The KJV dictionary defines SIN as the voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. As a Christian, each of us should be aware of God’s standards. What He will and will not accept. What He will and will not tolerate. What God has said in His Word and what God has not said in His Word. As followers of Christ, you and I are responsible for knowing and abiding within the entirety of God’s Word. You see, we cannot pick and choose what we like, or what we want to talk about, or even which commands we want to obey. On today, my plea to you as well as myself is for us to uphold God’s standard and boldly, “Give People the Word”.

     Jesus gives us two perfect examples of “Give People the Word”. John chapter 8 verses 1 through 11 talks about a woman who was caught in adultery. Once Jesus addresses the issue with her accusers, he and the woman have a conversation. We are only privy to verses 10 and 11. It says, “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’” Then we have another example of the Samaritan woman at the well as described in John 4. The conversation goes like this in verses 16-19: “He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’ ‘I have no husband,’ she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.’ ‘What you have just said is quite true. Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet.’” Then verse 29 tells us that the woman tells her village about her encounter. She says, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” These women knew their sins, but Jesus still had to call IT! Jesus addressed their sin issue. And I love the fact that Jesus has a way of telling us about our sins without condemning us and damaging our spirits.

     When we look at Scripture, God ordained His prophets to “Give People the Word”. They relayed God’s commands to His people. They rebuked. They chastised. They encouraged.  And they warned. So yes, they gave people God’s Word! We even read how the Apostle Paul addressed the sins and the issues of the various churches in the New Testament. From sexual sins, to arguments, to love, to litigation matters or teaching, Paul “Gave People the Word”. So, woe to each believer that does not model giving people the WHOLE WORD OF GOD.

    When I think about it, maybe the reason why people in the church come Sunday after Sunday in their same sin state is because there is no preaching about sin! They are comfortable in IT. Many people think that if the preacher doesn’t say it then it’s not true. That is wrong! Hebrews 4:12 rings true when it says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” The Word of God exposes sin. It exposes our heart issues. It leads us to Jesus.

     Jesus and His Word is our example and not the culture or our feelings so “Give People the Word”.