Who do you think you are?

Picture taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007t575

This is the name given to a television series that helps celebrities trace something of their family history. To make each programme someone has quite a bit of research to do. There is the compilation of the family tree, usually taken back into the early part of the 19^th Century. Some of the history of certain individuals within that ancestry map is also researched to provide material of interest for the celebrity as well as the programme. Whilst it can make fascinating viewing and give an insight to the background of different celebrities it also raises the question for each one of us – who do we think we are?

What might be lurking in the dark recesses of our family history? Is there someone, perhaps a “black sheep” of the family, who might be discovered and their criminal activities exposed? Perhaps there are traces of immoral activity that might provide a link between us and some famous person of Victorian England! Clearly, for the programme to be made there is the assumption that we all have some interest in where we are from and who our ancestors were.

It may surprise many to know that the Bible has something to say about the whole matter of ancestry. A verse in Romans chapter 5 tells us, ‘as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned’. As we are all aware of the aging process and that this process underlines our mortality, it confirms our link with our first parents, Adam and Eve. In Adam’s disobedience (sin), we were made sinners. As sinners, we are all destined to die. The Bible says, ‘the wages of sin is death’. As a consequence of the so-called theory of evolution many would mock at the Biblical account of Adam and Eve, we all still face death. Why?

While the Bible explains the reason – sin – it also gives humanity hope. It tells of God’s provision of a Saviour to save us from death – particularly spiritual death, or separation from God forever. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, bore God’s penalty upon sin that you and I might go free, be forgiven, cleansed, and made fit for God’s presence in heaven. In the death of Jesus Christ and His subsequent resurrection there is hope for every man and woman! We might be in the family of Adam by natural birth. We can become part of the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. What about you?

An innocent snap?

Picture taken from http://www.firsttabletpc.com/category/computer-tablet

“A stolen tablet computer has taken a picture of a man police wish to speak to in connection with its theft. The Samsung device was taken from a house in Winterbourne Close in Lewes, East Sussex, last month, police said. It was linked to the owner's Google account and when he checked it, a picture of a man reclining in bed popped up”. This partly amusing story appeared on the BBC News website. Although the idea that a house has been broken into and property stolen is far from amusing, the fact that the new “owner” has been photographed in his own home is funny. He clearly didn’t realize the power of modern communications gadgets!

If the new owner was the person who stole the tablet computer he could be in for a nasty surprise. If the new owner was someone who unwisely bought the tablet computer then he is going to lose the money he paid. But there is a more important aspect to this story. How much of what we do is being recorded? That innocent snap on the tablet computer has now been displayed to millions through a news web site. Perhaps there are things that we thought that no one had seen which are actually recorded somewhere on CCTV records.

The story reminded me of a very important but often neglected verse in the Bible: “be sure your sin will find you out”. Many of us do things wrong. In the so-called “big picture” they may not be that serious but, overall, we carry on, thinking that no one has noticed. Ever driven at more than 70 mph on the motorway? Ever broken God’s law by knowingly telling a lie? There is a commonly held view that if no one is hurt then it doesn’t really matter. The Bible tells us that it does matter and that God is keeping an account. Everything that others may not hear and see is recorded by God. One day we could be held to account by God. The verdict is obvious: guilty!

The good news is that God has provided a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. In His Son, God provided someone who was willing to take my place and die in my stead. He was willing to bear the punishment for my sin that I might go free. What about you? Is Jesus Christ your Saviour, or, in the day of judgement, will your sin find you out?