Subscription Lists

Consider the following list of words: Wise, holy, thankful, just, lawful, worthy, merciful, loving, forgiven, fruitful, godly, penitent, righteous, clean, believing, faithful, profitable. Do you like this list of words? Do you see these words as positive human attributes/conditions? To anyone who actually loves God, this list is a virtual recipe for success both here on in eternity. Now let’s turn that list around.

Consider each of the words again from this list. Now, in order to illustrate a point, place the little prefix “un” directly before each of these words. Wise becomes unwise; holy becomes unholy, thankful becomes unthankful, etc., etc. Do you like that list? Would you like to be described in terms of this modified list? Once again, any person who sincerely believes in God would detest having these “un” terms applied to his/her life. This illustrates the power of “un.”

Several years ago a children’s book was published entitled, The Power of Un. It described events in a young person’s life when he had the ability to use a theoretical contraption called an unner. In the book, the unner could undo anything, even hurtful events and words. If a person fell accidentally or turned her ankle, the unner could undo the event making it as though it never happened at all, even erasing the consequences. Neat idea, huh?

Not so long ago I wanted an unner; I wanted an unner to erase the terrible goof I made the night before when I posted my article to the StudyLight website. Instead of identifying Jesus as an unusual an unequalled teacher, I inadvertently stated that He was an Unusual and Equaled Teacher. I was truly “embarrassed in Atlanta!” However, by the time I had realized my mistake, the daily messages had been emailed to the entire mailing list and there was no turning back; like feathers from a broken bag scattered by the wind, there was no way to undo what had been done! The power of un!

Of course in real life, there are no unners; we are typically forced to live with the consequences of our actions. However, maybe that’s not nearly as bad as it might be thought at first blush. What kind of world would it be if we had the power to undo the consequences of our actions? That might seem like utopia at first, but just think; some of our most inhumane deeds come at the hands of those who fail to consider the consequences of their actions; murders, lies, thefts, and all sorts of inhumane and immoral actions are suppressed due to the threat of negative consequences. Furthermore, I could surmise if I could have an unner, so could every one else. What if someone undid my unner? I suppose there would then be a race to develop a more powerful unner so I could overcome the effects of your unner! Seems a bit confusing and less moral than our current system!

Actually, God’s unner is the only one that will work both in time and in eternity; using it we are accountable, yet we can receive forgiveness of our wrongs. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1.18). Jesus is the only means by which sin’s effects can be eternally erased. The power of un!

Questions:

1. What negative effects occur when we as moral creatures are not forced to bear the consequences of our actions? What positive effects occur when we are?

2. How much time do you think we spend trying to erase the negative effects of our actions?

3. What kind of society would exist if every person had an unner to use at his/her discretion?

4. Which is more important, to erase the negative earthly consequences of our actions, or to erase the negative eternal consequences? Can the latter be done? If so, how?

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

Origin Of Nations