Readings:
Psalm 32
Ephesians 4:7-16
Focus:
Psalm 32:3-5: "While I refused to speak, my body wasted away with day-long moaning. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; the sap in me dried up as in summer drought. When I acknowledged my sin to you, when I no longer concealed my guilt, but said, 'I shall confess my offense to the Lord,' then you for your part remitted the penalty of my sin."
So often pride keeps us from admitting it when we have done wrong. Not only do we not want to acknowledge what we have done to others; we don't even want to acknowledge it to ourselves.
Yet when we do wrong things, it eats away at us. God has made us such that we are only constituted for doing what is right. When we do wrong, it as if we were ill; we don't work correctly. There is a malaise within us. Years of habituating ourselves to cultural approval of what is wrong may bury this deep. But it is there.
It is only when we acknowledge our wrongdoing (whether it is small or not so small) to ourselves, to those we have wronged, and, most importantly of all, to God, that we can rid ourselves of this malaise and truly be free. God remits the penalty of our sin. We are whole again.
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Conquering the Enemies: Sin and Death
Readings:
Job 27
I Corinthians 15:20-28
Focus:
I Corinthians 15:25-26: "For he is destined to reign until God has put all enemies under his feet; and the last enemy to be deposed is death."
Some people misunderstand when they hear Christians talking about enemies like this. They think we mean other people, and that Christians want to be conquerors.
But for Christians, the enemies are evil, sin, death, oppression, injustice, and all that is against God's will. Christians do want to conquer, but not to conquer other people. We want to conquer evil, to conquer sin, to conquer death.
We can only do this with the help of God. In fact, he is the one who does it. And he will do it completely. He will put all those enemies in subjection under Christ, and depose them all, even death. What a great day that will be!
Job 27
I Corinthians 15:20-28
Focus:
I Corinthians 15:25-26: "For he is destined to reign until God has put all enemies under his feet; and the last enemy to be deposed is death."
Some people misunderstand when they hear Christians talking about enemies like this. They think we mean other people, and that Christians want to be conquerors.
But for Christians, the enemies are evil, sin, death, oppression, injustice, and all that is against God's will. Christians do want to conquer, but not to conquer other people. We want to conquer evil, to conquer sin, to conquer death.
We can only do this with the help of God. In fact, he is the one who does it. And he will do it completely. He will put all those enemies in subjection under Christ, and depose them all, even death. What a great day that will be!
Monday, May 10, 2010
A Serious Situation
Readings:
Job 7
I Corinthians 5
Focus:
I Corinthians 5:2a: "And you are proud of yourselves! You ought to have gone into mourning."
Paul has been writing to the Christians at Corinth, who have been having some behavior problems, and who have been exhibiting some attitude problems as well. He points out a flagrant misbehavior that has been going on among them by two of their members and which they have been tolerating.
What Paul says about this is striking. He says that they ought to have gone into mourning.
We often forget the serious nature of sin. When we sin--and it does not have to be sexual sin only, as it was in this case--we have offended against God himself. We have rebelled against God, and have in essence slapped God in the face, saying that we want to do what we want to do, and we don't care what God wants.
When we behave like that, or when those in our close community behave like that, it is so serious that we ought to go into mourning until we are sorry. Our attitude needs to be different. This is not just to shame us, but it is for our own good. When we, or our brothers and sisters, have thumbed our noses at the God of the universe, we, or they, are in a perilous situation. It takes mourning to bring us back!
That's how serious it is.
Job 7
I Corinthians 5
Focus:
I Corinthians 5:2a: "And you are proud of yourselves! You ought to have gone into mourning."
Paul has been writing to the Christians at Corinth, who have been having some behavior problems, and who have been exhibiting some attitude problems as well. He points out a flagrant misbehavior that has been going on among them by two of their members and which they have been tolerating.
What Paul says about this is striking. He says that they ought to have gone into mourning.
