Psalm 38
In this petition, David vividly describes the effects of sin. It is not clear to me if David is writing literally or figuratively but, regardless, it is clear that sin has devestating effects on the sinner. There are two issues: David's sickness at his own sin and his enemies' plots to take advantage of David's weakness. Twice in the opening section David states that "there is no health in my body." (v. 3, 7) and the rest of the psalm expands on that theme. It is clear that David believes that his current situation is a direct result of his sin (v. 5) and God's wrath in response to his sin. It is interesting to me that David would beg the very one who is causing his pain to bring relief. You might think that the human response would be to run and hide from the one who is bringing you pain but David recognizes that the Lord is the source of his strength and life and so, at the end of the psalm, he petitions the Lord to not forsake him and to come to his aid.
I don't often feel the weight of my sin like David does in this psalm. There have been too few times where I have been pierced with guilt, where the very strength has poured out of my body, because I have disobeyed Christ. The problem, of course, is that whether I feel it or not, the wounds of sin continue to fester and continue to rot my spirit like an unseen cancer rots a person's body. I am afraid that unless the Spirit makes my heart more sensitive to my sins that I will not deal with my sinfulness until it blows up all over the place. Just like I would rather deal with a cancer before it takes out some vital organs, I would rather deal with my sins before they destroy my family, discredit my ministry and bring shame to the name of Christ. Spirit of God, would you please show me those cherished sins that I have grown so accustomed to that I am no longer aware that they are sin and have been dulled to their insiduous work? Then, would you please give me the strength and the desire to allow you to root them out of my life?
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Monday, June 8, 2009
restoration process
Matthew 18:15-17
The key word in this passage is listen. It is repeated three times. Jesus is teaching his disciples what to do when another disciple sins. In the immediate context it is likely that Jesus is specifically referencing the sin of individualism and causing a humbled one to stumble. This is reinforced by the assumed response of the offender - they don't listen.
The process Jesus lays out is for one person who notices the sin to point out the fault to the other disciple in private. If the offending disciple does not listen, the one who noticed the sin should take one or two others along. If the offending disciple still does not listen, the one who noticed the sin should inform the faith community. If the offending disciple still does not listen, the church is to treat them like a pagan or tax collector.
There are two things that convict me. The first is that I skip the first step in the process entirely. I am too much of a politician and I want to know that people will back me up if I go and confront someone so I reveal the offense to a few others before I go to the offender. This is gossip! I must stop doing this! I must grow a pair and stop being afraid of confrontation that I know is, for the most part, motivated by love. Most of the time I truly want the best for the person I need to confront.
Second is how the church is supposed to treat the unrepentant offender. I think I've read this so long as, "Cast that person out and have nothing to do with them." I think what Jesus is saying is, "If they do not listen to the church, they are likely not truly my disciple. You must speak the truth in love to them in the same way that you would speak truth in love to anyone who is not yet my disciple. You must pursue them like the shepherd pursues the lost sheep. You must lead them to repentance and to true faith." In the context of the shepherd of 100 sheep who loses one, this reading makes the most sense. This is why I love doing devo's this way - I am more consistent which allows me to see things in context better which gives me a better and fuller understanding of the Word. Thanks for doing this with me!
The key word in this passage is listen. It is repeated three times. Jesus is teaching his disciples what to do when another disciple sins. In the immediate context it is likely that Jesus is specifically referencing the sin of individualism and causing a humbled one to stumble. This is reinforced by the assumed response of the offender - they don't listen.
The process Jesus lays out is for one person who notices the sin to point out the fault to the other disciple in private. If the offending disciple does not listen, the one who noticed the sin should take one or two others along. If the offending disciple still does not listen, the one who noticed the sin should inform the faith community. If the offending disciple still does not listen, the church is to treat them like a pagan or tax collector.
There are two things that convict me. The first is that I skip the first step in the process entirely. I am too much of a politician and I want to know that people will back me up if I go and confront someone so I reveal the offense to a few others before I go to the offender. This is gossip! I must stop doing this! I must grow a pair and stop being afraid of confrontation that I know is, for the most part, motivated by love. Most of the time I truly want the best for the person I need to confront.
Second is how the church is supposed to treat the unrepentant offender. I think I've read this so long as, "Cast that person out and have nothing to do with them." I think what Jesus is saying is, "If they do not listen to the church, they are likely not truly my disciple. You must speak the truth in love to them in the same way that you would speak truth in love to anyone who is not yet my disciple. You must pursue them like the shepherd pursues the lost sheep. You must lead them to repentance and to true faith." In the context of the shepherd of 100 sheep who loses one, this reading makes the most sense. This is why I love doing devo's this way - I am more consistent which allows me to see things in context better which gives me a better and fuller understanding of the Word. Thanks for doing this with me!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Some kind of zombie...
