“Your daddy preached a good sermon this morning,” my mom confided, concern heavy in her voice. “But all afternoon he’s been resting in his recliner and he’s gone to bed early. I think he must have the flu.” We had planned to take the four grandchildren to see their great grandparents on Monday and my mom’s call was a courtesy, not wanting any of us to be exposed to a germ. We agreed to talk again the next morning before heading out. When my dad felt worse the next day, we postponed our visit.
As his fever seemed to get worse instead of better after a week, my parents consulted their family physician who advised them to head to the emergency room. Being admitted took some time and when additional testing revealed a bacterial infection, specialists were consulted to determine the extent of the infection and the correct course of treatment. Daddy is still recovering in the hospital and I am thankful he didn’t wait any longer to seek help.
Isn’t this how we sometimes treat sin? We chalk it up to the human condition. We say it was just this one time or it really wasn’t that bad. We point to others whose trespasses are more grievous and excuse ourselves again and again until we are anesthetized to conscience, that still, small voice of reason, and finally we are immune even to the voice of God. One of the most sobering passages in the Bible is found in Romans 1. Paul, writing to believers in Rome, thanked God for their faith which was being talked about all over the world. (v.8) Paul acknowledged those who refused to worship God or even give Him thanks and instead worshipped idols and after listing the obvious results of their choice, he continued, “They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.”
(Romans 1:32) As if their own sins weren’t bad enough, they infect others with their influence. So God abandoned them to their shameful desires. (v.26) God abandoned them to their foolish thinking. (v.28)
Believers have God’s assurance that He will never abandon us. The writer of Hebrews quoted Moses’s charge to Joshua, to be strong and courageous for God has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Jesus assured His first followers before His death, resurrection and ascension that He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, Comforter, Encourager, and Counselor who would never leave us. (John 14:16-18) I’ve heard it said that God’s harshest judgment this side of eternity might actually be giving us our own way. I believe that’s what Paul warned the Romans about when he said God abandoned them to their foolish thinking and their shameful desires. God is not the proverbial clockmaker who wound up creation and walked away or only watches from a distance. He offers intimate fellowship to anyone who comes to Him in faith.
Before the recipients of Paul’s letter had a chance to look down their noses at their unbelieving neighbors, Paul barreled into chapter two with the reminder that “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
(Romans 3:23) “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
“You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse!
When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.
And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things.
Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?
Does this mean nothing to you?
Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”
Romans 2:1-4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.2.1-4.NLT
“The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/2pe.3.9.AMP
“Talking about sin is a little uncomfortable but the Bible doesn’t shy away and it describes it as slavery, not just bad behavior. This is why self control alone can’t break it. Chains don’t fall off by will power. They break when Somebody stronger steps in and breaks them.” ~Tom Carter, SXM The Message
“For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.”
Luke 11:21-22 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.11.21-22.NLT
Satan is the strong man, the spiritual father of all who remain under the wrath of God, unrepentant. Jesus is the stronger Man who by laying down His life once for all and taking it up again undid the power of sin and death.
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.
He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.2.13-15.NLT
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.
He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.
By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
Ephesians 2:1-5, 8-9 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.2.1-9.NLT
I did nothing to earn this victory. Christ stood in my place, bore my sins and their shame on the cross, was buried and raised on the third day and He is alive forever, seated in the place of ultimate authority at the right hand of God the Father. I am clothed in His righteousness. When God looks at me, He sees the finished work of Jesus. His grace is perfected in my weakness.
“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
Of course not!
Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”
Romans 6:1-2 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.1-2.NLT
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?
You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin.
Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.”
Romans 6:16, 19 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.16-19.NLT
“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.
We are no longer slaves to sin.
For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.”
Romans 6:6-8, 11-12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.6-12.NLT
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”
Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.12.4.NLT
And you never will because Jesus’s sacrificial death is sufficient. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Have you trusted fully in Him? Are you living from the victory over sin and death that He secured for you? Or are you still dragging around a dead man with all its habits and excuses when you could be walking in freedom?
“So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come.
He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world.
With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God.
For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”
Hebrews 9:11-12, 14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.9.11-14.NLT
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
John 8:36 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.8.36.NLT
Rescue ~Lauren Daigle https://youtu.be/9PugD11k3JU?is=2lF51L5YIf1NpzpY
Breathe On It ~ Tauren Wells https://youtu.be/9hW9sNMn2A0?is=aMt3x0CRERmrfD_-
What Grace Can Do ~Cochren&Co https://youtu.be/X1zXR79segI?is=KLwgwSeQ-g0ApESQ
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