sin

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OUR LIFE COACH

(John 14:25&26) All this I have spoken while I was still with you.  But the Advocate, The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Jesus died on the cross to be an atonement for the sins of the world.  This includes all sins past, present, and future.  I became a recipient of his great sacrifice when I surrendered to him and put my trust in him.  At that moment, The Father forgave all my sins: past, present, and future; and He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell me and become my teacher.

Since that beautiful experience of salvation, the Holy Spirit has led me on the path of righteousness.  When I falter, he corrects me; and I repent.  There were times when I resisted, but he never gave up on me.  He was training me to become more like Jesus.  I will still be in training till my last breath.

Justification means that our sins are forgiven. That happens when we receive salvation.  Sanctification is the training that happens throughout the rest of our time here in this world.  The Holy Spirit seals us to identify us as God’s children, and he then takes on the task of our sanctification.  You might say he is our life coach.

There have been times when the Holy Spirit has tasked me with going to someone I have sinned against and asked for their forgiveness.  Difficult as that was, It always produced good fruit for them and me.  Over the years, the Holy Spirit has trained me in what to do when I faulter.  I have learned to first go to the Father and repent and then ask the offended person or persons for forgiveness.  

I believe complete righteousness happens after we leave our physical body.  Until then, we will wrestle with our sinful nature and the temptation from the devil.  God loves us, and he has provided us with the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us through this life till we go home to him.

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THE PROPHECIES THAT PREDICTED OUR REDEMPTION

(Isaiah 42:6-9) “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.  I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.  I am the Lord; that is my name!  I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.  See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Isaiah wrote around the years 740-700BC.  The accuracy of his prophecies has been proven time and time again, and he is considered to be the greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  Here in this passage, he quotes the words of the Father about the coming of Jesus his Son.  Our Easter celebration is about the fulfillment of the Father’s plan of redemption. 

As Isaiah predicted, Jesus brought to us the new covenant for the people.  He brought light to us who live in this sinful world, and he has set the captives free.  We have been released from the dungeon of darkness.  All this has been offered to the whole world.  And we are celebrating with our whole hearts.   

Jesus carried the sins of the world to the cross.  He died for our sins, and on the third day, the Father raised him to life in victory over death.  I can’t think of anything more worthy of celebration than this.  May our gratitude overflow as we celebrate our Savior, Christ Jesus – the Son of God.

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GOD CAN USE ALL THINGS FOR HIS PURPOSES

(Genesis 45:4&5) Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”  When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”

At our Bible study we are coming to the end of our study in the book of Genesis.  Today we were in chapter 45 where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. His brothers sold him into slavery when he was seventeen years old.  After 13 years as an Egyptian slave, he rose to become the most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.  During a famine, his brothers traveled to Egypt to buy food for their families.  When they arrived, They did not recognize their brother Joseph, he looked like an Egyptian and used an interpreter to speak to them.  On their second trip, he finally revealed himself to them in a very emotional interchange. 

Genesis is full of great stories that reveal the character of our God, and how he is continually involved in his creation.  Here in the story of Joseph, we see that the tragedy of brothers selling one of their own into slavery is used by God to bring about the saving not only Joseph’s family but all of Egypt and the regions surrounding Egypt. 

When Joseph’s brothers were still afraid that he was going to take revenge on them, Joesph stated clearly, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  So then, don’t be afraid.  I will provide for you and your children.”  And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them (Genesis 50:20&21).

Through it all Joseph learned to forgive his brothers, his brothers learned humility and repentance, and God moved Abraham’s children into Egypt where they spent four hundred and thirty years before God returned them to the promised land.  As the Israelites went about their daily lives, God used their choices to continue his plan for his chosen people.   As we go about our daily lives, God is still incorporating our choices in his plan for creation.  We are part of the continuing story.

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BEING AWARE OF THE SCHEMES OF THE ENEMY

(2Corinthians 2:10&11) Anyone you forgive, I also forgive.  And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Why is there so much hostility in the world even among God’s children?  The answer is twofold: humans have a sinful nature, and the lies of a scheming enemy. It is our sinful nature that the enemy uses to taunt us – seeking to lead us into evil.  How do we fight against this?

 Jesus taught us how to overcome our sinful nature and the lies of the enemy.  Being humble before our God is the way to start.  When we recognize that without Jesus, we can do nothing; it sets us in that humble place.  We were created to be in close relationship with our creator. We were not created to stand alone.  God is for us, not against us.  In this, we humbly surrender our pride to access the tools God has given us.

