Sunday, August 9, 2009

Whistling Past the Cross

If someone is guilty enough to die, it would be immoral for them to choose to allow an innocent person to die in their place so they can be freed. Jesus, while we were still His enemies died for us. He did this without asking our permission or putting us in the difficult position of having our freedom secured with the blood of an innocent. When we accept Him, we do so with the knowledge that He has already died for us and everyone else as well. It is only a matter of whether we will accept Him as our Savior and our Lord.

The Apostle Paul was one of the greatest persecutors the church has ever known. When he became a Christian he did so with the knowledge that he had imprisoned and had killed innocent followers of Jesus. Each time he had done this he had hurt Jesus. He carried around the burden of that guilt like a lead weight. Instead of immobilizing him it drove him to more and greater fame as an evangelist than he ever had in his notoriety as a persecutor. His burden was his starting block to put his foot upon to start the race rather than a stone around his neck to drag him into despair.

We hurt Jesus with our sins. It was our guilt, that we deserved to die for, that put Jesus on the cross in our place. Our self knowledge should lead us to a life where we strive much more to eliminate sin. Because he loves us enough to die and take away our sins, we should love Him enough to die to ourselves and turn away from our sins diligently working to put away our desires to commit them. We must never whistle past the cross merrily sinning away.

Recently I asked God to help me overcome sin in my life. Then as I reflected on it further realized that through Jesus I have overcome it. Then I asked for Him to help me overcome the commission of sin in my life because every time I sin I am hurting God. Shall we sin because we have grace? I was sinking deep in sin, Wheeeee! God, looking down upon His dying Son would disagree. We owe Him more, our love, and our lives.

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