Let me explain, Read on.
March 30, 2008 (Sunday)
Once upon a time, Wanda and I were shopping in Corpus for some new furniture, and the salesman was quite a talker. He told us he had a nanny as he grew up, and she taught him to “Steal, Lie and Swear:” Steal away from sin, Lie in the bosom of Jesus, and Swear by the Bible as the Word of God.” You know, some things you just don’t forget. That’s why I’m sharing it with you. It’s worth remembering.
Steal away from sin. We are known by our fruits. Our life gives evidence of what’s in our hearts. Immorality is contrary to the new nature given to us by Christ when he saves us. We’re born again to a new kind of life. As we grow in Christ, we “graduate” to more subtle and dangerous sins, like indifference to the needs of others, jealousy and envy, and covetousness. Sin is always the enemy, never our friend, no matter what kind of sin it is.
Lie in the bosom of Jesus. Receive Christ into your heart as your Savior and Lord. Stay close to him. Be filled with his Spirit. Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Be mindful of Satan’s temptations to become prideful and calloused to human need. Study the Bible and pray, because such practices keep you close to the Lord.
Swear by the Bible as the Word of God. Many today do not accept the Bible as God’s word. What do they have to guide them? They are set adrift, morally. Without an anchor, they set sail in uncharted waters, and inevitably their ship misjudges the channels, hits the rocks and sinks. We stand by God’s word. A little song we learned as children still guides us: “The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that’s the book for me.”
So, listen to the wisdom of the unknown nanny: Steal, lie and swear!
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2 Corinthians 1:12-14 “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus” (NIV).