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[go to: part 1; part 2; part 3; part 4]

     Good morning and welcome to the Berean Break.  My name is George A. Sinkie and I am so glad that you have joined us this morning.  I hope that you will make this program a part of your regular Sunday activities because for the next few Sundays we are going to look at a series of lessons on the topic of wrong is always wrong.  In these lessons, and indeed with all lessons, I want you to open your Bible and check out what is taught.  As we begin let’s go to God in prayer:

Great God in heaven, we thank You for this day in our lives.  And for the safety that You have given to us.  We thank You for revealing Your will to us in the Bible.  Help us now to open our hearts and our minds to Your will.  In Jesus name we pray.   AMEN!!

     Now to our study for the morning.  To begin with let’s turn over to Colossians 3 and read verses 22-25.  Paul writes, “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.  Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.  For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.”
     From this text we learn that slaves who obey their masters in sincerity of heart, fearing God, were told that they would receive the reward of an inheritance, because in doing so they were serving Christ.  Here the apostle teaches that when we work for someone else we must realize that the Lord is also watching us and we must not only work to please our employer, but must work to please the Lord also.  In other words, God is watching us in all that we do, so do your work heartily.  The apostle also states that the one who does wrong shall receive the consequences for the wrong that is done.  We might put something over on our employer or boss, but we cannot put something over on the Lord.  He is watching.  He knows all that we do.

     The word “wrong” as used in this passage of Colossians 3:25, means, “to act unjustly, or wickedly, to sin.”  Thus, to do wrong is to commit sin before the Lord.  How do we determine what is wrong?  The answer as always is: by comparing it with the Word of God.  Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
     Today we are under the law of Christ Jesus.  When a person violates the law of Christ, they sin, because sin is living like there is no law.  Check out 1 John 3:4 to see this.  There John writes, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
     Doing wrong is a very serious matter when we consider what Paul says in Romans 6:23.  NASB puts it this way, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
     Let’s begin today to consider the fact that Wrong is Always Wrong!

     Wrong is wrong even though most people accept it!!  Consider those in the days of Noah, we read about in Genesis 6:5.  There it says, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
     Of all the people on the Earth at that time only Noah found favor in God’s eyes.  The multitude was living in evil.  For over one hundred years Noah warned them of their wickedness and the anger of the Jehovah.  But, they refused to correct their lives and continued in their sinful acts until the flood came upon them.  You see, wrong is wrong even though most people accept it.
     We could turn over to Numbers 13 and 14 and read of the spies that checked out the land of Canaan.  Or Genesis 19 and see the citizens of Sodom and Gommorah.  The majorities held to one belief, while only a few held to the truth.  But what is right and what is wrong is not determined by a democratic vote.  We see the same thing in both these cases — Wrong is Always Wrong even though the majority accepts it.  Brimstone rained down from above.  Once again we see that Wrong is wrong even though most people accept it.
     Under the Old Law God was very clear about this point in Exodus 23:2, where He says, “You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice;”.
     But Jesus was just as clear in His teaching when He said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
     Some will look at the man-made religions of this world and say how can all these denominations be wrong.  That many people cannot be wrong, can they?  But friends, since they are not founded on the Word of God how can they be right?  You see, Wrong is wrong even though most people accept it.

     Secondly, Wrong is wrong even if you don’t get caught.  Many people think that if they are not caught at something that it is not sin, or at least they will not have to pay a penalty for that sin.  Consider these examples: In Genesis 4:8 it says, “Cain told Abel his brother.  And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”
     How many people saw this crime?  How many people were there to see it?  We’re not told if any one sees this, but we do know that God knew it had happened.
     Or turn over with me to Leviticus 10:1, where it says, “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.”
     We are not told that anyone other than these two knew where this fire came from.  From a purely human standpoint they would not be caught.  But as we read verse two we see that God knew and punished them.  Verse two says, “And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.”

     We may do wrong and escape being caught by men, but we will not escape the all-seeing eyes of God.  Proverbs 15:3, says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.”
     And consider these words of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
     These passages warn us that whatever we do must be done with the realization that the Lord sees and knows about it.  This is true if what we do is right and good, or if it is evil and bad.  Our every action is known by God.  The Hebrews writer says this, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
     Not only are they known by God, but one day we will have to give an account for them.  Paul writes of this in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
     You and I, my friend, will one day appear before the presence of an all-knowing God and give an accounting for all that we are doing while here in the flesh.  We had better all remember that wrong is wrong even if we do not get caught by men.

     Thirdly, Wrong is Always Wrong even though it may give us pleasure.  In Hebrews 11:25, we learn that Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasure of sin.  Note what it says there, speaking of Moses it says, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,”.
     From this passage we learn that there is pleasure in sin.   I doubt that we could find anyone who would deny this fact.  But it is also important to note that: Not everything that is pleasurable is sin.  There are many things which give pleasure that are not classified as sinful.  Yet, there are many things which are sinful, and at the same time pleasurable.
     Peter speaks of the evil type of pleasure in 2 Peter 2:12-16.  Note especially verse 13.  Peter writes, “But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.  They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime.  They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”
     Sin may be pleasurable at least for a short while, but one day it will have to be accounted for before God.  Wrong is wrong even if it brings pleasure.

     I see that our time is about up for this week.  Tune in again next Sunday for another Berean Break.  Lord willing we will continue our study of wrong is wrong.  Our best advertising is you our listener and we encourage you to tell a neighbor or friend about this program.

     This Berean Break is brought to you, in love, by the pre-denominational and non-denominational church of Christ that meets at 1600 East First Avenue in Mitchell SD.  You are welcome to meet with us at 10:00 Sunday mornings for our assembly followed by a time of Bible Study, also on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for an additional time to study God’s Word.  If you have a comment or a sincere Bible question, please call or text me at 605-770-5555.  We want to remind you of the non-denominational TV program, “KNOW YOUR BIBLE” on KDLT-TV at 9:00 on Sunday mornings.  This is George A. Sinkie for the Lord’s church, here in Mitchell, good-bye for now.  Remember that we care about you and may God bless you as you do His will.

[printable PDF][audio MP3]
[go to: part 1; part 2; part 3; part 4]