Thursday, November 17, 2011

Christ--God's solution to our sin

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Bible urges, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). In this we have failed, failed miserably. Every single day, we thumb our nose at God by violating His rules. Even worse, Scripture says whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). Do just one thing wrong and you are a lawbreaker, a criminal, a sinner who deserves nothing from God but punishment and has no rightful place in His home when you die.

Yet amazingly your situation is not hopeless. God loves you despite your sin, loves you so much that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus was born into our dark world as the Son of Man to suffer the punishment for all human lawlessness. Christ died for those who struggle with pornography and inappropriate sexual attraction, those addicted to shopping and gambling, those who lash out because they are insecure or push others around because they feel entitled to. Whatever your failings, Jesus offered His life to spare you from God’s anger. The Savior of mankind has reopened heaven, and invites you to be His guest when this sorry life is over.

Through Jesus, God releases you from guilt. But He does more than that—He sends His Spirit to help you change and stop incurring so much guilt. John tells us, God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by 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, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:5-7). Thanks to the Son of God, the weight of our past mistakes is lifted and the prospect for our future has been rehabilitated in brightness!

So ask the Lord to change your heart. Ask Him to help you see how damaging sin is, and how ugly it makes each sinner. Ask Him to strengthen your resolve when given a choice between the righteous path or wallowing in filth. Pray for God’s mercy in Christ Jesus every day, knowing that You need forgiveness more frequently than you realize. Pray for God’s mercy every day, confident that because of Jesus, His forgiveness is unquestionably yours.

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