THIS MUST BE DUE TO SIN!

This Sunday in service the Pastor mentioned the scripture John 9:1. There are a lot of Christians that assume that bad things happened from birth, during birth or in our life time due to someones sin. I am sure many of you have heard things like oh they lost their job or their possessions God must be angry with them, they have sinned and fallen short. Yes they have, we all have! My personal take, God loves us, He grants us NEW MERCY EVERYDAY. I like the way Bishop Noel Jones says it, God gives us new mercy everyday because he knew we would need it and he also knew we were going to use up yesterdays. Of course this isn't a license to sin nevertheless, if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us and he remembers them no more! Pastor Winston also used another example loosely quoted, "Why did the Lord bless her she isn't living all the way right. There are other people whom needed that blessing more than her that are more deserving." In Romans 9:15 God's response to that "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

So in John 9, the disciples and Jesus come up on a man who has been blind from birth. The flesh/natural nature of the disciples 1st question was Rabbi who sinned as they were obviously assuming that his blindness must be due to sin.

John 9:1-3 1 "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. "

Is there sin in the world? Of course. Are there sinful people in the world? Absolutely. Is every hardship, trial, or tribulation a person encounters due to sin? Absolutely not. James 1:2-4 "2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

It is my prayer that Christians and people in general stop trying to figure out the what and why to someone else's life and simply focus on love, faith, joy, self-control, patience, kindness, meekness, and temperance while staying away from gossip and judgment. I Thessalonians 4:11 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you," Scripture tells us that all things work together for the good of those that love Him. So there is no need to figure out the ending of any one's life that is a believer for God says in Jeremiah 29:11 that his plan is to prosper them give them hope and a future. So instead of speaking death over others lives and situations, speak life, speak the Word only!

So before looking at the glass half full and saying this must be due to sin, look at the glass half empty and say this has been so that the glory of God can be demonstrated so that more people will be drawn to Christ.

Be blessed and be a blessing,
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