I often here my Christian brothers and sister repeat this mantra that sin is sin and we are all guilty in the eyes of God. In reality this is only half true.

“Sin is sin” is a tautology. It is true by definition and offers no insight as a singular statement. This implication that is meant by the statement is what bothers me so much- that is the implication that we are all morally equivalent. I’m sure putting it in those terms alone would cause most Christians to object. “That’s not what I meant.” But it is what you implied.

Moral equivalence says that anyone less than perfect is morally equal. And as a matter of fact, we are all as individuals, churches, and nations less than perfect. It does not follow however that we are all equivalent. It is this argument that leads many to say, “The United States does not have the moral authority to police the world or to fight Al-Qaida because the United States commits the sin of __(fill in the blank)__.” Popular sins to fill in include water boarding, racism, or arrogance. It is important to realize the implications of this statement. If only the perfect can make moral judgments, then no one can make moral judgments. It takes away our power to call evil, evil. It is a position of moral cowardice. And it ultimately will result in the harm of countless human beings. For examples of this we need look no further than the last century. In Vietnam, our withdrawal in 1975 resulted in the deaths of 100,000s under the oppression of the communists just in Cambodia and So. Vietnam alone. The Cold War provides another example. It was portrayed as a conflict between two super powers and nothing more. In reality it was a war between the champions of freedom in the Western Hemisphere and the communist forces of death and poverty in the Eastern Hemisphere. This moral equivalence argument left millions dead in Russia and China and left the millions that bought into it stupid in America.

Some sins are worse than others. It is not true to say that the woman who lies about how much she paid for her purse is morally equal to the thug that steals the purse. It is not true to say that the man who gets revenge on the filth that raped his wife is morally equal to Adolph Hilter. Our legal systems, almost everywhere, demonstrate this. We have gradations of guilt and gradations of murder (i.e. First degree, second degree, manslaughter, etc.). And consequentially, we have gradations of punishment (i.e. the death penalty, life in prison, 20 years with parole). We also have gradations of praise. You get a gold star when we you study and perform well on a test in school. When you donate money to a school, you get a building named after you. And when you issue the Emancipation Proclamation, you get a memorial in Washington D.C. First place gets a blue ribbon, fourth gets honorable mention.

When you are morally blameworthy, we believe that the punishment should match the crime. When you are morally praiseworthy, we believe that the recognition should match the heroism. It is our God-given desire for justice that leads us to hold such beliefs, which for many are darn near self-evident truths.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that I fall short of the glory of God and need mercy and forgiveness. When it is ever possible mercy and forgiveness should trump justice, but in many cases pure justice is what is required of us. I pray to God for the humility to realize my own condition. On my own I’m a sinner in need of a savior. I also pray to God for wisdom and discernment that we may always have the courage to stand up for what is right and the clarity to speak the truth.

Malachi 3:10

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

Obedience to God is worthwhile.

Here is a partial list of the things God has given me and my wife in the past year, since we started giving ten percent of our gross income to the church (less than $200 a month):

-         I thought I needed a job in Santa Barbara. I had two interviews at one job and they turned me down. We ended up moving to Sacramento. I got good a good job in the field I hoped for after a couple weeks. It pays the rent, the car insurance, the gas, and the groceries every month.

-         My wife thought she was going to lose her temp job this May. The new person that was supposed to take her spot fell through. Now she has a job for the summer.

-         We got into a good apartment when we moved and we pay $300 a month less than the neighbors next to us because we got in when management changed and they ran a discount deal.

-         I got a flat tire and an oil leak on my Vespa. The repair cost less than expected.

-         Both of our computers broke. Dell sent my wife a brand new computer ($1000+). My computer was fixed. So was my ipod.

-         We’re getting a great tax return ($2000+).

-         Saving the best for last, Pepperdine offered me a full ride scholarship to their law school for the next three years ($150,000+). I didn’t even pray for a full scholarship. I thought it was too bold, but my in-laws prayer for it. And God answered.

If you are not obedient to God, what are you waiting for? I’m not guaranteeing that you’ll prosper financially, but you will be blessed exceedingly and far beyond your expectations. It will happen time and again. Each time you will ask yourself, “why didn’t I trust God?”

This is from Eric Hogue’s blog about the topics on his Northern Ca radio show.

…………………………………………………..

8 Homes and $18,500 to Jamaica’s Needy

Another great night on the show...

We had set out to build 'four' homes for the poverty stricken people of Jamaica with 'Food for the Poor', and we saw the audience respond. Our goal was 4 homes, and at $2600 a piece that equated nearly $10,000. When it was all said and done last night, the Northern California audience contributed over $18,000 and have helped to build 8 new homes for 8 needy families with 'Food for the Poor'.

If was amazing to see God work, as two individuals built a complete home themselves ($2600), and one military veteran and chaplain built 3 homes with his single donation. The rest came in donations of $130, $50 and those loved $10 donations. May God bless each and every heart...He will.

Today we are thankful, as we get back to our normal conversation on "The Eric Hogue Show".

………………………………………………………………………

Christians are good for the world. Look at the amazing good that is done for the poor through a Christian organization. This is the way it should be done. Private charity is good for the world. Government and taxes are not always the answer.

I just wanted to point out an example for anyone who says, “religion poisons everything” or Christians don’t practice what they preach.

Room for improvement? Yes. Room for total dismissal of Christianity? No.