Romans 6:11-14
Observe:
Death and life are key words in this section. There are also a lot of imperatives: count yourself dead to sin, do not let sin reign, do not offer yourself to sin. This is a list of commands that will enable someone to find the true life that faith offers.
Another key phrase is "in Christ." Paul uses this phrase a lot (not so far in Romans but in his other letters).
Interpret:
Paul is calling the believer to live out what has already taken place: they are dead to sin and Paul calls the believer to count themselves dead to sin. There is a progression to victory over sin: count yourself dead to it, refuse to let sin reign and offer the parts of your body to God for his use and glory.
Paul uses what seems like an oxymoron: in order to live by faith, you first must die. The just will live by faith by dying to themselves and to sin and living to God.
Apply:
The reality of my situation is that I am no longer enslaved to sin. Paul is calling me to live out that reality in my life. It is true that it is a work of God everytime that I don't sin but it is also true that I need to recognize that the work of God is not just one particular sin in one particular time but that his work has freed me from all sin for all time. I need to "count myself" dead to sin and refuse to recognize its rule - it has no right to rule my life. The reality is that I have died to sin but, like some kind of zombie, I keep on coming back to live to sin. This is where the miracle comes in: I have been so conditioned by sin to obey it and my soul has preferred sin for so long that it is going to take a miracle for me to live the reality of being released from its mastery over me. Like a prisoner who's been set free after a virtual lifetime of incarceration, it is going to take me a while to get used to my new freedom. God not only frees me but he helps me to live (really live!) in that freedom. This shows me just how weak and incapable I am apart from him.
Observe:
Death and life are key words in this section. There are also a lot of imperatives: count yourself dead to sin, do not let sin reign, do not offer yourself to sin. This is a list of commands that will enable someone to find the true life that faith offers.
Another key phrase is "in Christ." Paul uses this phrase a lot (not so far in Romans but in his other letters).
Interpret:
Paul is calling the believer to live out what has already taken place: they are dead to sin and Paul calls the believer to count themselves dead to sin. There is a progression to victory over sin: count yourself dead to it, refuse to let sin reign and offer the parts of your body to God for his use and glory.
Paul uses what seems like an oxymoron: in order to live by faith, you first must die. The just will live by faith by dying to themselves and to sin and living to God.
Apply:
The reality of my situation is that I am no longer enslaved to sin. Paul is calling me to live out that reality in my life. It is true that it is a work of God everytime that I don't sin but it is also true that I need to recognize that the work of God is not just one particular sin in one particular time but that his work has freed me from all sin for all time. I need to "count myself" dead to sin and refuse to recognize its rule - it has no right to rule my life. The reality is that I have died to sin but, like some kind of zombie, I keep on coming back to live to sin. This is where the miracle comes in: I have been so conditioned by sin to obey it and my soul has preferred sin for so long that it is going to take a miracle for me to live the reality of being released from its mastery over me. Like a prisoner who's been set free after a virtual lifetime of incarceration, it is going to take me a while to get used to my new freedom. God not only frees me but he helps me to live (really live!) in that freedom. This shows me just how weak and incapable I am apart from him.
Friday, July 27, 2007
mastering death
Romans 6:8-10
Observe:
Repeated (key) words: die (in its various forms), live (in its various forms).
There is a word picture that involves death and slavery in the sense that the dead slave is no longer bound by obedience to his master. Paul compares the physical death and resurrection of Christ to the spiritual/moral death and resurrection of the believer.
Interpret:
Paul is arguing in this whole section (chapter 5 onward) that we live by faith. Here, he argues that we identify (by faith) with the death and resurrection of Christ which allows us to escape the mastery of sin and live the life that God expects us to. The other benefit is that Christ's death broke the "judicial link" (from the study notes) between sin and death, moving Christ beyond the reign of sin. As we identify with Christ's death and resurrection we also move beyond the reign of sin and escape death.
Apply:
I live by faith. All of this (life, escaping the judgement, etc.) is only possible through Christ. It is only possible to live the life God expects me to by identifying myself with Christ. It's like Korey and I talked about this morning: it's a miracle when I don't sin in the sense that it is truly only by the power/work of the Holy Spirit in me that I don't give in to my sinful desires. This raises the question: if I don't want to sin, do I work hard at not sinning or do I work hard at surrendering to the Holy Spirit? The answer is pretty obvious. Just as I can only be saved (or as Paul puts it, justified) by faith in the work of Christ on the cross, I can only live the life God desires by faith in the work of Christ in me.