We often forget the serious nature of sin. When we sin--and it does not have to be sexual sin only, as it was in this case--we have offended against God himself. We have rebelled against God, and have in essence slapped God in the face, saying that we want to do what we want to do, and we don't care what God wants.
When we behave like that, or when those in our close community behave like that, it is so serious that we ought to go into mourning until we are sorry. Our attitude needs to be different. This is not just to shame us, but it is for our own good. When we, or our brothers and sisters, have thumbed our noses at the God of the universe, we, or they, are in a perilous situation. It takes mourning to bring us back!
That's how serious it is.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Passion Week
There is a moment in the St. John Passion by Bach when, after Christ has been arrested and Peter has denied three times that he even knows Christ, the Evangelist (narrator) says that Peter went out and wept bitterly. This is sung in a hauntingly beautiful tenor voice, with a long, slow melody on the German word for "wept".
Who does not know the same kind of wretched despair that Peter felt at that time? We do things wrong. We fail again and again. We resolve to do better, and yet we find ourselves repeating our mistakes. Well we know what this music expresses. If not literally, then figuratively, we weep and weep and weep. We are trapped in our human failings. Even Peter, who has just been with the living Christ, repudiates him. How can we ever do better?
Miserable sinners that we are, who can rescue us from this body of death, from this pattern of repeated failure?
But there is one who can. It is for this that God became man in Jesus, came to earth, and took upon himself the punishment for all our failings, endured the denials, the mocking, the pain, the weight of all of everyone's sin. Who can rescue us from this body of death? Who but God? Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord! May we never take this lightly!
(Romans 7:24-25a)
(from my other blog)
Who does not know the same kind of wretched despair that Peter felt at that time? We do things wrong. We fail again and again. We resolve to do better, and yet we find ourselves repeating our mistakes. Well we know what this music expresses. If not literally, then figuratively, we weep and weep and weep. We are trapped in our human failings. Even Peter, who has just been with the living Christ, repudiates him. How can we ever do better?
Miserable sinners that we are, who can rescue us from this body of death, from this pattern of repeated failure?
But there is one who can. It is for this that God became man in Jesus, came to earth, and took upon himself the punishment for all our failings, endured the denials, the mocking, the pain, the weight of all of everyone's sin. Who can rescue us from this body of death? Who but God? Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord! May we never take this lightly!
(Romans 7:24-25a)
(from my other blog)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Who Is There To Rescue Us?
Readings:
Nehemiah 2
Romans 7:15-25
Focus:
Romans 7:21: "I discover this principle, then: that when I want to do right, only wrong is within my reach."
Romans 7:24-25a: "Wretched creature that I am, who is there to rescue me from this state of death? Who but God?"
The situation described by the verses just quoted is so familiar to me. No matter what I resolve, I find, time and again, that I end up doing what I don't want to do. I say something unkind, or I do something selfish, or I fail to do something that I ought to have done, that would have been helpful or responsible.
After each such situation, I feel disappointed in myself and wonder how I can ever succeed in doing good. Like Paul, I say to myself, "Wretched creature that I am! How can I ever change? Who can rescue me from this vicious cycle?"
Thanks be to God that he is able to rescue us from this state of death! Thanks be to him through Jesus christ our Lord!
Nehemiah 2
Romans 7:15-25
Focus:
Romans 7:21: "I discover this principle, then: that when I want to do right, only wrong is within my reach."
Romans 7:24-25a: "Wretched creature that I am, who is there to rescue me from this state of death? Who but God?"
The situation described by the verses just quoted is so familiar to me. No matter what I resolve, I find, time and again, that I end up doing what I don't want to do. I say something unkind, or I do something selfish, or I fail to do something that I ought to have done, that would have been helpful or responsible.
After each such situation, I feel disappointed in myself and wonder how I can ever succeed in doing good. Like Paul, I say to myself, "Wretched creature that I am! How can I ever change? Who can rescue me from this vicious cycle?"
Thanks be to God that he is able to rescue us from this state of death! Thanks be to him through Jesus christ our Lord!