 As an argument regularly leveled against Christianity, some say that Christianity is responsible for a great number of deaths fought in religious wars namely the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Salem Witch Trials. Well, I like Dinesh D’Souza’s response in reply to Christopher Hitchens that Christian’s will take responsibility for these evil deeds committed in the name of Christ, if Atheists take responsibility for deaths committed in the name of their ideologues Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Jong Il, Guevara, Chavez, and others. (I would even lump in Hilter. Although Hilter used some religious rhetoric, he was largely and directly influenced by the writings of Nitchze who proclaimed, “God is dead.”) While I believe that this argument ultimately wins the day. I also found this illustration from history supports the classic Christian response and provides an important lesson.

Many of the Crusaders would get baptized by the church with their swords before going off to battle. They would, however, symbolically hold their swords out of the water during the baptism.

You see, these soldiers understood that their actions were not within the will of God. They knew that their behavior was not supported by Christ’s teaching; it was just the opposite in many cases.

The classic response, then, to the argument against Christianity cited above has historical support. The response, or rebuttal, is that those rapists, murders, and pillagers were not acting in accordance with Christianity, but in moral opposition to it. The atheists mentioned above acted in logically consistent ways with their atheistic beliefs.

The lesson to learn is something that the non-Christians are right about. We must not carry the name of God in vein. That is, we must not go to war in God’s name against the will of God. To do so is a violation of the second of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God. It is morally destructive to the victim, the perpetrator, and to the cause of Christianity as a whole.

  1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (New International Version)

11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
       and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
       for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
       Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
       you are exalted as head over all.

 12 Wealth and honor come from you;
       you are the ruler of all things.
       In your hands are strength and power
       to exalt and give strength to all.

This lesson is emphasized in Crown Ministries’ financial studies. I just wanted to pass it on as a reminder. Our attitudes can become so negative when we focus on the bad things that happen. Stuff gets stolen. Our cars get wrecked or towed. Someone ruins your shirt. The food takes too long at the restaurant.

It all belongs to God. God owns you, your things, your time, your money, your life, your family, and your friends. So, don’t get mad.

“I don’t know why God wanted a big dent in his brand new car, but there it is and it is big.”

God promises to take care of us. Don’t worry. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Also, we are stewards. That means we should spend wisely. This is one reason why Christians shouldn’t support liberal Democrats or liberal Republicans. Also, we must take care of our environment and conserve our resources and take care of the animals. This is one reason why Christians should support responsible, conservationist policy in Congress. Unfortunately, liberals are rarely responsible and conservatives rarely live up their name as conservationists. The environment belongs to God. Let's take good care of God's green earth.

Honestly, I think the Hummers and the mansions are a little excessive. And it is hurting the conservative cause. I’m not saying it should be taxed or worse, illegal. I am saying, Christians should think about where our hearts are. Give to charities that benefit the poor and don’t take part in excess, be it material or otherwise. Store up treasures in heaven.

I have found in day to day conversations that many people who believe the following are totally comfortable with blurting out the following. They don’t seem to worry about offending anyone and no one should be offended by what they say. It is their opinion.

-“All religions are basically the same.”

-“We all have a little of God inside us and so humans have great potential beyond our imagination.”

-“All religions are good as long as they promote love and compassion.”

When someone says this I automatically know two things about them. They are very concerned with being compassionate towards and accepting of others. Also, they are not very deep and/or rationally minded people.

On the other hand, Christians are often afraid to say something because they don’t want to offend anyone and they don’t think it is allowed. I say to you Christian, if someone blurts out their opinion, you are totally entitled to a response.

Here are my recommended responses:

-“All love-promoting religions may be good. However, they also make truth claims that cannot all be true. Such as Hinduism teaches that everything is god, and Judaism teaches that there is only one God and that Creator and creation are distinct and different from one another.”

Christians have a responsibility to say something.

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.”

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

You do not have a responsibility to prove to someone that Christ is the only savior. You do have a responsibility to give a reason. And at worst, if someone asks you something you don’t know, get their number, tell them you will find an answer and you will call them back.

Here are some reasons you might give:

-“God has changed my life and has given me salvation and grace.”

-“God has always been faithful to me. I choose to be faithful to Him.”

-“The message of Jesus Christ makes sense to me.”

-“I have learned through my studies and my experience that the truth claims made by Jesus and those found in the Bible are true.”

-“I know that as an imperfect/sinful person, I need a perfect savior to restore my relationship with God. The only perfect savior is Jesus Christ.”

You have a constitutional right to share your beliefs and express your religion.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The laws may change (as with the ways in which public school teachers are allowed to share their beliefs), but your constitutional right remains the same.

Separation of church and state is a right for individuals. So, individuals will not be forced to practice a particular religion by the governmental powers that be. Also, individuals retain the right to practice any peaceful religion. Practice, for Christians, means sharing and proselytizing. That’s the fact.

Appendix: I want to address one more common set of statements I often hear.

-“The Bible has been translated so many times that we don’t really know what it says.”

-“The Bible has been changed over the years through transmission and translation.”

The one thing educated scholars never say about the Bible is that we don’t know what the original Bible said. The Bible is in fact the best documented collection of books in all of antiquity.

-We have possession of over 5000 ancient manuscripts. Many date within 40 years of the life of Christ.

-We can piece together the entire New Testament just from quotations in other first and second century books.

-Every time a new translation is written, the translators are able to go back to the original text, which for the New Testament is in Greek.

When a person says the statements above, they have revealed a great weakness. They clearly have not bothered to study or research the truth for themselves. Politely correct them and encourage them to do a little research. I beg you, take these truth claims seriously. Your neighbor in uttering these statements is trying to either discourage your belief in the Bible, justify their own disbelief, or both. Love your neighbor as yourself and share with them the truth of the gospel as passed down to us very carefully through history in a collection of books called the Bible.

Sin separates us from God. Jesus died to save us from our sin. Trust in Him and be reconciled to a loving God! That’s it. That’s the good news!