The Most Un-Fair Doctrine Known to Humanity
Selected Passages
First radio, now the Web-Internet?
Media analysts and bloggers are warning that fresh efforts to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine could go too far, following a report that one prominent politician is looking into ways to apply the media control standards to the Internet & beyond.
The Fairness Doctrine is a policy created decades ago but abolished in the late 1980s that required broadcasters to provide opposing views on controversial issues.
They say --- "It’s all about diversity!" (Fox News-Website)
Let me illustrate what is meant by the “Fairness Doctrine”
Hannity and Colmes – Colmes was known (according to Wikipedia) as a liberal political commentator. Hannity on the other hand (according to Wikipedia) was known as a conservative political commentator. This is what the fairness doctrine tries to mandate. You must have opposing views.
Which brings up The View – 5 liberals to one conservative.
How ‘bout the debate of ?
Creation Vs. Evolution – In order to find out what truth is does a person need to 1st discover what heresy is? I actually think not. Truth is best understood by studying what is known & understood to be historically true. There is one singular place to begin to find truth. That is the word of God.
I am a liberal – bring on the fairness doctrine and sign me up to teach creationism this fall in the public schools – fair right? But it is only fair to a certain extent…the fairness doctrine will not go that far.
Fairness doctrine – interesting subject.
Now, let’s move to the point of my message. I want to talk to you for a little while about the most, un-fair doctrine known to humanity. It is actually a well known topic but at the core of this doctrine is a very un-fair premise. You actually get what you don’t deserve.
Which brings me to point # 1.
1. Grace is ridiculously un-fair because it is totally undeserved. 2Co 8:9 - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(used a million dollar bill as a prop – gave a few away, actually they looked real, but were tracts)
Grace through the Lord Jesus Christ – what a powerful spiritual stimulus injection it was -- for the Lord Jesus to offer grace to fallen humanity. Friends, we were undeserving. We were without hope – but Jesus became poor for our sakes…so that we might become rich. He became to us exactly what we needed. He became our hope when life was hopeless. He was to us exactly what we needed.
Illustration: When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.
The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?" When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That’ll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit." Then -- the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law," he said. "The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you." He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out for a steak dinner! "That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats repentant sinners!" Progress Magazine, December 14, 1992. Friends, grace is ridiculously un-fair because it is totally undeserved.
2. Grace is totally unfair because it is more than adequate for the problem sin. Romans 5:20b But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
God could have said – “I’m going to deal with 75% of your sin – you live with the rest!” Grace abounds more!
One of the big problems that become a barrier for people in getting back to God is the feeling that they have gone too far, created too much of a mess for God to actually deal with. Now, let me say this about sin. There is only one un-forgivable sin –and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:31 says -- but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, shall not be forgiven unto men:
Definition: opposition to his deity and personality; it is a despiteful mis-use of the Spirit of grace, an opposing, contradicting, and denying the works of Divinity. Now, there may be some who have committed this sin – I have never met anyone - that I know of, who would say they have committed sin against the Holy Ghost. But friends, the entanglement of sin is not your problem to deal with – it is God’s! God says, through the apostle Paul, that where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. The grace of God has no issue at all getting to the core of your problem! The problem is not grace, the problem is you.
Lord,
1. I’m a gossiper
2. I’ve committed adultery
3. I am a drunk
4. I am a liar
5. I am a thief –
Guess what – no problemo! You - have come to the right place, to receive the right grace, It will put a smile on your face, you can sing of His grace, all over the place. God is looking for messy situations – God is just waiting to get his hands dirty with your sin – so you don’t have to live in sin any longer.
Friends – grace is ridiculously unfair because it is totally undeserved. Grace is totally unfair because it is more than adequate for the problem of sin …
3. Grace is offered to you this day because God wants you to be with Him forever. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
I don’t know the full story. But we have been praying for the father who lost his wife and 2 children in an accident down in South Carolina. It was the Bigger family. Brent Bigger must have felt the weight of the world upon his shoulders after driving into that lake and seeing his wife and children drown in that awful situation. Brent, as I say, must have had the weight of the world on him. He must have singularly felt responsible for the death of his wife and children. Evidently, he could not live with himself any longer. Brent Bigger died from self inflicted wounds this week.
I have chosen on purpose to talk about this subject this morning because it is a vitally important topic for us to discuss. Suicide is still a very selfish decision to make and as we mentioned last week we don’t want to die in our selfishness. Someone said the conservative holiness movement does not know how to deal with suicide. That is actually not true. It has been dealt w/ in many places. Some Calvinistic thinking leads a person to believe that if you were once saved you are always saved and no matter what you do you will go to heaven. Suicide is selfish behavior and is self murder.
But, let me be clear in stating that we don’t necessarily know what level of stress that the human mind can endure. People all around the globe deal with depression in ways, that for most people, can’t even be understood. For Brent, when this accident occurred with his family he was hauled to the police station for questioning rather than being able to be w/ his family. So, this is one of those areas that must be left in the hands of a gracious God. A God that wants all people to be saved. A God that knows the end from the beginning. A God that wants all people to confess their sins and lean heavy upon the arms of Jesus.
Friends, if you think that in your mental and physical strength that you can make it without God – you are sadly mistaken. We must have the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives to give us the equilibrium necessary for mere existence in a fallen world. The tempter is real. The temptations are great. The secular society in which we live is not pointing us toward Heaven – but the opposite thereof.
Let me make it clear ---
If Brent Bigger makes it to Heaven it will be all about grace. And, you my friend, if you make it to Heaven, it will be all about GRACE.
Don’t put it off. Don’t keep rejecting. Don’t for a minute take it for granted. Accept His grace today! Don’t die in your selfishness … accept the free gift of salvation today.
1. Grace is ridiculously un-fair because it is totally undeserved.
2. Grace is totally unfair because it is more than adequate for the problem sin.
3. Grace is offered to you this day because God wants you to be with Him forever
