Look What You Made Me Do!

 July 2, 2024

Tuesday

I just read that politicians are trying to blame a problem that they created on someone else. Or should I say, politicians are using the formula for their bad actions like normal? Improvement for bad actions is never solved by blaming others. Of course, integrity would solve that problem.

"Look what you made me do," does not address the problem. No one makes us do anything. Sure, we can be nervous when someone is looking over our shoulders. So, we stop and tell them that they should step back.  We take responsibility to do a good job. We own our failures and our sins. There is also no repentance when it is always someone else's fault.

It isn't like blaming others is a new idea. Adam tried to do that when he sinned. He did more than blame it on Eve. He blamed his sin on God. I wonder how many others have tried that one. 

This is also a tactic of some preachers. They never mention that people are sinners. They give them no reason for knowing Christ as the one who forgave them. Why do they need forgiveness if they have never sinned? In essence, these preachers are denying the gospel for they preach how to be good without giving the essential truth that no one is good. Therefore, if their audiences actually sin, it must have been someone else's fault.

You might think that this is rare among Christians. I can't tell you how many affairs have been committed by Christian men who blamed it on their wives.  I suppose that goes for other sins as well. Note the number of churches that have trusted employees who have embezzled from the churches. Each of these would probably claim to be Christian.  I remember one staff member's excuse was, "You didn't watch me close enough." He was probably right but that doesn't excuse what he had done.

Unrepentant people use three tactics religiously. First, they deny that it happened. Second, when they can no longer deny it, they minimize the number of times it happened. Third, when they can't minimize their actions any longer, they blame someone else. 

On the other hand, repentant people admit that they sinned. They take full responsibility without blaming anyone else. Second, they accept all the consequences. That means they will accept the punishment without saying that it is too harsh. Nothing is too harsh for a repentant person.

Noting the difference between the unrepentant and the repentant by their actions after being caught has helped identify those who will repeat their sins. They will just be more cautious in hiding them the next time.

Please take notice that you are reading the blog from a sinner who knows his sins. I am fully responsible for all the things that I have done to hurt people, lie, and callously treat people without regard to their worth to the Lord. I am quite capable of any sins that have ever been committed. That doesn't mean that I have but I am not a finished product. It means that I must watch my actions without fail. 

And when I sin, I repent. I confess. And I am cleansed of all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9–10 (NASB 2020) ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.