Well, this weeks "Morning Reflections" may or may not get posted, as it is going to be a busy week, work wise for me. We'll see what happens, but I did want to post some things concerning an area I have been convicted about as of late. The area of sin. I've been convicted that I often don't think of sin as seriously as I should. I can become familiar with it and stop aggressively fighting it. I lose my awe filled fear of the Lord. In the dictionary, it defines the word sin as, "transgression against divine law". That sentence does not even begin to put into words the magnitude of our sin against God. I can sometimes go to two extremes concerning my sin.
The first is to be so upset over my sin that I make it bigger in my eyes, than what Christ accomplished on the cross for me. Through my actions, I'm telling God that His Son's sacrifice just wasn't enough and that I have to make myself feel as miserable as possible about my sin. In that moment, I'm trying to earn atonement. I'm trying to punish myself so that I feel like I've earned God's forgiveness.
The second scenario, is that when I know I've done something wrong, I feel bad about it (but not nearly as bad as I should), ask God's forgiveness and try to have some extended quiet times or do some extra curricular, goodness filled activity. What's worse is when I might have a check in my conscience about something, but do it anyway, thinking that if it turns out to be a bad choice, I can ask for forgiveness later. How twisted is that thinking?! Once again, I'm trying to atone for my wrongs by stepping up my "good deeds". I've taken advantage of the grace that God has given me. Sadly the reason I often feel bad about my sin is because of my failure to walk blamelessly. I'm more concerned with my failure at victory over sin, than I am with the fact that I've sinned against a Holy God.
I've seen how important it is to balance having a true grievance over our sin while still embracing God's forgiveness of that sin because of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us. There is a line in a movie that I sometimes jokingly quote, "It's better to ask for forgiveness, than permission." I am deeply grieved at the fact that that is sometimes how a live my life with God. But God, in His goodness and mercy, is faithful to His children, even when we are unfaithful.
~Lord, I ask for Your continued work of grace in my life and an increased awareness of my sinfulness and Your holiness. I'm am beyond grateful for Your mercies that are new to me every morning and for Your patience with me. As King David prayed, create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit within me. Help me to keep the cross ever before my eyes and know that I can not overcome sin on my own, but only through You. Amen~
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:5-9
"Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, light be, and straightway light was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word of power. Redemption like Creation has its word of might. Jesus speaks and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord's I will. The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery, nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided word effected the entire work on the spot and for ever. The sinner is in a plight more miserable than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus, beseeching him and kneeling down to him. Let him exercise what little faith he has, even though it should go no further than Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; and there need be no doubt as to the result of the application. Jesus heals all who come, and casts out none." - Charles Spurgeon
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