We live in a world of political correctness. It has got to the point where everything is redefined lest we offend someone. Wrong is right and right is wrong in this crazy world. We are all familiar with the terms misinformation, fake news or, to give it its proper name, lies. Other examples include pinching or nicking instead of stealing or having an extra marital affair, which God calls adultery. We can redefine things our God-given conscience tells us are wrong to make them more acceptable, but in God ‘s eyes it is still sin for which we will be held accountable before God.

God has set down his standard for living in the Ten Commandments. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, you shall not bow down to them. You shall not take the name of the lord in vain. Not use God’s name in a disrespectful manner. You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, covet. We are all guilty of breaking one or more of God’s commandments and deserving of his punishment. But instead of punishing us as we deserve, his son Jesus came and died in our place. Jesus who was sinless. 1 John 3 v 5 ‘He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him was no sin’. 1 Peter 2 v 24 ‘He himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree’.

We have a choice to make, accept or reject his offer of eternal life in heaven. Are we willing to accept that we have done wrong in God's sight and come directly to Jesus, confessing our sin and seeking His forgiveness? All of us are guilty before God but if we will repent/ have a change of attitude towards our sinful behaviour and confess it directly to Jesus, he will forgive us.

Nigel Wilson

Okehampton superintendent, South West Faith Mission