 “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Bible

2 Timothy 3:15 “15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

God takes sin very seriously because He knows it leads to ultimate suffering and separation from Him, so Hell is necessitated, Calvary was required for Christ to endure Hell on earth for us to miss literal Hell, and The Word was inspired and protected to be spread the Law and Gospel in every generation to the saving and preserving of lost souls.

Be Salty

Everyone - v49

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 “each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

Salt is Good - v50

Preservative, Health, Distinctiveness (flavor)

If believers become indistinguishable from an unbelieving world, what good are they?

“Have Salt in yourselves” - not jealous or cranky, but distinctive and restorative

Peace

Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Church Family, everyone needs to take sin seriously because God does. He takes our sin serious enough to send Christ Jesus as our substitute, and to continually send the Word out proclaiming the Law and Gospel to the world. May God then bless us with righteous salt in ourselves and our lives, that we may be at peace with both God and neighbor.