Seeing Sin as Sin

So yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centers in NYC. As I was trolling Facebook yesterday, I watched some videos that were posted that took me right back to 2001, and I felt, once again, the sting of the horrific events that unfolded that day. I read some recollections of friends who posted, and I got to thinking that in those days, we saw sin for what it was. We saw the horror perpetrated on American citizens and we decided that there was nothing too drastic to do to find justice for those who were killed. We were not whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, or Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, or Mormons, or even men and women. We were Americans...we were "One Nation Under God!"

But as I look back on that paragraph that I just wrote, I realize something else about that day. We did not see our sin. We saw the sins of those who committed these violent acts. We saw the sins of the organizations behind them, supporting them, funding them. We saw the sin of dictators around the world who hate us, and would do anything to keep America from being the great nation it is.

But we didn't see our sin. We didn't see that the ripple effects of such a horrific attack were really the result of the first sin...which is, but inheritance, ours. You see, the Bible tells us that Adam (the first to introduce sin into this world) is the father of all who came after him. And as a result, we inherit his nature...the sin nature. Every man, woman and child ever born after that has been born with a sin nature. We are all guilty, and we are all sinners. So when we see sin, no matter who is doing it, we must see it as ours...and it should grieve us.

When we see sin as sin, a couple of things happen. We see in Isaiah chapter six, when Isaiah comes face-to-face with God Himself, what is he struck with? He is struck with the fact that he is a sinner, and he is standing in the presence of the Holiest of Holy Beings! Now the wonderful things happen right after that and Isaiah is forgiven, pardoned and covered so that he can go on and do the work that God has called him to do, but he is initially struck with his sin because of God's holiness. When we see sin for what it really is, we will be struck again with just how holy God is.

The second thing that should happen when we see our sin for what it is that it makes us sick. When we see God for who He is, and see us for who we are, and see sin for what it is, it should really make us grieve. We are called to live holy lives in the midst of this unholy culture, but God is good, and He is not only able, but willing and ready to forgive us and use us for His purposes.

So do you see your sin for what it is? Do you see your sin in light of Who God is? If not, take some time today and get your focus on God, and ask His forgiveness for the things that are not right in your life, and then live for Him!

Comment below if you'd like to share anything about what you were doing or your reaction to 9/11. And we'll see you on Sunday!

Hypocrites

This week is our final week in James chapter 1. We will be looking at the final two verses of this chapter, so to get a head start feel free to read over this section several times before Sunday. If you want to read it in several different versions of Scripture, then click here. We will mostly be talking on Sunday about our tongue and how we can learn to tame it, and why.

But today, I want us to focus on something else this passage has to say. This passage tells us that if we fail to control what comes out of our mouths, it will be our undoing. Now I know we live in a society where the 3 second sound bite is all the rage. We take things out of context and "spin" it to fit our own agenda. And as such, many in the public eye are careful about what they say. But the truth of the matter is that our words will do one of two things. They will either prove that what we have to say is true, or they will prove us to be hypocrites.

Hypocrisy is one of the biggest reasons people use to stay away from the church. They say the church is full of them, and if that's the case, why should they be a part of it. My usual reaction to this comment is, "Yep! I agree." Usually I get a sideways glance, but then I get to tell them why I agree with them.

Generally it is because all of us have an issue in this area. We all say one thing, when what is true is something totally different. Even those of us who claim to be totally honest will fib about something to keep feelings from being hurt or from getting ourselves into trouble. We do it without thinking about it because it is a part of how we are built...with a natural bent to sin.

So, in essence, we are all hypocrites. We all say one thing and then do another. We are sinners...plain and simple. So if you call me a hypocrite, I'm not going to argue with you. But I will encourage you to admit your own hypocrisy. And when you do, then perhaps we can start having conversations that will lead us toward the holiness that God wants for us as believers.

I don't know...it's just something I thought about today.

Comment below and we will see you on Sunday!

Celebration Week 6

This week we've heard some hard things for us to hear. I hope that you can find encouragement in what we've said and understand that these things are not said to knock us down and depress us, but to
"spur us on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24)

It is also my sincere hope that as you continue to walk in obedience to the Word of God that you read each and every day that you will find yourself continuing to become more holy and more like Jesus. This holiness that you exhibit will be the light that shines to a dark world that denies the very existence of God. We know Him, and to know Him is to love Him and to love Him is to obey Him. So walk in the knowledge, love and obedience of God to a life beyond anything that you could have imagined!

And CELEBRATE!!

And we'll see you Sunday!

Ascent Week 6

Psalm 125

1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
       which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
       so the LORD surrounds his people
            both now and forevermore.

3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
      over the land allotted to the righteous,
   for then the righteous might use
      their hands to do evil

4 LORD, do good to those who are good,
     to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
     the LORD will banish with the evildoers.

    Peace be on Israel.