One of the most important lesson Jesus taught us is to forgive one another. He has forgiven us; he, therefore, instructs us to be forgiving, as he is forgiving. If we truly forgive each other, the enemy has nothing to use to keep us at odds.  Taking the humble position, not holding on to an offence, and rebuking the enemy when he tries to remind us of the offence, gives us a victory over our sinful nature and the enemy’s schemes. 

Forgiving and forgetting an offence is not easy.  We can’t do it alone; We need Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us. Think about it.  Isn’t this how we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh?  The victory is ours if we humbly trust Jesus and do what he taught us to do.

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GOD’S WRATH

(John 3:36) Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

God is just. So, to think that there won’t be a reckoning for our sins is foolish.  Especially since he sent his Son to provide us with a way to avoid his judgment, and not only to avoid his judgement, but to be completely forgiven of our sins and become his children for all eternity.

Here in this life, we are all subject to the good and bad parts of life.  The difference is that God’s children, though they will die like everyone else, will go on to eternal life with their creator.  Those who reject what Jesus has offered will not see this eternal life, and they will be subject to God’s wrath.

All throughout the Old Testament, we have stories that tell of God’s wrath. For instance, the flood in which all but eight of the people on the earth were drowned, the destruction in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave, and Korah’s rebellion where the earth opened and swallowed up his whole clan (see Numbers chapter 16). Being under the wrath of God is a terrible thing.  This is God’s world, and he has the right to judge his created ones.  Aren’t we glad that he is long-suffering, gracious and full of love for us.

God has provided an easy way for us to avoid his wrath.  All we need to do is to accept the work of his Son who died for our sins.  Then we can begin a restored relationship with our God.  The only difficult part is that we must humbly acknowledge that we have sinned, and that we need forgiveness. We must repent.  If we refuse to acknowledge our need for Jesus, we will have to pay for our sins. The pride of mankind will lead us down a path of destruction. Wisdom says humble yourself and come join the children of God.  I can personally vouch that you will not be sorry.  It is the only logical choice.

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DO NOT FRET

(Psalm 37:7-11) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.  A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.  But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. 

 Have you ever been scammed?  What a horrible feeling when you realize someone has stolen your money, and that they fooled you into giving it to them.  Well, the words from Psalm 37 tell us not to fret; the wicked will lose in the end.    

We are also instructed to, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.”  When the initial shock of our loss is over, we need to be careful.  The scammer can steal something much more valuable.  We can lose our joy, peace of mind, and even be plagued by unhealthy fear.  There is also the danger of falling into a time of hate and a desire for revenge.  To avoid these reactions, we need to turn to the Lord our God.

To fret means to worry, agonize, and struggle.  That means if we fret over our loss, evil wins a victory over us that can lead to all kinds of destruction in our lives.  But if we are, “…still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” He will guide us into personal victory over evil.  Those who are evil and refuse to repent will be destroyed. “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

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THE DANGER OF THE UNSAVED WORLD

(Ephesians 4:17-19) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

Isn’t it interesting that the world around the Ephesian Christians sounds like the present-day world?  Think about the words “futility of their thinking”.  In our times there seems to be frequent opportunity to form the question, “what were they thinking”?  As you read through today’s scripture, I think you’ll find that the Apostle Paul clarifies why the thinking of the world of today is illogical. 

Paul wanted the Ephesians to be careful to not fall into the darkened understanding and separation from the life of God that was going on all around them.  The world has definitely not changed regarding its spiritual condition.  Therefore, Paul’s warning is as significant for God’s children today, as it was in his day.

The common statement, “we are in the world, but not of the world,”2 is relevant.  We are members of God’s eternal kingdom, and no longer of this fallen world.  We are the redeemed, so therefore, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into living as Jesus taught us.  Jesus said that we are salt and light to the world around us.  So not living as the unsaved world is paramount.  We cannot be salt and light for our neighbors, if we are living the same life as those who live in darkness.

2 see Jesus’ prayer in John Chapter 17

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THE FLOOD

(Genesis 6:5&6) The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

God set in motion a plan to bring a worldwide flood on the earth that would reboot his creation.  The flood would eliminate all of mankind, sparing only eight people. Before the flood people lived 800 to 900 years, but after the flood, man would be allowed only 120 years of life.  Rain did not fall on the pre-flood world because water came from springs in the ground, but since the flood, rain has been the method for watering earth.  The sons of God no longer married the daughters of man as was done before the flood.  These are only a few of the changes that God made. I assume there were many.