What We Do Is Not What We Want To Do
Readings:
Nehemiah 1
Romans 7:7-15
Focus:
Romans 7:15: "I do not even acknowledge my own actions as mine, for what I do is not what I want to do, but what I detest."
As Paul continues to write about the difference between being saved by perfect obedience to law (which is impossible), and being saved by God's free gift of grace, he discusses the paradox that knowing the law also makes us know what sin is, and sin uses the law to seduce us to sin more. What a typical thing for evil to do--use something good to entice us away from the true good.
And Paul then shows how enslaved to sin we are when we are without God. We are helpless. We know what is right to do, but we cannot do it. We continue to do what is wrong. Even if we don't do terrible things, we still do little wrong things. What we do is not what we want to do, but what we detest.
We need someone more powerful than us to save us from this. And that's why God provided Jesus.
Nehemiah 1
Romans 7:7-15
Focus:
Romans 7:15: "I do not even acknowledge my own actions as mine, for what I do is not what I want to do, but what I detest."
As Paul continues to write about the difference between being saved by perfect obedience to law (which is impossible), and being saved by God's free gift of grace, he discusses the paradox that knowing the law also makes us know what sin is, and sin uses the law to seduce us to sin more. What a typical thing for evil to do--use something good to entice us away from the true good.
And Paul then shows how enslaved to sin we are when we are without God. We are helpless. We know what is right to do, but we cannot do it. We continue to do what is wrong. Even if we don't do terrible things, we still do little wrong things. What we do is not what we want to do, but what we detest.
We need someone more powerful than us to save us from this. And that's why God provided Jesus.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Wages of Death or the Gift of Life
Readings:
Ezra 9
Romans 6:20-23
Focus:
Romans 6:22: "But now, freed from the commands of sin and bound to the service of God, you have gains that lead to holiness, and the end is eternal life."
When we are caught up in living life for ourselves, we are actually under bondage. We are under the bondage of sin. It may not feel bad; it may even feel good. We may enjoy it. But nonetheless we are slaves to sin, and this only leads to one end. As Paul says, sin pays a wage: death.
But after we give our lives to God, our bondage to sin is ended. And instead of receiving the wages that sin pays, we receive a free gift from God: eternal life. How much better to get the gift of life instead of the wages of death!
Ezra 9
Romans 6:20-23
Focus:
Romans 6:22: "But now, freed from the commands of sin and bound to the service of God, you have gains that lead to holiness, and the end is eternal life."
When we are caught up in living life for ourselves, we are actually under bondage. We are under the bondage of sin. It may not feel bad; it may even feel good. We may enjoy it. But nonetheless we are slaves to sin, and this only leads to one end. As Paul says, sin pays a wage: death.
But after we give our lives to God, our bondage to sin is ended. And instead of receiving the wages that sin pays, we receive a free gift from God: eternal life. How much better to get the gift of life instead of the wages of death!
Slaves of Some Master
Readings:
Ezra 8
Romans 6:15-19
Focus:
Romans 6:16: "You know well enough that if you bind yourselves to obey a master, you are slaves of the master you obey; and this is true whether the master is sin and the outcome death, or obedience and the outcome righteousness."
Everyone serves some master, whether they realize it or not. Everyone is a slave to something. Until we give our lives to God, we are slaves to sin.
Maybe we never commit any outrageous sins such as embezzling or cheating or stealing. Nevertheless we are still slaves to sin; we are unkind or selfish or thoughtless. But once we give our lives to God, we are freed from that slavery. Then we get a new master, and that master is goodness.
What a difference! We may still sin, but we will no longer be lost in sin; we will be able to pick ourselves up with God's forgiveness and try again. Goodness is a much better master than sin.
Ezra 8
Romans 6:15-19
Focus:
Romans 6:16: "You know well enough that if you bind yourselves to obey a master, you are slaves of the master you obey; and this is true whether the master is sin and the outcome death, or obedience and the outcome righteousness."
