What would you call it?
In the 1730’s a French watchmaker (Jacques de Vaucanson) made a mechanical duck. This beautiful duck would flap its wings, quack, and even eat and then relieve it’s self of that food. People were amazed how the ducks movements were so life-like. The duck even blew out a match! The enamored crowd then began the philosophical argument of; “if it quacks like a duck, flaps its wings, eats, drinks water, and poops like a duck, is it a duck?” Yes, was the resounding answer, albeit a copper gilded automata! You see, if it did all those things what else could you call it? It did everything a real duck did, after a fashion.
This is the same philosophical argument we have today about sin. Some of the Christian people of today, like to take everything to the very edge of the precipice, just stopping short of what they consider, is the line of demarcation, between what seems like sin, and real sin. They want to live as worldly as they can and still call themselves Christians. The only problem with this is the Bible is very clear about avoiding the appearance of sin. We are not just supposed to avoid it altogether, but anything that would give the appearance of sin. In other words, if it looks like sin, sounds like sin, acts like sin, guess what-it is sin! You will be known by your fruits, or the way people see you live. If you live like a sinner, your living testimony will be that of a sinner. It isn’t a ‘say as I say’ circumstance, it is a ‘do as I do’, and that will win the day. Be honest, both inside and out. Don’t dress worldly, hang out in places that are seedy, drink, use drugs or anything else that will be a stumbling block to any unsaved person you have some influence over. If it walks, talks, eats, and lives like a Christian, there is a pretty good chance it is one! Which one are you?
As parents we need to teach our children that a picture is worth a thousand words. You can talk till you are blue in the face, but if you don’t live it, nobody is going to believe that you are a Christian.
We as authors can make our characters be or do anything we want them too. But in order for our readers to like them and our work, it must be genuine. We should live our lives in a genuine manner also. No quacking!
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
James 4:17
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
I John 1:8
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 3:23, 6:23
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Mark 7:20
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
I Thessalonians 5:22