Sometimes we need an extreme kick in the pants to see how holy God is and how sinful we really are. I have been finding how it easy it is to get used to sin. It's almost like it becomes a part of me.. its comfortable. When I reach that point, my sins eat me alive.
I'm not talking about "large" sins-- the blatant "disgusting" sins that everyone sees, knows about and detests. I'm talking about heart sins. "Little" sins. The sins that only the people that really know you know about. The sins that maybe no one knows about. The sins that people think aren't a big deal. The sins I think aren't a big deal. The sins that are "a part of us."
Our society doesn't like that word-- sin. They think it's offensive, pushy and "religious." Well, maybe to the world the word "sin" is those things, but it doesn't mean it's any less disgusting, any less God-opposing or any less real. As Christians, we (or maybe it's just me) seem to unknowingly buy into this opinion of the word, or just of the concept in general. Maybe we don't go right along with the world, but we don't really detest sin as we should.
I've been reading through Romans, and I just have to say that the book is absolutely AMAZING. Romans 5 (which I last blogged on ;] haha) is saturated with truths of God's LOVE for mankind. True love. Sacrifice. While we were SINNERS, Christ DIED for us (Romans 5:8). We do not save ourselves. There is nothing we can do to be "good enough" to reach God. We will not be flawless and lose all sin nature when we come to Christ. However, sin is what Jesus Christ saved us FROM.
Romans 6:1-14
When we allow sin to become comfortable in us, we are remaining dead to sin. We are saying to God, "Thanks for saving me, but no thanks."
Jesus saving me doesn't make me a good person, it makes me a NEW person. Newness involves change. Not because of who we are, but because of what Jesus has DONE.
Sin is comfortable because it's our nature. As believers in Jesus Christ, God gives us the strength through the Holy Spirit to live ALIVE.
And the point of it all? To point people to Jesus Christ. In my muck and filth, Christ's holiness is imparted onto me so that I may show people HIS LOVE.
He is HOLY.
He must increase, and I must decrease.
I'm not talking about "large" sins-- the blatant "disgusting" sins that everyone sees, knows about and detests. I'm talking about heart sins. "Little" sins. The sins that only the people that really know you know about. The sins that maybe no one knows about. The sins that people think aren't a big deal. The sins I think aren't a big deal. The sins that are "a part of us."
Our society doesn't like that word-- sin. They think it's offensive, pushy and "religious." Well, maybe to the world the word "sin" is those things, but it doesn't mean it's any less disgusting, any less God-opposing or any less real. As Christians, we (or maybe it's just me) seem to unknowingly buy into this opinion of the word, or just of the concept in general. Maybe we don't go right along with the world, but we don't really detest sin as we should.
The world: "I'm a good person for the most part, so that's what matters."
Some Christians: "Jesus saved me, so I'm a good person."
The world: "I'm not really bad, so it's ok if I do a bad thing once in a while."
I'm not saying this is always the mentality; these are just generally common thought processes I've noticed (and had).
Some Christians: "Jesus saved me so it's ok if I do sin because I'm going to heaven anyway."
I've been reading through Romans, and I just have to say that the book is absolutely AMAZING. Romans 5 (which I last blogged on ;] haha) is saturated with truths of God's LOVE for mankind. True love. Sacrifice. While we were SINNERS, Christ DIED for us (Romans 5:8). We do not save ourselves. There is nothing we can do to be "good enough" to reach God. We will not be flawless and lose all sin nature when we come to Christ. However, sin is what Jesus Christ saved us FROM.
Romans 6:1-14
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
When we allow sin to become comfortable in us, we are remaining dead to sin. We are saying to God, "Thanks for saving me, but no thanks."
Jesus saving me doesn't make me a good person, it makes me a NEW person. Newness involves change. Not because of who we are, but because of what Jesus has DONE.
Sin is comfortable because it's our nature. As believers in Jesus Christ, God gives us the strength through the Holy Spirit to live ALIVE.
And the point of it all? To point people to Jesus Christ. In my muck and filth, Christ's holiness is imparted onto me so that I may show people HIS LOVE.
He is HOLY.
He must increase, and I must decrease.
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