Tag Archives: sin

November 13 – Mission Accomplished

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Luke 23; John 18-19

“It is finished.” (John 19:30) Jesus had completed the mission He had set His mind to before creation. If He was going to create man with the ability to choose, God was going to provide a way back to Him when those very choices tore us away.

Everything that occurred in the ancient world happened to point men and women to Jesus. The Law was given to show us what holiness would look like. The consequences spelled out there, and carried out in the lives of the Jewish people, show us how serious God is about unholiness. And it proves we are unable to claim holiness on our own. Fallen man – that’s you and me – have no place in God’s Holy Presence.

But Jesus.

We only get a glimpse of what it cost Jesus to fulfill the Law’s requirements on our behalf. The Man took on God’s hatred of my sin, of billions and billions of people who have walked this earth. He suffered everything that we had coming to us. He fulfilled the prophesies from hundreds of years before to reinforce that Jesus is The Great I AM.

At exactly the right moment, Jesus said “It is finished.” And then He died. Account paid. Sins forgiven. Mission accomplished.

I pray you have accepted what Jesus did on your behalf that day He hung on a cross. Your sins – YOUR’S – are forgiven. All you have to do is ask Him to forgive you. “It is finished.”

November 10 – Love Is Not All We Need

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Luke 22; John 13

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another. John 13:34-45

What does it mean to love one another? Many seem to believe love is the same thing as acceptance, or tolerance. Some think love means giving people hugs, then giving them space to live life anyway they want. I grew up in the 60’s when the word “love” was proclaimed from drug induced songwriters and poets, and touted as “free.” Is that the love Jesus was speaking about here?

Jesus tells us to love others the same way He loved the disciples, loves us. Let’s look at how Jesus loved:

He healed diseases, forgave sin, pointed out hypocrisy, cast out demons, confronted sinners, overturned money tables, and finally and most importantly, suffered and went to the cross to die. There was no acceptance of sin in the way Jesus loved. There was no looking the other way.

Jesus’ love was not the hippie version of love, or even the Hallmark-feel-good version. Jesus loved tough. Jesus’ love was in-your-face. Jesus’ love went beyond this life into eternity.

Personally, I think we need Jesus’ love demonstrated more fully these days. I think the Church has adopted a definition of love that is meaningless in light of God’s Word. If we adopt the world’s view of love, they won’t recognize us as Jesus’ disciples. We’ll look just like them.

They won’t recognize the reality of Jesus’ love that does not want them to die in their sin. That love which sent Him to the cross so they can be forgiven and live with Him forever. We need more than love. We need to put that love into action just like He did.

We need to love one another hard enough to call sin sin, and introduce people to their Savior. Then we will be loving in the same way Jesus loves.

November 9 – Break Me

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Matthew 26; Mark 14

Peter wanted to do it right. He loved Jesus. He believed Jesus. He was a follower, a disciple of Jesus. And if you’d asked Peter, he’d have told you in no uncertain terms that nothing would ever change his devotion to Jesus.

But as determined as Peter was to stay true to the Lord, he failed miserably. Three times.

Sometimes I feel like Peter must have felt when he told Jesus he’d never betray Him. Especially after a Sunday morning sermon that challenges and blesses me, or time in God’s Word when He strengthens me or gives me that spiritual hug. I am as determined as Peter was to stay close to my Savior and never, ever betray Him.

But then I fail miserably like Peter, too.

When Peter realized what he’d done, he didn’t make excuses, or rationalize his behavior. He recognized his sin, and he wept. Bitterly. He was a broken man.

I want to be like Peter in that way, too. When faced with my sin – every sin no matter how small I may want to convince myself – I want to be broken before Jesus. I want to repent, to receive His forgiveness, to be able to fellowship with Him with nothing in between.

So, Lord, point out those sins in my life. Break me. Drive me to my knees so that I will repent and let You cleanse me. Thank You for wanting to.

November 3 – You Are Not the Judge Of Me. And I Am Not The Judge Of You.

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Mark 11; John 12

The speed limit is clearly marked 70 MPH. If you pass me going 90, do I judge you if I say you’ve broken the law? Do I judge you when I call you a thief, if you break into my home and take my TV? If you have sex with your neighbor’s wife, am I judging you if I tell you you are guilty of adultery?

Jesus says, in John 12:47, “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” Does that mean we are not to identify sin in ourselves and others? After all, if Jesus Himself didn’t come to judge them, who do we think we are?

Jesus didn’t stop with verse 47. Verse 48 says, “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.”

The reason Jesus didn’t come to judge the world was that He had already laid down the Law, and clearly said Law-breakers are guilty. Their own actions demand a guilty verdict.

As Christians, we should not refrain from identifying sin in ourselves and others. Jesus said He knew that God’s commandment is eternal life. The opposite of that is true, too. Breaking God’s commandment, rejecting Jesus, is eternal hell.

