All tagged sin
How big is the passion and sacrifice of Jesus Christ? How complete the grace of God that this represents? Do we find ourselves praying for the individual sins we have committed but neglecting God’s amazing forgiveness of the overarching concept of sin? So, how great is the passion and sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Have we ever stopped to consider the unfathomable depth of what was accomplished for us? Maybe we can get a glimpse of it in a 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?
Do you have hidden sins that are undoing you? They don't have to be huge or incredibly sleazy, just dishonest to God's commands, law, will, and the commandments of Jesus Christ. Tolerating such behavior in ourselves will surely undo the good work that has been done in us. We will certainly become blinded by our unrighteousness.
Are you a slave to instinctive reflexes... this is a recipe for instant sin, and an avenue for our inner person, the old fallen man, to bypass a carefully thought-out reaction, driven by our faith and intellect, as it erupts from our mouths. Conquering this ancient fallen creature within each of us requires chains that only God’s Word, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, can bind him with.
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.
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.
Am I a sinner? Can I lead a life of innocence? Am I seeking to be pure? Will God forgive me when I sin against Him? These are the questions man has always asked himself and which we are asking ourselves today as we contemplate sin in our lives, and the world around us. Let’s join together as one today as we listen to the words of the Apostle Paul and seek out our own salvation which God has planned and now works in us.
Are there situations and places where we don't feel at home with God? This is my morning thought. Our goal in faith should be to remain comfortably in the presence of God wherever we are and in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in... So how do we get there? It is easy to walk with Him when all is going well in our lives of faith and we are not experiencing spiritual challenges, but what about those times when we are facing storms and temptations?
We are another day closer to Holy Week and Easter Sunday, so my mind continues to dwell on, and further recall, the activities that were about to transpire in the life of Jesus at that time. This morning, I am concentrating specifically on the Garden of Gethsemane and the sorrow and agony that Jesus faced there. I pray that you will join me in reliving what occurred there and pray with me as we do this together. Let’s jointly recall the prayers and obedience to God’s will of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is Jesus pleased with us as intercessors? Do we find it within ourselves to pray for sinners, or do we judge when we should actually be praying for them? Do we only want to intercede for the righteous and find that we are doing so at the expense of the sinner?
Do you move along in your life of faith and feel like you are making great strides in sanctity only to have some trivial thing reawaken the old sinful person you used to be? Well, we all have this happen from time to time, and our lives of faith are a constant struggle against our natural selves... so why do we keep falling into this trap, and what can we do to overcome this disappointing behavior?
Do we know every sin we have committed? Are there things we do, or thoughts we have, that are sinful without our recognition? This morning I am considering my life and the possibility that there are indeed sins in it that I am yet to realize are sins. To remove sin requires that we face it, confess it, be remorseful and contrite for having committed it, and then ask Jesus to forgive us for it. Once we have done this He will forgive us and say, "go, and sin no more." But, how do we obey Him regarding those sins we aren’t even aware of?
In the time of Jesus, not all slaves were taken in war, or against their will; some sold themselves into slavery for one reason or another. I am not talking about indentured servitude here, but people who became slaves for the rest of their lives. Have you sold yourself as a slave to something or somebody? Before you answer no, are you sure? Do you have an addiction or some sin you keep hidden? Are you a slave to it?
What happens when our faith is at risk? Have you ever contemplated the effect that we have on those around us when we slip into negative behavior or sin? How about the impact we have on our family, church, or Heaven? Even though our Christian walk seems totally personal... it isn't. Our faith has a ripple effect that touches all those around us, and beyond.
My devotional reading this morning was about the intercession of Jesus as it pertains to our forgiveness for sin. It posed these two questions regarding how complete forgiveness is... are we only forgiven our conscious sin? What happens if we sin again? Well, Paul prayed a wonderful prayer that helps us understand the height and depth of our forgiveness of sin through Jesus. He used the words wholly and whole... Let’s read it.