Everyone serves some master, whether they realize it or not. Everyone is a slave to something. Until we give our lives to God, we are slaves to sin.
Maybe we never commit any outrageous sins such as embezzling or cheating or stealing. Nevertheless we are still slaves to sin; we are unkind or selfish or thoughtless. But once we give our lives to God, we are freed from that slavery. Then we get a new master, and that master is goodness.
What a difference! We may still sin, but we will no longer be lost in sin; we will be able to pick ourselves up with God's forgiveness and try again. Goodness is a much better master than sin.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Putting Ourselves at the Disposal of God
Readings:
Ezra 7
Romans 6:12-14
Focus:
Romans 6:13b: "Put yourselves instead at the disposal of God; think of yourselves as raised from death to life, and yield your bodies to God as implements for doing right."
Once we have given our lives to Christ, we have become identified with him. We have died to sin and entered upon a new life. Because of this, we no longer want to be slaves to sin.
And not only this: we must not sin any more. We must do everything we can to avoid sinning. This includes all kinds of sin, the obvious kinds, such as murder and theft and sexual sin, but also the little kinds, such as irritability and unkindness and putting ourselves first. As it says in verse 12, "sin must no longer reign" in us. We belong to God. We must not act in a way to betray this relationship.
I sometimes think of it this way. I can either help the world be better, or more evil. When I do wrong things, even little wrong things such as saying something selfish, I have just contributed to making the world more evil. I must not do this! I must put myself instead at the disposal of God and do right.
Ezra 7
Romans 6:12-14
Focus:
Romans 6:13b: "Put yourselves instead at the disposal of God; think of yourselves as raised from death to life, and yield your bodies to God as implements for doing right."
Once we have given our lives to Christ, we have become identified with him. We have died to sin and entered upon a new life. Because of this, we no longer want to be slaves to sin.
And not only this: we must not sin any more. We must do everything we can to avoid sinning. This includes all kinds of sin, the obvious kinds, such as murder and theft and sexual sin, but also the little kinds, such as irritability and unkindness and putting ourselves first. As it says in verse 12, "sin must no longer reign" in us. We belong to God. We must not act in a way to betray this relationship.
I sometimes think of it this way. I can either help the world be better, or more evil. When I do wrong things, even little wrong things such as saying something selfish, I have just contributed to making the world more evil. I must not do this! I must put myself instead at the disposal of God and do right.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Dead to Sin and Alive to God
Readings:
Ezra 6
Romans 6:7-11
Focus:
Romans 6:11: "In the same way you must also regard yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God, in union with Christ Jesus."
When we have given our lives to Christ, we have become identified with him in his death and resurrection. Because we are identified with him, then it is as if our old nature had been crucified, in order that it should no longer be a slave to sin.
Because that's what life is like for us without Christ. Without him, we are slaves to sin. Even when we have given ourselves to him, it is hard enough not to sin. We fall down again and again, and need to ask for forgiveness.
But because of our identification with Christ, we are given the grace to experience the power of the resurrection in our lives now. We have the confidence that we will ultimately overcome our shortcomings and, at the end of our lives, live eternally with God. God's power cannot fail. We are alive to God, in union with Christ Jesus.
Ezra 6
Romans 6:7-11
Focus:
Romans 6:11: "In the same way you must also regard yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God, in union with Christ Jesus."
When we have given our lives to Christ, we have become identified with him in his death and resurrection. Because we are identified with him, then it is as if our old nature had been crucified, in order that it should no longer be a slave to sin.
Because that's what life is like for us without Christ. Without him, we are slaves to sin. Even when we have given ourselves to him, it is hard enough not to sin. We fall down again and again, and need to ask for forgiveness.
But because of our identification with Christ, we are given the grace to experience the power of the resurrection in our lives now. We have the confidence that we will ultimately overcome our shortcomings and, at the end of our lives, live eternally with God. God's power cannot fail. We are alive to God, in union with Christ Jesus.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
No More Sin
Readings:
Ezra 5
Romans 6:1-4
Focus:
Romans 6:1-2a: "What are we to say, then? Shall we persist in sin, so that there may be all the more grace? Certainly not!"
Paul has just been arguing that because of Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, we no longer need obey the law in order to gain salvation. Instead, we only need to accept what Jesus has done for us, give our lives to God, and receive God's free grace.
The next logical question that might be asked is that, if our sin causes God to respond with grace, then should we sin more in order to receive more grace?
Paul has an answer to this: definitely not! Once we have turned our lives over to God, we have become identified with Christ. We are symbolically buried with him, and, just as he is raised from the dead, we also start a new life. In this new life, we do not commit sin on purpose. Instead, we flee from it as much as we are able.
And indeed, the more we know him, the less we want to sin. It does not make us happy any more.
I know someone who is a recovering alcoholic. Before she gave up drinking, she thought life would be boring without it. Then she starting going to AA, and became sober. Now she realizes how much better life is. She just didn't know, when she was drinking, how great, how much better, drink-free life was! So it is with sin. We think it's fun, but we just don't know how much more fun, how much happier, sin-avoiding life is.
Ezra 5
Romans 6:1-4
Focus:
Romans 6:1-2a: "What are we to say, then? Shall we persist in sin, so that there may be all the more grace? Certainly not!"
Paul has just been arguing that because of Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, we no longer need obey the law in order to gain salvation. Instead, we only need to accept what Jesus has done for us, give our lives to God, and receive God's free grace.
The next logical question that might be asked is that, if our sin causes God to respond with grace, then should we sin more in order to receive more grace?
Paul has an answer to this: definitely not! Once we have turned our lives over to God, we have become identified with Christ. We are symbolically buried with him, and, just as he is raised from the dead, we also start a new life. In this new life, we do not commit sin on purpose. Instead, we flee from it as much as we are able.
And indeed, the more we know him, the less we want to sin. It does not make us happy any more.
I know someone who is a recovering alcoholic. Before she gave up drinking, she thought life would be boring without it. Then she starting going to AA, and became sober. Now she realizes how much better life is. She just didn't know, when she was drinking, how great, how much better, drink-free life was! So it is with sin. We think it's fun, but we just don't know how much more fun, how much happier, sin-avoiding life is.
Grace Results in a Verdict of Acquittal
Readings:
Ezra 4
Romans 5:12-21
Focus:
Romans 5:16: "And again,the gift of God is not to be compared in its effect with that one man's sin; for the judicial action, following on the one offence, resulted in a verdict of condemnation, but the act of grace, following on so many misdeeds, resulted in a verdict of acquittal."
Paul's thesis in this passage is that through the sin of one man, Adam, death entered the human race, and all humankind was condemned, and doomed inevitably to sin. But through the sacrifice of one man, Jesus, God gave a free gift of grace to the human race, and every member of humankind that accepts this gift is liberated from condemnation, and welcomed to eternal life with God.
And although in each case the action comes through one man, there is no proportion between them. The single sin of Adam allowed sin to enter the world and condemned humankind to the effects of a broken creation. But after multitudes of sins had been and would be committed, God offered free grace through Jesus Christ to any who would accept it. Although sin was multiplied, God responded not with more condemnation, but instead with grace and forgiveness; he responded with acquittal.
As it says in verse 21, the result for those who accept this grace is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ezra 4
Romans 5:12-21
Focus:
Romans 5:16: "And again,the gift of God is not to be compared in its effect with that one man's sin; for the judicial action, following on the one offence, resulted in a verdict of condemnation, but the act of grace, following on so many misdeeds, resulted in a verdict of acquittal."
Paul's thesis in this passage is that through the sin of one man, Adam, death entered the human race, and all humankind was condemned, and doomed inevitably to sin. But through the sacrifice of one man, Jesus, God gave a free gift of grace to the human race, and every member of humankind that accepts this gift is liberated from condemnation, and welcomed to eternal life with God.
