Spiritual Tug of War | Stained with Sin?
What you need:
- 2 tall clear glass or plastic vases – the best place to buy things like this is at your local Dollar tree
- 2 stir sticks – just about anything will work from a skewer to a long handled spoon
- 2 eyedropper bottles – 1 of these is included with the phenolphthalein below and you can purchase an additional one on Amazon using the link below
- Phenolphthalein indicator – you can find this on Amazon using the link below
- Bromothymol blue indicator – you can find this on Amazon using the link below
- Sodium hydroxide – you can find this on Amazon using the link below
- Hydrochloric acid – you can find this on Amazon using the link below
NOTE: While the initial purchase of the chemicals mentioned above can cost a little bit, they can be used for quite a few different lessons and are large enough for these last you for the foreseeable future. You should never have to buy these chemicals a 2nd time as both of the indicators are reusable and the other chemicals are used in such small quantities that the amounts provided will last an incredibly long time.
CAUTION: while these chemicals are relatively safe, wash hands after lesson and avoid getting into eyes.
About the lesson/preparation:
This lesson uses an indicator which is a chemical that changes color based on whether it is acidic or basic. Phenolphthalein turns pink when it is basic and colorless when it is acidic and Bromothymol blue turns blue when it is basic and is clear or slightly yellowed when it is acidic. You fill one clear vase with each of these indicators.
In one of the eyedropper bottles you will put the sodium hydroxide which is a strong base which you will then label SIN. In the 2nd eyedropper bottle you will put the Hydrochloric acid which you will then label GOD.
Lesson:
Today we have a little lesson. These 2 glasses represent a couple of different people.
SET OUT THE 2 VASES EACH CONTAINING A DIFFERENT CHEMICAL
As you can see, they are full of the Holy Ghost, clean, holy, free from sin, no stains in their life and are doing great living for God! But sometimes, things happen. Sometimes people run into temptations and struggles in living for God.
You see, there is a tug-of-war going on in this world. You have Satan on one side who is trying to destroy us and God on the other side who wants to keep us holy and pure. He is always trying to help us. So there is a battle going on.
This bottle here represents sin and the things of this world. The world wants to stain us and changes into things that are more worldly.
PUT A FEW DROPS OF THE BASE (LABELED SIN) INTO ONE OF THE VASES AND STIR IT IN. YOU WILL SEE THE LIQUID CHANGE FROM CLEAR TO PINK.
You see, when sin enters our life, it changes us and we are no longer the same. Now look at us… we’re stained like the world. And this same thing can happen to anybody. Like this other guy here. Perhaps he got involved in lying, cheating or similar things and he too changed.
PUT A FEW DROPS OF THE BASE (LABELED SIN) INTO THE 2ND VASE AND STIR IT IN. YOU WILL SEE THE LIQUID CHANGE FROM CLEAR TO BLUE.
And we think, oh no, I’ve done it now! I was baptized in Jesus name and full of the Holy Ghost but look at me. What can I do! We feel so hopeless, but ou see, the Bible has the remedy for that. All you have to do is repent.
And here we have a bottle that represents God, repentance and the things of God.
PICK UP THE BOTTLE CONTAINING THE ACID (LABELED GOD) AND PUT A FEW DROPS INTO THE VASE WITH THE PINK LIQUID AND STIR IT IN. YOU WILL SEE THE LIQUID CHANGE FROM PINK TO CLEAR.
Wow! Look at that, with just little bit of prayer and repentance we are fully restored! I wonder if it can happen with this other guy also?
PUT A FEW DROPS OF THE ACID (LABELED GOD) IN THE BLUE VASE ALSO AND STIR IT IN. YOU WILL SEE THE LIQUID CHANGE FROM BLUE TO CLEAR.
Sometimes it takes longer than others but if we are serious, God will always accept us back. God will always show us how much he loves us. Look at that, now we are back to where we were!
But you know what? There is always going to be a pressure and a tug-of-war on us. It’s never going to be completely perfectly smooth sailing living for God. There will always be temptations and things that we have to overcome while living for God but with God’s help we can make it to the end and be saved! AND IT IS WONDERFUL! Living for God is the greatest life in the world!
YOU CAN DO THE CHANGE OF COLOR BACK AND FORTH A FEW TIMES UNTIL THE POINT IS MADE
While life will never be perfect, God will always help us live for Him. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!
If we repent of our sins God will forgive us of any of the mistakes we’ve made.
