All in Sin
We have been purchased with the very blood of Jesus, and have come to know Him. We have been baptized in water, and then again in the Holy Spirit as it was poured over, and into, us... born on the sweet breath of Christ Himself. Yet still we can find the allure of sin to be too great. How can this possibly be?
How great was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Have you ever stopped to consider the unfathomable depth of His accomplishment? Maybe you can get a glimpse in your mother’s loving eyes.
Do you feel like a victim of Adam and Eve? Do you view yourself as having been strapped with the responsibility for a sin they committed? Nothing could be further from the truth... in fact, the realization of our own sins is more than enough to deal with. So what did we receive from Adam that brings us death?
Are you being tempted with Jesus Christ even today? In that temptation do you continue on with Him, or do you turn away from Him and leave? This is a question Jesus asked His disciples at the last supper, and which is still valid today. I ask you one more question... when we give into our temptations are we saddling and shaming Jesus with sin again?
Do you have hidden sins that are undoing you? They don't have to be huge or incredibly sleazy, but dishonest to God's law, and to the commandments of Jesus Christ. Tolerating such behavior in ourselves will surely undo the good work done in us. We will certainly become blind.
Do you wake up in the morning to the life of a free man or woman, or have you given control to something or someone? Are you independent, or have you given yourself over to a grand idea, your family, job, perhaps drugs, or some other thing, how about God? Is being free really a choice you can make, or are you owned, and just being rebellious? Let's explore our freedom, God, Jesus, and faith.
Are you prepared to pray? By that I mean, are you prepared to pray and receive the blessing of which you speak with God? So often we come to the Lord unprepared; living one life and praying as if we lived another.
Are you holding back from opening up to God until you have perfected yourself? Are you waiting for the time when you have become perfectly pure in thought before you seek to have a relationship with Jesus? If so you will never know them. They understand what and who you are, and yet they love you despite of it, let God begin the process of reshaping you.
Are you a slave to instinctive reflexes... this is a recipe for instant sin, and an avenue for our inner person, the fallen man, to bypass our faith and intellect as it erupts from our mouths. Conquering this ancient creature within each of us requires chains that only the Holy Spirit can bind with.
Are we seeking God? Do we search day and night for Him? Praying? Reading scripture? Well stop for a moment and be still. You don't need to search for Him... He is all around you! When we realize this truth, then all that is left is to get to know Him. To understand and establish a relationship with the almighty, and His Son Jesus.
I am thinking about what it means to turn the other cheek this morning. Is it a sign of cowardice, bravery, or something else entirely? I think it might be the latter. Although it could be construed as a sign of weakness, or that it takes courage to stand and not retreat, it also demonstrates great faith to resist being provoked, or enticed to sin.
This morning is Independence Day in the United States and as a citizen of such, I think about the significance of this celebration to me as an American. But what this leads me to is a deeper consideration of that day when I announced my personal independence from all but Jesus Christ... seeking to become a citizen of a heavenly realm... a Christian.
I am more than just a sinner in the general sense; I am a person who commits very specific sins. It is easy to make the open ended statement "I am a sinner", but God wants to deal with each of us regarding our specific sins. We are led to understand what our sins are when we stand in the presence of God.