And although in each case the action comes through one man, there is no proportion between them. The single sin of Adam allowed sin to enter the world and condemned humankind to the effects of a broken creation. But after multitudes of sins had been and would be committed, God offered free grace through Jesus Christ to any who would accept it. Although sin was multiplied, God responded not with more condemnation, but instead with grace and forgiveness; he responded with acquittal.
As it says in verse 21, the result for those who accept this grace is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Putting God First
Readings:
II Chronicles 7
Acts 18:12-28
Focus:
II Chronicles 7:21b-22a: "...they will ask, 'Why has the Lord so treated this land and this house?' The answer will be, 'Because they forsook the Lord the God of their forefathers....'"
Throughout the Bible one thing is very clear: we are to remain true to God. As Jesus says, the first and greatest commandment is that we shall love the Lord God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. And out of the Ten Commandments, the first is that we shall have no other god but the Lord.
The worst sin of all is that we should make anything--anything at all--more important to us than God. This includes ourselves. Pursuing our own goals, thinking of our own comfort or enjoyment, even putting other people before us or doing church ministry, all of these are secondary to our relationship to God and seeking to do his will.
This is a very hard thing to do, but if we get our priorities straight, the rewards that come from our relationship with God are enormous. It is always a struggle for me, yet when I am in a right relationship with God, I would not trade that for anything.
II Chronicles 7
Acts 18:12-28
Focus:
II Chronicles 7:21b-22a: "...they will ask, 'Why has the Lord so treated this land and this house?' The answer will be, 'Because they forsook the Lord the God of their forefathers....'"
Throughout the Bible one thing is very clear: we are to remain true to God. As Jesus says, the first and greatest commandment is that we shall love the Lord God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. And out of the Ten Commandments, the first is that we shall have no other god but the Lord.
The worst sin of all is that we should make anything--anything at all--more important to us than God. This includes ourselves. Pursuing our own goals, thinking of our own comfort or enjoyment, even putting other people before us or doing church ministry, all of these are secondary to our relationship to God and seeking to do his will.
This is a very hard thing to do, but if we get our priorities straight, the rewards that come from our relationship with God are enormous. It is always a struggle for me, yet when I am in a right relationship with God, I would not trade that for anything.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
God Knows Our Hearts
Readings:
II Chronicles 6:22-42
Acts 18:1-11
Focus:
II Chronicles 6:30b: "As you know a person's heart, reward him according to his deeds, for you alone know the hearts of all."
As Solomon continues to pray that God will consecrate the new temple he has built, he asks that God will hear the prayers of the Israelites and that he will forgive their sins.
For each person to be rewarded according to his own deeds was a somewhat revolutionary concept in the ancient Middle East, where people were punished not just for their own sins, but also the sins of their family members. But Solomon asks that God will consider the heart of each person who prays, and judge each person on that basis, on the basis of what each person has done. This is greater justice than what the Israelites may have been used to.
Even so, in the long run it is not enough for salvation, not for anyone. If we were all judged by God according to our deeds, compared to the righteousness that is necessary to measure up to God's righteousness, we would all fail. As Solomon says in verse 36, who is free from sin? Every one of us is guilty of at least petty sins such as selfishness or unfair anger. Yet we must be free from sin to enter salvation.
That is why God provided Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins, instead of us. All we have to do is to acknowledge our sins and acknowledge what Jesus has done, and God counts that then as if it were our own righteousness. God knows our hearts, and he knows if we love him and acknowledge him. This is good news!
II Chronicles 6:22-42
Acts 18:1-11
Focus:
II Chronicles 6:30b: "As you know a person's heart, reward him according to his deeds, for you alone know the hearts of all."
As Solomon continues to pray that God will consecrate the new temple he has built, he asks that God will hear the prayers of the Israelites and that he will forgive their sins.
