Nov 08, 2018
Remember this: Whoever
turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover
over a multitude of sins. James 5:20
One person coming to know
Jesus changes thousands in the generations to come.
One person’s choices affects thousands afterward.
Someone needed to tell Abram that. While he traveled the desert and waited on
God’s promise for the uncountable generations to come, Abram dealt with several
threatening situations. Knowing that he
was at risk of being killed because of the beauty of his wife, Abram chose to
lie in order to protect himself, and permit Sarai to be pursued by other
men. His choice to use lying as an
exception later turned into normal practice, as every generation after Abram
took on the practice of lying. First
Isaac lied in the same way to protect himself from death because of the beauty
of Rebekah. Then Jacob used lying and
deception to gain his brother’s blessing & birthright, as well as lying to
grow success from Laban. It really got
out of hand when all of Jacob’s sons lied after selling their brother Joseph
off into slavery. One man’s exception
led to generational sin and failure.
If one man’s sinful choices affect generations, it’s also
possible that one man’s righteousness can affect generations too. Look at David … while his sins were damaging
to generations, we also see that his heart for God blessed generations! In fact, David’s lineage (not Saul’s), was
the one blessed to have a king on the throne for many generations. And David’s lineage led to the birth of
Jesus. David was a man after God’s own
heart, and the righteousness from that blessed his family, as well as the
nation of Judah, for many generations.
You might see that as just interesting history, but the
principle applies to us too! One person’s
heart for God can not only rescue him or her from hell, but it can pour out
blessings to every person they come in contact with, and pass on blessings to generations
that follow them. It makes me think of
my grandfather, Allen Fry. He and
grandma came to know Jesus, and made it a consistent practice to follow God in
their home. They worked hard in farming
& construction, and raised their six kids to know Jesus. All of those children developed a faith of
their own, and most of them came to know Jesus in their families. From that group came a second generation of
followers, many who now serve and worship in their churches, and have kids
& grandkids who follow the Lord. As
one of them, I have been deeply blessed by the heritage of Grandpa &
Grandma Fry, and the long history of faithfulness they showed God. Their choices mattered, and are STILL
affecting generations long after their deaths.
James said it well – one person’s faith can make a
difference. So when we work to help
someone turn away from evil and follow the Lord, we’re not only showing love to
that person, we’re loving their future generations, as well as their friends
& contacts! It is truly amazing how
far-reaching salvation really is.
After all – One person’s resurrection has brought about the
salvation of BILLIONS since!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment