Monday,
April 30, 2012
I had a terrible night and ended up too exhausted to go to
'church', but You have a way of taking me to Church even when I don't plan to
go; of giving me sermons I truly need to hear.
Okay, so what was the sermon You taught me today? It was about sin - the degrees of sin - the really bad sins, and the sinners. There is the dictionary definition of sin (Noun - An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law; trespass, guilt, transgression, offense), then are the definitions in Your Word.
Your prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse - who can understand it?" (Jer.17:9)
In Mark, Your Son, Jesus, said,"It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." (Mark 7:20 - 23).
The standard Jesus gave was, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt. 5:48)
Every time I hear that, I am reminded of what an old person told me years ago, "The last perfect person died on a cross." Amen! Doesn't Your Word say, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23)
Fine - we all mess up, but what about the really bad sinners? At one point, Your Son told his followers that even the tax collectors and prostitutes were more likely to enter heaven than some of the religious among them. In Your presence (even today), those who see their sin, acknowledge it, who know that only You can forgive them, and ask your forgiveness, have been forgiven of that sin. They draw closer to You and seek to serve You with honor and holiness because of the greatness of Your sacrifice and love. As for the Holy folks (said with much sarcasm) they don't see their need for Your gift of the cross because they don't see that they are sinners.(Matt.21:32)
In the story of the Good Samaritan, we learn of a man beaten and left by the side of the road. All the good people walk past him, even the so called Holy people, just walk past. A common man - not given much regard by the others as he was after all a foreigner, stopped, gave aid, arranged for the man's care, and left money to help with his recovery. It never says the robbers - those who hurt the man - were the big sinners of the story - rather those who just walked on by.
At Golgotha, Jesus and two other men hung on crosses. It never mentions the crimes of the two men on Your son's sides. What was important was that one was haughty, had no compassion, and had he not have been on a cross, probably would have been in the crowd that yelled, "Crucify him!"
But the other man - a criminal also sentenced to death, saw an innocent man facing a terrible death. Not only did he step out of his own pain to silence the other man, he recognized Jesus for who He really was. He had compassion on him, and asked Jesus - who he saw as You in the flesh - to remember him. All three men died that day; one to an eternity in Hell, one to an eternity in Heaven, and one died to this world, and returned to His own world - at Your right hand - where He will rule for eternity.
I have seen great sin, but I really have to wonder about sin through Your eyes. I keep remembering a man I knew whose wife had committed adultery and devastated the family. I have never forgotten him telling me about it. He sat at his table, open Bible, and practically drooled when he talked about her "burning in hell for all eternity". I didn't even have a relationship with You back then, but I remember wondering who was the bigger sinner - her in her adultery, or him as he rejoiced in her punishment.
Could it be that all sin - murder, adultery, theft, lies, a haughty heart, gossip - that all sin - is worthy of punishment. Would seem so if I believe Your word.
So how can I spot a sinner? I just have to look in my mirror.
Thank you Father for taking me to Church today. Sometimes the times outside the walls are as important as the times in the building itself.
Okay, so what was the sermon You taught me today? It was about sin - the degrees of sin - the really bad sins, and the sinners. There is the dictionary definition of sin (Noun - An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law; trespass, guilt, transgression, offense), then are the definitions in Your Word.
Your prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse - who can understand it?" (Jer.17:9)
In Mark, Your Son, Jesus, said,"It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." (Mark 7:20 - 23).
The standard Jesus gave was, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt. 5:48)
Every time I hear that, I am reminded of what an old person told me years ago, "The last perfect person died on a cross." Amen! Doesn't Your Word say, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23)
Fine - we all mess up, but what about the really bad sinners? At one point, Your Son told his followers that even the tax collectors and prostitutes were more likely to enter heaven than some of the religious among them. In Your presence (even today), those who see their sin, acknowledge it, who know that only You can forgive them, and ask your forgiveness, have been forgiven of that sin. They draw closer to You and seek to serve You with honor and holiness because of the greatness of Your sacrifice and love. As for the Holy folks (said with much sarcasm) they don't see their need for Your gift of the cross because they don't see that they are sinners.(Matt.21:32)
In the story of the Good Samaritan, we learn of a man beaten and left by the side of the road. All the good people walk past him, even the so called Holy people, just walk past. A common man - not given much regard by the others as he was after all a foreigner, stopped, gave aid, arranged for the man's care, and left money to help with his recovery. It never says the robbers - those who hurt the man - were the big sinners of the story - rather those who just walked on by.
At Golgotha, Jesus and two other men hung on crosses. It never mentions the crimes of the two men on Your son's sides. What was important was that one was haughty, had no compassion, and had he not have been on a cross, probably would have been in the crowd that yelled, "Crucify him!"
But the other man - a criminal also sentenced to death, saw an innocent man facing a terrible death. Not only did he step out of his own pain to silence the other man, he recognized Jesus for who He really was. He had compassion on him, and asked Jesus - who he saw as You in the flesh - to remember him. All three men died that day; one to an eternity in Hell, one to an eternity in Heaven, and one died to this world, and returned to His own world - at Your right hand - where He will rule for eternity.
I have seen great sin, but I really have to wonder about sin through Your eyes. I keep remembering a man I knew whose wife had committed adultery and devastated the family. I have never forgotten him telling me about it. He sat at his table, open Bible, and practically drooled when he talked about her "burning in hell for all eternity". I didn't even have a relationship with You back then, but I remember wondering who was the bigger sinner - her in her adultery, or him as he rejoiced in her punishment.
Could it be that all sin - murder, adultery, theft, lies, a haughty heart, gossip - that all sin - is worthy of punishment. Would seem so if I believe Your word.
So how can I spot a sinner? I just have to look in my mirror.
Thank you Father for taking me to Church today. Sometimes the times outside the walls are as important as the times in the building itself.
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