Sunday, May 17, 2015

Sin, Debt and Forgiveness

1 John 1:8-10, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 if we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

The reality is when we look at our own lives we have all made choices that were not right. Often we choose to do things that are easy and convenient for ourselves and never give thought to the impact it has on others. Sin by definition is an offense against moral law. The issue comes from a lack of belief or understanding that there is a God who holds us to a moral standard. So let’s take a look at the world’s definition; an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible.  We believe it’s bad because it brings harm to us and those around us. People often complain that when we talk about sin we make it personal, but sins are personal each person deals with different sins in there lives and convictions of those sins. What I find funny is that even those who don’t believe in God believe in sin they just call it by some other name. Greed, immoral living, stupidity and the list goes on but what it really comes down to is it is sin. It is living in a manner that keeps us from properly serving the God who created us.

That sin has created a debt that is so costly there is no way for you or I to pay it. It created a chasm between us and God that no good deeds, no financial gifts and nothing we can do as mere human beings can do will close that gap. It requires a sacrifice that none of us could ever make.  Luckily Jesus came to pay the debt for our sin and on a cross. He sacrificed his body so that you and I might have hope for the future. However, that is not were the story ended because if he had laid in the tomb what sort of hope would we have. The real hope is found in His resurrection. It is through His overall sacrifice that we find hope now that He has paid our debt.

That issue of it being a debt is something I have come to understand is another issue why people fail to accept Jesus. They feel like they owe no one for what they have. We have bought into the lie that there is no God and we are here by accident so I can live how I want to and that there is nothing more than I have right now and what I can gain in the time I have left. What is the bumper sticker, “He who dies with the most toys wins!”  When people live that way the seek purpose in their lives and try to fill it with anything they can find living in sin. Sin will fill that whole in your life for a time but it’s like putting a square peg in a round hole it does not fit well and often it creates a lot of damage as we force it in place. Luckily when we believe on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and confess our sins and repent from them. He will forgive us and mend our broken hearts and lives. But even those who have accepted Christ fall from time to time luckily we serve a forgiving and merciful God.

1John2:1-3, “1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

I will leave you with the understanding that we are not made perfect in this body while we still walk on the earth but one day we will as we have believed on Jesus. Until that day Jesus sits on the thrown interceding for us when we fail. The truth is our desire should be not to sin. However, if we do He is faithful to forgive us. Have a blessed day may He guide your path to understanding and strength in His word to day.