I tried to figure out how long the preflood world lasted.  My best guess is somewhere in the range of 1,600 years. To get an idea of how long that is count back 1,600 years, and you’ll find yourself in the year AD 425.  That is around the time of the fall of the Roman Empire.  God was surely patient with those early humans.

I have heard people say, “I can’t believe that a loving God would wipe out all those people.”  Well perhaps he was simply showing them mercy.  They were living in a world where every heart was bent on evil, and their life span was hundreds of years. That sounds like the flood must have brought them relief.  I’m reminded that death is only part of the physical world.  When they died, their spirits went to the spirit realm.

 God never lost sight of them, and he didn’t annihilate them.  Peter tells us in his first letter: (1Peter 3:18-20) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built…

God created this world, and he has always loved his created ones.  He is working out a plan that is way beyond our understanding.  Remember, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

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THE FEAR OF THE LORD

(Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all the features that now exist on the earth.  According to the Word, all these things he spoke into existence.  There is one exception- the creation of man.  God formed man with his hands from the soil of the earth.  There was something about mankind that required his personal touch.  After the completion of creation, the Bible focuses on God’s interaction with mankind. 

God created a special garden for the first man and woman; he gave them purpose by commanding them to keep and till the earth and to populate the earth, and he gave them one thou shalt not.  He told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They eventually decided to ignore God’s warning, and they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That decision was the first sin, it brought separation between God and his created ones, and evil and death to all of creation. God brought judgement on Adam and Eve, but he immediately began his plan to redeem them.

From that very day and continuing to today, sin has wrought immense havoc on the earth.  There were times when God had had enough and brought judgement to the people. The worldwide flood was the first example.  Only eight people survived to repopulate the world.  Sodom and Gomorrah experienced annihilation as God rained fire and brim stone upon them.  There are other recorded examples of God’s sovereign interventions that demonstrate his power over his creation.  Through it all, God’s plan of redemption for his people was progressing.

Finally, God’s plan to redeem us was completed with the coming of his Son.  Jesus lived for 33 years among us and then he even experienced death.  His death was not the same as ours, in as much as he who was without sin, took our sins upon himself.  Then the power of God raised him from the dead.  God’s plan to redeem us from our sins was completed. 

So, let’s visit our topic of fearing the Lord.  Should we fear God?  Yes, the one who has ultimate power over his creation deserves reverent respect.  We should also love God.  He gave us life, redeemed us from our sins and rebellion, forgave us, and offered us a life in heaven with him for all eternity.  All of this is because he loves us and has always desired to be with us.

Unlike other things we fear that make us want to run away, the fear of God should draw us closer to him.  He is the eternal source of truth and knowledge.  It is foolishness to deny God his desire to be close to us.

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LEADING THE PERFECT LIFE

(Psalm 119: 1-4) Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the lord. Blessed are those who keep his statues and seek him with all their heart – they do no wrong but follow his ways.  You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Ah, living the perfect unreproachable life.  Can you imagine being perfect in all your ways?  You would have to follow all God’s decrees, do no wrong, and therefore have no regrets.  Well, the Bible says that none of us have achieved this distinction.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God.

There are a couple of factors that stand in the way of the perfect life.  We are born with a sinful, rebellious nature, and we have an enemy that constantly works at tempting us to sin.  Even when we come to God and find his love for us, we still fight the tendency to go our own way.  The Apostle Paul sums up this dilemma in Romans 7:21-25, So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In Psalm 119 verses 5-8, the Psalmist, like Paul, laments over his failure to follow God’s decrees.  Don’t all of us who love the Lord desire to be righteous in his eyes?  In Jesus, God made a way.  Jesus took our sins and the punishment for those sins upon himself.  Through the righteousness of Jesus, we now stand righteous in the eyes of God. Since we could not accomplish perfection on our own, Jesus did it for us.

As long as we are here on earth, the perfect life will allude us, but the time will come when all will be set right. For all who remain in Jesus, the perfect life will be ours forever.  As we enter this season of Christ’s advent, let us celebrate deep in our hearts the true reason for the Christmas season.  We have been reconciled to our creator; and through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we are perfect in his eyes.