All tagged sin

Surrounded by Grace, and Hitting the Mark

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Becoming Righteous

Jesus suffered and died to redeem us from sin, but what is sin really? Is it a rule that we break or more than that? Certainly, it is bad that a rule has been broken, but at its core there is something more, we are rebelling against God by so doing; we are separating ourselves from His will.  Sometimes we sin knowingly, but quite often we do so without really understanding what we are doing, and occasionally we do so by simply turning away from doing what is right. So, is there a way to “sin no more?” Let’s consider these questions today.

Do We Worship One, Two, Three, or More Gods?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Focus on Jesus

As Christians we claim that Jesus Christ is Lord, but so many of us continue to fret over the world as if it still reigns supreme in our lives... and when we do this, it will reclaim that throne. Are we one of those who says that they trust in God, and then busily works at trying to solve the world’s problems ourselves rather than trusting in Him? Are national and world politics more than casual interests to us? Do we worry ourselves sick over our health and dying despite knowing that we are already dead to this world, and are eternally secure in the next? Well let’s revisit our faith, who we are, and who we are worshiping.

Secret Sins that Break our Stride of Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Separation From God

As we move towards a godly state of righteousness we shed one sin after another until at last we are down to our pet sins... those that give us personal pleasure or reduce the pain of living in some way. When we reach this point, and we refuse to let these sins go, then our relationship with God stalls, and we feel a growing separation from Jesus. This can happen early on in our walk of faith, but usually it occurs once all the low hanging sinful fruit has been plucked from us. These deeply rooted personal sins require a specialized spiritual surgery to extract them.

Eternal Life and the Covenant of Grace

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Earning Grace

We can’t enter into heaven and live an eternal life because we deserve it. That kind of thinking is based upon our own vanity and arrogance. Our salvation and everlasting life is sealed by covenant alone, and that covenant of grace comes only by our belief in God’s acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our blood sacrifice and atonement for sin. Only through Jesus can we be redeemed, forgiven, perfected, and sanctified. Only through Him can we truly claim the covenant of God’s grace.

Coffee Stains and the New Covenant through Christ

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Accepting The New Covenant

Are you in a covenant relationship with God? Have you accepted the blood of Jesus Christ as affirmation of that covenant? Has God’s grace and forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus become your blood offering that has signed and sealed this covenant? We see the cross and say “this is the covenant”, but it is only a sign. We see the rending of the temple curtain and say “this is the covenant”, but it is only a sign. We see the empty tomb and say “this is the covenant”, but it too is only a sign. The covenant is forgiveness, and the blood of Jesus is the offering that inaugurates it. Is the blood of Jesus upon you as God’s seal?

Our Body: an Ugly Place Made Glorious and Holy

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Christian Transformation

Do you have your body under control? Have you let yourself separate your spirituality of nature from the physical manifestation of that faith within your body itself? By this I am not asking if you treat yourself as a narcissist, but if you do those things that are godly and good with yourself, and treat your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit?  Our spiritual and physical selves walk hand in hand with our faith, and it is by God’s will that we find the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit within our physical bodies.

Venture into the World, a Lifeline to Those in Sin

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Venturing Out

Do we think that by withdrawing from the world, by separating ourselves, that we will become more pious and that this will help us to consecrate ourselves by removing all temptation? Well, this is a false hope, and if we look at the gospel of Jesus we understand that He inserted Himself fully into the world and wants us to remain in the world also. He didn’t run from it but overcame it.

Fretting Needlessly about the World as it Crumbles

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Crumbling World

Do we let the happenings of the world trouble us and destroy the faith, peace, and tranquility we have in Jesus Christ? Are we so worried about what is occurring in our day to day lives that we can no longer see or feel the eternal truth, which is that Jesus suffered so we should be redeemed; that we should have peace and rest? If so it is time we started stripping the meaningless outer layers away from our life in the world and get down to the one thing that truly matters... our faith in the Cross.

The Forgiveness of Baby Brothers, and Sin by God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Forgiving Sin

Do you see God the Father as a gentle old grey-haired man who forgives you regardless of what you do and without regard to, or memory of, who and what you are? Well, that isn’t so. Without the horrific and yet wonderful sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ we would be lost, because God’s very nature would prohibit Him from overlooking our sins. Our forgiveness is a supernatural spiritual  event that is without precedent, and which cleanses the once permanent stain of sin.

Sexual Predation and the Seed of Sin within Us

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Sexual Seeds of Sin

What sins do we have in our lives that have enslaved us? Do we have an overriding desire for something that drives us to commit sin, or a need in our life that makes us complicit or vulnerable to sinful things? Either way, we have been enslaved, and our sin will rule us until we can find emancipation from it. Sexual predators are in the news again right now... let’s take a look.

Jesus, Grace, and the Love of Mothers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Sins vs 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.

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