For each person to be rewarded according to his own deeds was a somewhat revolutionary concept in the ancient Middle East, where people were punished not just for their own sins, but also the sins of their family members. But Solomon asks that God will consider the heart of each person who prays, and judge each person on that basis, on the basis of what each person has done. This is greater justice than what the Israelites may have been used to.
Even so, in the long run it is not enough for salvation, not for anyone. If we were all judged by God according to our deeds, compared to the righteousness that is necessary to measure up to God's righteousness, we would all fail. As Solomon says in verse 36, who is free from sin? Every one of us is guilty of at least petty sins such as selfishness or unfair anger. Yet we must be free from sin to enter salvation.
That is why God provided Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins, instead of us. All we have to do is to acknowledge our sins and acknowledge what Jesus has done, and God counts that then as if it were our own righteousness. God knows our hearts, and he knows if we love him and acknowledge him. This is good news!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sin from the Start
Readings:
I Chronicles 10
Acts 6
Focus:
Acts 6:1a:"During this period, when disciples were growing in number, a grievance arose on the part of those who spoke Greek, against those who spoke the language of the Jews."
Even though the brand new church of Jesus Christ was beginning with great grace and wonders, and even miracles, it did not take long before a grievance came up between different members of the church. They fell into ethnic camps and started making accusations of each other. The apostles had to settle this problem by setting up more of a church structure, in effect starting the order of deacons.
If I had naive expectations, I might have thought that the very first Christians would have been without flaw, showing us succeeding generations the ideal of what it ought to be like to be a Christian. But instead, from the very start, sin crept in. In this case, either people were taking sides, or else people thought that other people were taking sides. In either case, it was sin.
Sin crept in from the very start because Christians are just like any other people. They are part of the world, and the world is infected with sin. That's why Jesus had to come into the world, to save us from the consequences of that sin. The only difference between Christians and other people is that Christians have acknowledged that fact, have recognized that Jesus took the punishment instead of them, have given their lives to Jesus, and are doing their best to avoid sinning. But being human, they're not able to be perfect.
So Christians need to keep returning to God to confess their new sins and ask for forgiveness. The great thing is that we know that God will forgive us. But we can't let that knowledge make us complacent. We still need to try our best to avoid new sins. Not only is this better for us, but it is also better for everyone else. Thank God that although we are prone to err, he is merciful to forgive!
I Chronicles 10
Acts 6
Focus:
Acts 6:1a:"During this period, when disciples were growing in number, a grievance arose on the part of those who spoke Greek, against those who spoke the language of the Jews."
Even though the brand new church of Jesus Christ was beginning with great grace and wonders, and even miracles, it did not take long before a grievance came up between different members of the church. They fell into ethnic camps and started making accusations of each other. The apostles had to settle this problem by setting up more of a church structure, in effect starting the order of deacons.
If I had naive expectations, I might have thought that the very first Christians would have been without flaw, showing us succeeding generations the ideal of what it ought to be like to be a Christian. But instead, from the very start, sin crept in. In this case, either people were taking sides, or else people thought that other people were taking sides. In either case, it was sin.
Sin crept in from the very start because Christians are just like any other people. They are part of the world, and the world is infected with sin. That's why Jesus had to come into the world, to save us from the consequences of that sin. The only difference between Christians and other people is that Christians have acknowledged that fact, have recognized that Jesus took the punishment instead of them, have given their lives to Jesus, and are doing their best to avoid sinning. But being human, they're not able to be perfect.
So Christians need to keep returning to God to confess their new sins and ask for forgiveness. The great thing is that we know that God will forgive us. But we can't let that knowledge make us complacent. We still need to try our best to avoid new sins. Not only is this better for us, but it is also better for everyone else. Thank God that although we are prone to err, he is merciful to forgive!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
How Can God Allow Earthquakes?
Readings:
I Chronicles 6
Acts 4:32-37
Focus:
Acts 4:32b:"Not one of them claimed any of his possessions as his own; everything was held in common."
The earliest Christians shared their possessions freely. They are a model for us when we are faced with disasters such as the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday, January 12. Our response, if we are not already giving regularly to disaster relief, should be to make a special effort to share our blessings with those who are in such dire need. As people who love God, we help those who need help.
The earthquake in Haiti also raises questions for many about God. Why, people wonder, if God loves everyone, does he allow horrible things like destructive earthquakes to happen to innocent people?
It is terribly difficult to realize that bad things happen in the world while we have a loving and all-powerful God. Yet the fact is that God gave us (humankind) the freedom to let sin into the world. So then when we made that choice, to allow sin into the world, it caused the whole creation to become broken. This opened the door to natural disasters.
Where God shows his good and powerful nature in all of this is in how he works with people in their response to disasters, and in how he brings good even out of horrific things. God could have made it otherwise; he could have not let us have the ability to choose sin, and therefore never let the creation be broken. Then no awful disasters would ever have happened.
But in his wisdom that is so much greater than ours, he knew that wouldn't be as good. We can't understand it. That's because we aren't God. All we can do is know that God is the definition of goodness and justice, and work to help those who have been affected by disaster.
And this world isn't the final answer. There is a world to come that will make this world look dim and pale and hard to remember by comparison. What we can do is work in this world to help others while waiting for that new world.
I Chronicles 6
Acts 4:32-37
Focus:
Acts 4:32b:"Not one of them claimed any of his possessions as his own; everything was held in common."
The earliest Christians shared their possessions freely. They are a model for us when we are faced with disasters such as the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday, January 12. Our response, if we are not already giving regularly to disaster relief, should be to make a special effort to share our blessings with those who are in such dire need. As people who love God, we help those who need help.
The earthquake in Haiti also raises questions for many about God. Why, people wonder, if God loves everyone, does he allow horrible things like destructive earthquakes to happen to innocent people?
It is terribly difficult to realize that bad things happen in the world while we have a loving and all-powerful God. Yet the fact is that God gave us (humankind) the freedom to let sin into the world. So then when we made that choice, to allow sin into the world, it caused the whole creation to become broken. This opened the door to natural disasters.
Where God shows his good and powerful nature in all of this is in how he works with people in their response to disasters, and in how he brings good even out of horrific things. God could have made it otherwise; he could have not let us have the ability to choose sin, and therefore never let the creation be broken. Then no awful disasters would ever have happened.
But in his wisdom that is so much greater than ours, he knew that wouldn't be as good. We can't understand it. That's because we aren't God. All we can do is know that God is the definition of goodness and justice, and work to help those who have been affected by disaster.
And this world isn't the final answer. There is a world to come that will make this world look dim and pale and hard to remember by comparison. What we can do is work in this world to help others while waiting for that new world.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Everyone Who Calls on the Name of the Lord
Readings:
II Kings 25
Acts 2:1-21
Focus:
Acts 2:21:"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord on that day shall be saved."
God had allowed first the kingdom of Israel, and then the kingdom of Judah, to go into exile because of their sinful disregard of his ways. And throughout history many bad things have happened and will happen, ultimately all because of the warping of God's creation that happened when sin entered into the picture.
Yet God will not let that be the last word. On the day of Pentecost after the Resurrection of Jesus, he provided his Holy Spirit to guide and nurture believers from that time forward. And whenever anyone turns to him in sincereness of heart, God will answer. He will not turn anyone away who truly seeks him.
II Kings 25
Acts 2:1-21
Focus:
Acts 2:21:"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord on that day shall be saved."
God had allowed first the kingdom of Israel, and then the kingdom of Judah, to go into exile because of their sinful disregard of his ways. And throughout history many bad things have happened and will happen, ultimately all because of the warping of God's creation that happened when sin entered into the picture.
Yet God will not let that be the last word. On the day of Pentecost after the Resurrection of Jesus, he provided his Holy Spirit to guide and nurture believers from that time forward. And whenever anyone turns to him in sincereness of heart, God will answer. He will not turn anyone away who truly seeks him.
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