We will see you tomorrow!

Holiness Breeds Perfection (you didn't misread that...read on...)

Holiness is what we are to strive for. Check out these passages of Scripture and then let's talk:

1 Peter 1:13-16

Matthew 5:43-48

In the first passage, we find Peter speaking to those who are going through incredible trial. He is calling them to set themselves apart for the task of being holy. He is calling them to be sober, to be focused, to be in complete control so that they keep their hope on Jesus. He wants them to not conform to the patterns of this world (see Romans 12:2 also), but to, in contrast, live holy lives. And why does Peter say to live those holy lives? Because the One Who granted them their life is holy, and therefore, we must be holy too.

You see, our holiness is a reflection of Christ already at work in us. So we need to make sure that our lives demonstrate that holiness. So how are you doing there, Christian? Are you living your life in a manner that would be accused of being "holy"? If not, then it is never too late to begin to demonstrate holiness in your life.

In the second passage, we find Jesus challenging His disciples to love their enemies just as they love their neighbors. They are called to do good to those who hate them, pray for them, and treat them as God has treated them. Jesus concludes these comments with the words, "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

I don't know about you, but I was always told that perfection in this life is impossible. And I agree with it to a point. But friends, there are couple of things that I want you to understand. First of all, if Jesus says, "Be perfect," then He expects those who follow Him to be perfect. It's not a negotiable item on the list.

"But Pastor Jim, perfection is impossible!" I'm not so sure. If Jesus commanded it (and He did...we just read it), then He's going to give us the grace (the power to do what He wants us to do) to do it. He doesn't call us to perfection because we are perfect. He calls us to perfection so that we will always be striving toward that perfection. And what you say is impossible...well, let me just direct you to Luke 1:37, where the angel says to Mary, "Most things are possible with God." Wait, what? No that's not what it says. It says, "All but a few things are possible with God." No, no, no, no, no! It says (for real this time), "NOTHING is impossible with God." Nothing! Even perfection in this life.

"Well if someone were perfect, we'd never hear the end of it!" I'm not so sure about that either. Because if someone were perfect in the way that God is perfect, wouldn't patience and humility also be a part of that? I think there is something to be said that we can be perfect.

I think far too often, we cop out and say, "Well perfection is not really what God wants. So I will just live the best I can." Stop it right now! The best you can is awful, just like the best I can do is awful. God desires perfection, and we can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

So don't settle! Don't stop trying! Don't stop setting the bar at perfection! It's not impossible. GO FOR IT!!!!!

We'll see you Sunday!

Do Not Love the World

This week we look at God. We look at God as the author of the good things that happen in our lives. We will also look at where temptation comes from. So in the days leading up to our ascent into Sunday, we will talk about two things: the world and the new man.

Before we begin, please read 1 John 2:15-17.

As we look at these verses, there are several things that come out here. I want to touch on three today.

1) Love for the world is hatred toward God. No please don't misinterpret what John is saying here. He is not saying that we should not love the people of the world (Jesus said that God so loved the world in John 3:16). This love of the world is a love of the things in the world. It is a love of the way that the world works and solves problems. It is a love that seeks to set the world as the final authority rather than God. A love for the world in this sense is akin to idolatry and we all know what God thinks about that.

But we are called to not love the world. We are called to love God, and His ways are diametrically opposed to the way the world handles the same problems. God doesn't want His children to make themselves at home in this world. He calls us to be separate, set apart, or holy. "Be holy because I am holy." He told the nation of Israel and the church through Peter (1 Peter 1:16).

2) The world's desires are contrary to the desires of God. Notice the list of things that are "of the world" in 1 John 2:16.

The Lust of the Eyes: This is everything that we set before our eyes that we could desire over God. Normally we think of things like coveting things and power or position when we think of this particular lust, but it could also be craving things to be different in a relationship, or even in one's church. These are things that we must avoid. It comes down to contentedness, and we need to be content if we are going to be holy.

The Lust of the Flesh: This desiring to fulfill our body's need for those things that expressly forbidden in the Scriptures. Things like sex outside of marriage, allowing ourselves to be focused on someone else besides our spouse, or even flirtation with another person who is not our spouse. It can also include sins like gluttony and being too focused on our appearances. We must avoid these kinds of things if we are going to be holy as well.

And finally, The Pride of Life: These are all the things in this life that cause us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. We are called to be humble like Jesus (Philippians 2) and when we choose to puff ourselves up, we give in to the Pride of Life. If we are going to be holy as God wants us to, then we need to give up anything that might be considered pride...even our false humility.

3) Those who do God's will will live forever. The world and its desires are going to pass. God's will and those who do God's will are going to live for eternity. I want to be one of those people, and I know you do to.

Thanks for reading the blog today. I know it was long, but keep on reading and following us. And feel free to comment below. And we'll see you Sunday!