Church devotion: Sin is Dead! - Romans 7

Romans 7:8    But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.

Believe it or not, I struggle with sin every day. I constantly do stupid things or say hurtful words; I forget to keep promises or neglect to do good deeds. I waste opportunities for the Lord and let my life slip carelessly by. Sin is a constant struggle and some days I feel as though I’ve failed the Lord entirely.

But then I remember that I am not perfect and cannot always do everything right, perfect, or holy to save my soul. I have the potential to be better than I am, but never reach the high bar that I set myself. Like Paul writes elsewhere, I constantly fall short of what God expects, which means I am a sinner in need of salvation. I recognize that I need a Redeemer. I know that I need Jesus to save me.

            Sadly, some folks never reach this level of self-awareness. They don’t believe in sin, so they have no need of grace. They go through life making both good and bad choices, but they never seem to understand that, as each day passes, they are piling up more sinful, selfish, self-centered stuff that will ultimately separate them from God. Maybe if I was a better witness or better teacher or better preacher, or even a better Christian, I might be able to help them change ….but then I would be sinfully guilty of trying to perfect their lives by pointing out their sins, rather than dealing with the huge sins in my own life!

            Being a Christian is never easy. It requires constant attention. If I’m too busy pointing out others’ mistakes, then I’m missing the point about sin: we all do it! It doesn’t excuse it, which is what Paul is actually trying to express in Romans 7. When I become aware of my own sinfulness, then I know that I need to change something in me, which is why I desperately need Christ’s grace to transform me. I can only begin to become what He wants when I give everything of me over to Him.

Questions for personal reflection

Be honest, what’s the biggest sin I am dealing with in my life? Have I given it over to Jesus yet? If not, why not?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, sometimes we can’t see our own sinful ways because we mask it with the sins of others. Grant us true self-awareness, even though that may be ugly and unholy. Help us to reach out to You for help and the strength to overcome. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest crayon drawing called “Island in the Sun.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2813/9442299728_eeaec950ac_b.jpg

Opening devotions: Heavenly Rejoicing - Luke 15:10

Luke 15:10 Jesus concluded: “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Every day, I do something wrong. I say the wrong thing or forget to do the right thing. I break a promise that I made or neglect an obligation I meant to fulfill. I break one of God’s commandments or I deliberately go against Christ’s Word. In short, I am a habitual sinner who needs to repent every single day.

When I’m made aware of my mistakes, I get defensive at first. I don’t want to claim the sin as my own or take the blame for what is wrong. I’m just like a quarterback that I watched recently on television who threw a terrible ball which his receiver could not catch. As he ran off the field, he looked to his coach and I lip-read his words: “It wasn’t me,” he said. He didn’t want to take ownership of his mistake and, unfortunately, his attitude permeated across the entire team. Needless to say, they lost the game.

After initially being defensive, I later realize that I’ve made a mistake and seek forgiveness for what I’ve done wrong. This process is called repentance in the Bible and it involves letting go of my pride by humbly asking for God’s pardon. So long as I recognize that my sinful behavior, misdeed, or mistake is wrong, I can repent. If ever I believe that my sinful behavior is acceptable, then even God cannot help me and His grace can never be applied to my life.

That’s why there is a lot of rejoicing in Heaven when a sinner truly repents and returns to God. The free will choice to do as we please can either be a blessing or a curse. When we choose to repent, we are restored to God and Heaven rejoices; that’s also when the beauty of God’s grace can positively change our lives forever.

Questions for personal reflection

When have I ever truly repented before God? Is there something that I am still reluctant to confess to Him?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we were created to worship God and enjoy Him forever. Sometimes we worship our lifestyles and idolize our choices. Keep us from harming our souls and prevent us from following spiritual paths that lead to dead ends. Help us to see the need to repent and release us from our unconfessed sins. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest Fall drawing called “Autumn Delight” and features the Glade Creek Mill in the Babcock National Park of West Virginia. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/7993843085_4173874080_b.jpg

Church Devotions: Sinful Shadows - 1 John 1:6 & 10

1 John 1:6        If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

1 John 1:10      If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.

The problem with sin is this: we don’t want to recognize that it takes place in our own lives. It’s far easier to point out the sinfulness of others rather than take stock of our own spiritual weaknesses and shameful demons. I know that when I was an active alcoholic I totally believed that I did not have a drinking problem. Other people around me were concerned and voiced their worries, but as far as I was concerned, they were absolutely wrong. I could handle my liquor and if I got wasted every night, then so what? I still managed to get my act together and went to my work every morning.

But no matter how much I deluded myself, the issue was still there. Alcohol was wasting my life, my relationships, and my personality. I had a serious problem, but was unwilling to admit to it.

Some people have the same sort of issue with sin. Within themselves, they know that what they are doing or whatever lifestyle choice they are living is wrong. But rather than surrender their spirits to God and seek Christ’s forgiveness, they aggressively justify their sinful ways and expect everyone else to accept, tolerate, and even celebrate their wrong decisions. In other words, rather than turning to the light of God and love of Christ, they want to glory in their darkness and expect everyone else to embrace their sinful shadows.

There came a day in my life when I had to admit I was an alcoholic. Without that self-admission, I could not be healed of my broken ways. The work of the Church is to help people reach that level of self-awareness and to recognize that God does not always approve of His children’s ways. If He did, then Christ would never have had to die on the Cross.

We are all sinners in need of daily and constant forgiveness, but the work of forgiveness and restoration can only begin when we step outside of our sinful shadows and into the holy light of God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, save us from our pride and delusions. Open our hearts and minds to God’s Word and Your Way. Keep us from molding You into our own misconceived Messiah; help us instead to be reshaped and restored by Your love and grace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s stained glass designs. It’s called “Crossfull of Promises” and features a wooden cross with a rainbow behind it. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1365/536728152_10feaf58bd_o.jpg