It’s that serious. We who know the truth need to be telling it. When Jesus said people will be judged “at the last day,” He was giving us fair warning. Shouldn’t we be doing the same for our friends and loved ones who are living their lives as though there was no Judge?

God, Your children have buckled under the pressure of Satan’s lies. Your children have all too often adopted the “Don’t judge” mantra as meaning we should step back and let people do what they want. Forgive us. Humble us. Give us courage to stand up for the Truth of Your Word, to recognize sin, to speak up. Otherwise, how will people even know they need a Savior?

October 19 – Defiled

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Matthew 15; Mark 7

The Pharisees were upset because Jesus’ disciples weren’t washing their hands before they ate. Jews had been taught for centuries that eating before carefully washing, defiled them. Now here were the people closest to Jesus breaking that tradition.

I like Jesus’ response: Neglecting the commandments of God, you hold to the tradition of men. (Mark 7:8)

Jesus went on to explain that the thing which defiles a person is what comes out of a sinful heart, not by what someone eats. What defiles a person is a heart fed on evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. (vv 21-22)

Too often we get hung up on the outward appearance. A person who wants to appear religious can go to church, may even give generously to charity, pray in public, or be quick to say, “Praise Jesus.” But that same person might be ingesting raunchy TV shows, ungodly websites and music lyrics, laughing at dirty jokes. Their conversation reveals their heart’s condition when they use the language, tell the jokes, and think nothing of it. They look like a traditional Christian. But are they truly living according to God’s commandments?

Jesus isn’t against tradition. But He does speak against holding on to tradition for tradition’s sake, and ignoring the Truth of Scripture plus nothing. Does a person raise his hands during the song service? Ok. Does someone pierce their ears, or nose? Ok. Does your church use the organ instead of a praise band? Ok. Do you prefer the NIV over the King James version of the Bible? Ok.

I think Jesus is asking us to look past the external and check our hearts condition before our Holy God. When you look inside yourself, do you see the holiness God demands of you?

Or are you defiled by what is there?

Dear God, Sometimes we waste so much time on the non-essentials. I think Satan loves when we debate music styles. Or debate the length of a woman’s hair. Or how often we should celebrate Communion or whether our denomination is identified in our church’s name. Satan must love it when we begin to sound like Pharisees. Lord, I pray that Your people will be more concerned about our hearts’ condition than about anything else. It’s what You said was more important to You. It’s what ought to be more important to us.

 

October 5 -Temptation Isn’t Fun

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Matthew 4; Luke 4-5; John 1:15-51

When Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, He wasn’t on vacation. He was out there with no food, being jerked around by Satan. Matthew and Luke share three of those temptations. Many have said they represent three things God hates: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (I John) I can see the correlation.

But today, I’m wondering how Jesus’ time in the wilderness effects me. Here are my thoughts:

Forty days is a long time to be exposed to the elements without food. We aren’t sure what those forty days were like for Jesus, but I have a suspicion Satan didn’t wait until day 37 to hit Jesus with the first of only three temptations. I think Satan probably hit Jesus with everything in his arsenal the moment he realize he could. Think of it. Forty days with unrelenting attacks on your soul. And I think Satan’s hard on me.

And, I imagine, as Jesus’ physical body became weaker, Satan’s attacks intensified. Because that’s how he is with me. If my body is weary, if my heart is heavy, Satan throws me a bone. “Compromise,” he says. “Things will get better.” And I am tempted.

Satan knew Jesus was here to win kingdoms for Himself. He knew the Lord had a job to do. So Satan told Jesus, “Here is a shortcut. Bow down to me just this once and I can get you what You’re after without having to go through all the grief.” Satan knows I have a job to do, too. I am commanded to share the Gospel. Now I don’t hear Satan asking me to worship him in those words, but I certainly hear him telling me to back off a bit, tolerate other viewpoints, let a person believe what he wants to believe. I hear that voice in my head almost every day. Tempting.

Then there are those times of doubt. I am not suggesting Jesus ever doubted His Father. I think at this point, as weak as He probably was, He might have been viewing Satan like a yappy little puppy nipping at His heels. He probably wanted to kick him to the curb. But Jesus endured this ridiculous attempt by Satan to get Him to sin, because He knew Satan wasn’t going to give up on me easily, either. Satan said, “You’ve got all those angels at your disposal, prove it.” And to me He says, “You claim to have God with you, why are you suffering?” And, “Go ahead and sin a bit, you’re forgiven, right? What’s the big deal?” I begin to consider giving in to the temptation.

Jesus’ time in the wilderness with Satan wasn’t to prepare Him for ministry. He did that for me. He wanted me to know that He gets me. He wants me to come to Him when I am tempted and weak, and know that He’s been there, too. Jesus’ time in the wilderness wasn’t about Him at all. It was about me because He loves me that much. He did this so I can know Hebrews 4:15 is true:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet without sin.

And I Corinthians 10:13:

No temptation has seized you expect what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Jesus was tempted. But He won. And He’s willing and able to give me the victory, too.

Thank You, Jesus.

 

 

September 29 – Hidden Chambers

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Nehemiah 11-13, Psalm 126

It seems as though as soon as Nehemiah went back to his job as King Artaxeses’ cupbearer, the people in Jerusalem, with their newly repaired wall, began to do their own thing. The priest even took one of the temple chambers and made it into a hotel room for Tobiah. Yes, THAT Tobiah who had been one of the liars and cheaters trying to stop the Jews from rebuilding the wall. The enemy was allowed to live IN THE TEMPLE!

The Jews began to disrespect the sabbath by farming, buying, and selling on that holy day. And…

wait for it…

a son of Eliashib the high priest married Sanballet’s daughter. The enemy had infiltrated Jerusalem and the temple without firing a shot.

So who’s living in your temple? Are there hidden chambers in your heart where you’ve prepared a place for the enemy? A secret room you think no one sees? Do you hide jealousy, lust, tolerance, unforgivness, internet sites or TV shows, drunkenness or dishonesty?

Have you established relationships with ungodly people, anti-christ and/or politically correct theologies that oppose Scripture? Are you one person at church and another in the workplace or in your home?

God is asking me today to clean out my temple like Nehemiah cleaned out the temple in Jerusalem. Completely. If I am comfortable living with sin in my life, in those hidden chambers of my heart, God is not going to be comfortable living in me.

And more than anything I want God to feel at home and welcome in my heart.

September 17 – The Wicked Act Wickedly

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Daniel 10-12

There are many who believe the world would be a better place if teachers were allowed to pray with students before class, or if abortion was abolished, or the Ten Commandments were displayed in every government building, if there were no X-rated movies, or no corrupt politicians.

But even if we were able to make all that true, the problem would still exist.

At the end of his vision, Daniel spoke with a man wearing linen and who was above the waters of the river. That man dressed in linen put a finger on the real problem…

the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand… (12:10)

I’ve heard it said you can’t expect a non-believer to act like a believer. I’d go further and say you can’t expect them to think like a believer, to reason or feel like a believer.

The problem with the world is not what non-Christians DO. It’s what they BELIEVE. If we want the problems of the world to go away, we need to be busy introducing people to their Savior.

September 3 – It’s Personal

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Ezekiel 22-23

As I read these chapters this morning, I was hit with the realization that God is not indifferent concerning my sin. In fact, when I sin, He takes it personally.

23:38 says, “Again, they have done this to Me…”

I remember when the Jews were demanding a king for the first time, Samuel felt like he had failed God somehow. God told him not to feel that way. “for they have not rejected you, but the have rejected Me from being king over them.” (1 Sam 8:7)

I might feel bad about lying to my friend, or guilty about lusting after my neighbor’s husband, or ashamed concerning a TV show I watch or an internet site I visit. But God is offended. He looks at every sin I commit as a rejection of Him, a slap in His face.

As I think of this I get a picture of Jesus on the cross, in pain and agony as He takes on my sin. And I see me, tossing another sin His way, slapping His bruised and bleeding face, pouring salt into the open wounds on His back, and laughing as I do.

I might think my sin is no big deal. But My Savior takes it personally.

August 27 – Comfort Zones

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Ezekiel 1-4

I almost never sleep through the night. I toss and turn, covers on, covers off, until it’s time to get up… and I fall into a deep sleep. Ugh!

If I lie too long in one position my body begins to ache. So reading what God told Ezekiel to do makes me very glad He wasn’t talking to me! The prophet was to build a ramp, pitch a camp, put battering rams against it, and face the city of Jerusalem. Then Ezekiel was to lie down on his left side, (I assume on the ground in sight of the people) and take the sin of Israel on himself. Then he was to lie there on his left side for thirteen months without turning from side to side.

And if that’s not hard enough, after the 390 days, God told Ezekiel he was to turn over on his right side, take the sin of Judah on himself, and lie like that for forty more days. No turning allowed. In fact, God was going to tie him up so he couldn’t switch sides even if he wanted to.

I am reminded that God is more interested in getting His message out there than He is in my comfort. He is serious about sin, and He wants people to know that. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one goes to God except through Jesus, and God wants people to know that. People who die without Christ go to hell. God wants people to know that, too.

And everyone who humbles themselves and repents of sin can be saved. That’s the message God is passionate about. That’s what He wants everyone to know. And if you have to take a stand for the Truth, or lose your house, your health, your career, or just get up out of your recliner, that’s secondary to getting the message out there.

Dear God, Forgive me if I am more concerned about the size of my paycheck, the air-conditioning in my home, what kind of car I drive, or if I have a sinus headache, than I am about lost souls. I want your passion for sinners to be my passion. Please give me the courage and the strength to get out of my comfort zone and get your message across. I want to say, “no matter what the cost,” and mean it. Show me how I can serve You today. And may I do what you ask without thought of my comfort.