Dear Joe,

In my years of personal evangelism mostly with universitystudents and faculty, I realize that there are two major problems: one isintellectual, the other is moral, and they go together. The major problem is amoral problem, but it certainly is influenced by the intellectual. And you knowfrom Romans 1 that the gross immorality it describes seems to be the result ofa wrong theology. There are certainly a lot of “conservative evangelicals” whoare not living godly lives. However, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, meekness—are certainly more in evidence in those who holdan authoritative view of Scripture and have a close, personal relationship withGod.

The needs that people have are intellectual and moral, andthey go together. People are willing to admit that they have intellectualproblems, but they are unwilling to admit that they have moral problems. ButJesus Christ primarily died for immoral people, not for intellectual doubters. Thegreat issue in this world is sin, not just the sins of war, but every kind ofpersonal sin: anger, enmity, lying, stealing.

It has been many years since we last saw each other. Muchhas happened to both of us in those years. I heard recently that you and yourwife have gotten a divorce. I don’t know the issues that caused the divorce. Iam assuming that there were just an awful lot of little things that grew intobig things on both your parts. These little things I call sin. The big things Icall sin. And the wonderful thing about the love of God is that He forgivessin.

In Christ,

Jim Wilson

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships