Tag Archives: sin

March 5

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Numbers 16-18

Often I am amazed that when I read the Bible, it seems it could have been written about the world in 2013. In chapter 16 we see 250 Israelite men rising up against Moses. Just listen to their complaint:

“You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

Have you ever heard the same accusations today? When  a Christian proclaims the Truth it is often met with someone who says… “Who made you judge? There are a lot of good religions in the world and Christianity is just another of them.” or “How can you impose your view of morality on anyone? You must be a hater, intolerant.”

Here’s the thing. Moses didn’t make himself the leader of Israel.  Remember how he tried to talk God out of giving him that responsibility? And we Christians didn’t get together and decide that homosexuality or murder is wrong and we didn’t come up with a plan and call it the gospel.

God did, though.

Like it or not there is only one Truth. That’s not me talking… it’s God. The 250 Israelites lost their lives as a result of their rebellion. The reality is anyone who reject God’s truth will also lose in the end. It really doesn’t matter if you approve of God’s plan or not. It only matters that you accept it as Truth and obey.

God, I am so thankful that you made your plan plain. You spelled it out so completely that there can be no mistake. Help us who know you to share your plan in love and humility, but never apologetically. And may people who don’t know you, come to your Truth  today.

February 28

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Numbers 5&6

After giving the Israelites some pretty hard-to-hear instructions concerning infectious disease, jealousy, and vows of separation, God gives a beautiful benediction.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his fact to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

These precious words are often used at the end of church services and many of us can probably quote it. But let’s think a minute about what it’s saying to us today.

Yes, we want the Lord to bless us and we certainly want him to keep us safe. We have the Creator God looking out for us. Is there a greater blessing?

We thank God for grace, his lavish gift of forgiveness when we don’t deserve it. Grace that is greater than all our sin. Amazing.

But this is what jumped out at me this morning. “the Lord turn his face toward you.” Do I really want that when I hold on to a sin and refuse to repent of it? Are there things in my life I would rather God turn a blind eye to and just ignored? Does the thought of a holy God turning his face toward me cause me to feel guilty about thoughts I think or little lies I tell or any disobedience in my life?

When I was a kid we loved to play outside. Sometimes our parents would take us to the lake or walking on a nature trail. We loved monkey bars and giant slides. I experienced a sense of freedom as I ran up hills or climbed as high as I could.

But I can’t tell you how often I would glance toward my mom or dad during my adventures. There was a sense of well-being, safety as I was reminded that they were right there. I rarely ventured beyond their line of vision. They let me play freely and I could be Wonder Woman or a mountain climber if I wanted. But I could be at peace as I explored the world around me with the assurance that they were watching out for me.

That’s what God wants us to know about him. He wants us to venture out into this world and be the people he wants us to be. He wants us to try new things, and spread our wings. And he wants us to welcome his face turned toward us. To be able to do that we must repent of sin.

Can you look into his face and know peace? That’s my prayer for you… for me today.

February 21

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Leviticus 16-18

This passage sure is not politically correct, is it? Chapter 18 lists all kinds of sexual acts God considers detestable, including incest, homosexuality, and sex with animals.

Saying these things doesn’t make me hateful or intolerant. It’s what the Bible says.

Dear Christian, let’s not be afraid to speak the truth as recorded in the Bible. But let’s be careful to speak that truth lovingly from the heart of God. Let’s remember that God loves sinners. He loved them (us) so much he sent his son to die for all of us.

God loves people who steal paperclips from work and he loves murderers. He loves gossips and homosexuals. And he is asking us not to condemn them… that’s his job… but to point them to the Savior. It’s ok to hate the sin but it is never ok to hate the person who sins.

We can’t ignore Leviticus 18. But hitting someone over the head with it won’t make them change. Your love and honesty, however, just might introduce them to the God who can change them.

Father, sometimes it’s hard to thank you for some of the passages in your Word. These days it’s hard to stand for the truth when Satan’s lies have become the norm. Help us to not be ashamed of the gospel, to proclaim your truth as we have opportunity. But help us to do that after we’ve prayed and with the same love you showed us. I pray that sinners of every sort will want to come to our Savior because we have loved them and shown them the better way.

February 17

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Leviticus 5-7

My sister got a ticket this week. She was running errands before work and went to a place she wasn’t real familiar with. After taking care of her business she pulled out of the parking lot, then turned right on red. She hadn’t gone far when she heard the siren and saw the flashing lights. She pulled over to give the police car the right-of-way, knowing she had done nothing wrong. But the policeman pulled up behind her and got out of his cruiser.

“Do you know why I stopped you?”

“I have no idea.”

“There’s a sign back there that clearly says… no turn on red.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see it. I don’t usually take this route. Can you just give me a warning?”

“Lady, you just blatantly broke the law and there’s a consequence for breaking the law.”

When my sister told me about her encounter with the policeman she was disappointed. She wished the officer had been a little more understanding but she said… I broke the law. I’ll pay the ticket.

That’s kind of what God told Moses here in chapter 5. Even if a person unintentionally commits a sin, once he learns of it he will be guilty. God doesn’t accept the “I didn’t know” defense any more than that police officer did. Even when we truly didn’t know.

Do not be fooled. God does not ignore sin and there are serious consequences for committing them. Let’s be people who know what the Bible says and recognize sin when we see it. Let’s be quick to confess and allow God to forgive us. And let’s be gentle and loving enough to encourage others to do that, too.

February 13

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Exodus 33:7-36:7

God describes Himself in this passage. As He passed in front of Moses He said:

The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sins of the father to the third and fourth generation. (34:5-7)

God wants us to know him. He’s not some big mystery in the sky. He’s real. And he is the same today as he was the day he walked so close to Moses he could put his hand over Moses’ eyes.

So what is it he wants us to know about himself? He wants us to know he is loving, faithful, compassionate and forgiving. But let’s not stop there. He also wants us to know, as loving and compassionate as he is, he cannot let sin go unpunished. God will never ignore sin or overlook disobedience. And the wages of sin is death.

However, that same Holy judge who demands holiness of us, lovingly offers cleansing from every sin we’ve ever committed. He is faithful to forgive us when we repent. The forgiveness is there for the asking because he is who he said he is.

God, I thank you that you want us to know you. Thank you for revealing yourself to Moses and to us. You are compassionate and gracious, loving and faithful. You are holy. And I thank you that you have provided everything we need for the forgiveness of our sins. Continue to reveal yourself to us as we walk with you today.

February 3

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Exodus 4:18-7:13, I Chronicles 6:1-4

When you read this Scripture today were you bothered by the fact that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart? The way it reads sounds like God might have a “harden heart” button He can push at will. Is that what happened here?

Here’s what I think I know about God. He loves you. He loved Pharaoh and would like to have had a different story recorded here. If things had been different we might read about a king who recognized the One True God and willingly allowed the Israelites to go home. But since God knew the end from the beginning He told Moses that Pharaoh would reject all the signs and each time he did, his heart would grow a little harder toward God.

So did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Of course He did. Scripture says so. But it wasn’t against Pharaoh’s will. It WAS Pharaoh’s will… his choice to reject God.

God didn’t make Pharaoh reject Him. That would not be consistent with the God who so loved the world. But as created beings with the ability to choose, God created pliable hearts. The lesson we can learn from Pharaoh is this: If we respond to God our hearts remain pliable. We are convicted of sin and we repent. Our pliable hearts can nearly burst with joy just by praising the One who forgives. God can tug at our pliable hearts and we obey.

But if we reject God, if we ignore guilt over sin, our pliable hearts become hardened. That’s just the way we were created. And with each denial of God’s Truth our hearts grow harder still.

We, like Pharaoh, run the danger of allowing our hearts to become so hard we no longer fear God.

I hope you are going to go to church today where the gospel is preached, where Christians gather to worship, and where you can re-charge to continue God’s work this week. As we gather, let’s do so with pliable hearts. And if there is some hardening going on, I pray that we will allow God to do some heart surgery right there in the pew!

January 25

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Genesis 31 & 32

What is it about guys and wrestling? When I was in high school I loved going to wrestling meets. I sat at the scorer’s table and kept stats. I eventually learned the moves and strategies of this exciting sport. But I never once was tempted to join the team.

I have two grown nephews who think their mother’s living room rug is a wrestling mat. The older even broke the nose of the younger a while back and they still wrestle when they are together.

I know some people disagree when I say there is a fundamental difference between men and women. Oh, women like to establish our superiority, too. But we tend to use less physical means to do so.

That’s why reading that Jacob wrestled all night with God isn’t something I can relate to. I’d have thrown in the towel after the first period bell.

So is there a spiritual lesson to be learned here? I’m glad you asked!

When I am convicted of a sin, God will use guilt, worry, and a host of other negative emotions to bring me to my knees. I can toss and turn all night with the weight of my sin. As God’s child, He wants me to repent so He can bless me. At those times, it’s like I’m in a wrestling match that I cannot and should not win if it means holding on to that sin.

At other times, when I am facing a life changing decision or am so burdened for a loved one I can’t sleep, I may feel in the morning as though I have wrestled all night. It’s not that God is my opponent. In fact God is on my team!  He is more like my coach on the sideline, seeing my battle from a different angle, and shouting instructions and encouragement.

In both cases, God wants me to come out a winner. He wants to help me defeat sin in my life and he wants to bless me. I just need to learn when to quit wrestling with Him! Because when He wins, I do too!

January 20

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Gen 19-21, 25:12-18 and I Chronicles 1:28-31

How perverted were the men of Sodom? Did Lot participate in their sin? We read he feared for the safety of the three travelers. But he offered his young daughters to his evil neighbors, knowing the girls would most likely die a painful and humiliating death.

We see that, while Lot and his daughters were spared when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, his wife disobeyed and was killed. Lot and his daughters were saved but the influence of living in Sodom went with them.

Lot’s daughters were so desensitized to sexual sin they didn’t think twice about sleeping with their own father. They even rationalized their own perversions by saying they did it in order to preserve Lot’s lineage.

We live in a sinful world where the same kind of sexual perversion is considered the new normal. We watch TV and invite violence and sex into our living rooms. Even Christians laugh at things God destroyed Sodom for. Our children have access to the internet in the palms of their hands. We are a people who are no longer easily shocked and saddened by sin. Are we raising a desensitized generation?

God, I am convicted. I know I have allowed sin to have a foot in the door of my heart. I ask that you make me aware of the things that displease you and help me to take a stand, to be set apart and to live a life that attracts others to you. I pray for parents. Give them wisdom. Help them to protect their dear children from the influences that make it seem like following you is lame.

January 18

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Job 11:27-15:21

I remember reading about Lot’s rescue before. He and his family were living in Sodom when the city was attacked and they were taken prisoner. But it occurred to me today as though for the first time, that God was revealing Himself to Lot through this event. He provided a way out for Lot and his family.

Lot was living in a sinful city. He was surrounded by perversion… and so were his wife and daughters. When Uncle Abram came to their rescue they could have, and should have, settled somewhere else. Did Lot go to God for direction before taking his kids back to the evilness in the city? I doubt it.

This is another example of God using the events of life to draw us to Himself. In this instance Lot accepted the salvation, fled the city to safety but then went right back. Lot ignored God and the end result, as we’ll see later, is he’ll lose his wife and experience how living among the perverted effected his daughters.

Some people acknowledge Jesus as Savior, then go right back to living the same lifestyle they lived before. Before long the evidence of their conversion is lost. What God is saying to me today is that sometimes, in order to be the godly people God wants us to be, we need to make some drastic changes. If we do the same things, talk the same way, laugh at the same jokes, sooner or later we put ourselves in danger of ignoring the salvation that was ours. Lot did that. And the results were devastating.

I know that our unsaved friends need the Lord. And I know that Paul said he became all things to all men in order to win some. But I guess I want to encourage all of us to tread lightly, to go carefully into situations that might tempt us to sin. And never go without going to God first. Our friends and our neighbors need to see us different… better than we were before. Not the same.

God, let me see you in the events of today. Help me recognize the many ways you try to get my attention. May I not pass up any opportunity to do the right thing and draw closer to you. Give me the ability to recognize things that would compromise my commitment to you… and flee. And may my life be such that my friends and neighbors will see You and want to know you, too.

January 3

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Genesis 7-9

Does God hate gossip? Take a look at Ham, Noah’s son. The flood is over and they are on dry ground. They established homes, planted crops and got down to the business of living. Eight people who obeyed God and loved each other.

But when Noah had too much to drink and passed out naked in his own tent, he probably expected privacy. Ham, for whatever reason, went to see his dad and saw Noah’s disgraceful situation. How did he react? Ham couldn’t wait to get to his brothers to tell them what he had seen.

Ham probably justified it with, “they have a right to know” and may even started his tale with, “I don’t want to be mean but…” Ham tells his brothers that Dad is drunk and naked in his tent. He may even have chuckled about it some.

The result was a curse on Ham and his descendants. They would be the lowest servants among servants, disgraced as Ham had disgraced Noah. If Ham had covered his father, or even quietly turned and walked away and not told what he had seen, we might never have known Noah was drunk that day.

The lesson for me here today is – I don’t need to tell everything I know. Gossip is sin. It’s mean and disgraceful even if I try to cover it with, “they have a right to know”.

Lord, guard my heart and curb my tongue today. May I recognize gossip for what it is and determine not to listen to it or spread it myself.