Observe:
Repeated (key) words: die (in its various forms), live (in its various forms).
There is a word picture that involves death and slavery in the sense that the dead slave is no longer bound by obedience to his master. Paul compares the physical death and resurrection of Christ to the spiritual/moral death and resurrection of the believer.
Interpret:
Paul is arguing in this whole section (chapter 5 onward) that we live by faith. Here, he argues that we identify (by faith) with the death and resurrection of Christ which allows us to escape the mastery of sin and live the life that God expects us to. The other benefit is that Christ's death broke the "judicial link" (from the study notes) between sin and death, moving Christ beyond the reign of sin. As we identify with Christ's death and resurrection we also move beyond the reign of sin and escape death.
Apply:
I live by faith. All of this (life, escaping the judgement, etc.) is only possible through Christ. It is only possible to live the life God expects me to by identifying myself with Christ. It's like Korey and I talked about this morning: it's a miracle when I don't sin in the sense that it is truly only by the power/work of the Holy Spirit in me that I don't give in to my sinful desires. This raises the question: if I don't want to sin, do I work hard at not sinning or do I work hard at surrendering to the Holy Spirit? The answer is pretty obvious. Just as I can only be saved (or as Paul puts it, justified) by faith in the work of Christ on the cross, I can only live the life God desires by faith in the work of Christ in me.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
A Standing Ovation for Sin
Romans 1:24-32
Observe:
The connects back to the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness. There is a connecting word (therefore) that indicates that what happens next is the result of humans wisdom for foolishness and God's glory for the lesser glory of created things. The main punishment seems to be that God has given humans over to sexual impurity and perversion.
Paul uses the language of exchange or trading again - this time humans traded the truth of God for a lie and the worship of God for the worship and service of created things. The phrase "served created things" struck me - we don't just elevate their importance but we become enslaved to them when we do so.
God also abandoned humans to a sinful way of thinking (a depraved mind). Basically, because we preferred the lesser glory of created things to the greater glory of God, He surrendered us completely to that kind of thinking so that we can't help but prefer those things (apart from his intervention - Paul gets to that later) and suffer all the consequences of that preference.
Interpret:
The main argument of the passage is that because of humanity's choice (specifically Gentiles) to exchange the glory and wisdom of God as seen in creation for the lesser glory of created things (Paul actually says we traded God's glory for the glory of reptiles - good job humans!), God has "honoured" that choice and abandoned us to the consequences of that decision.
Paul's main point in Romans is that the just will live by faith. We are made righteous as a gift from God. He is proving here that we couldn't achieve this righteousness on our own because we have become such victims of our own choices that we have become totally depraved - we can't help but prefer the lesser glory of created things to the glory of God.
Paul is also saying that the pleasures of sin have actually become our punishment. This might not make sense at first glance (God punishes me by giving me over to sexual impurity? Wahoo!) but you don't have to look very far to see the emptiness and destruction that sexual impurity and perversion brings to people, families and society.
Apply:
First, I think that this passage actually settles the debate on homosexuality. It may have been a choice at one point but Paul makes it clear that God has given people over to it. I don't think most people would choose homosexuality - it almost always means secrecy, hardship and loss of relationship.
Second, I can find myself on the list of characteristics of someone who has a depraved mind: greed, envy, deceit, gossip, boastful, disobedient, etc. The words that jump out to me specifically are "they invent ways of doing evil." This is a huge inditement on our society and on me. We are not just content to do evil, we find ways of doing it differently, more and "better".
Third, the people that Paul is talking about know better and know that they deserve punishment but continue in sin anyway. He could be talking about me. How many times have I done something I knew was wrong or not done something I knew was right, regardless of the consequences? Too many to count.
Finally, the ultimate sin according to Paul is applauding the sinfulness of others. This stands as a huge condemnation on our society, on our churches and on myself. We hold up as heroes those who break speed limits - the faster the better! We honour those who find inventive ways of cheating the system or on the test. We listen with rapt attention to those stories about sexual conquest and applaud the conqueror. We applaud, rather than regret, sin.
Lord, have mercy...
Observe:
The connects back to the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness. There is a connecting word (therefore) that indicates that what happens next is the result of humans wisdom for foolishness and God's glory for the lesser glory of created things. The main punishment seems to be that God has given humans over to sexual impurity and perversion.
Paul uses the language of exchange or trading again - this time humans traded the truth of God for a lie and the worship of God for the worship and service of created things. The phrase "served created things" struck me - we don't just elevate their importance but we become enslaved to them when we do so.
God also abandoned humans to a sinful way of thinking (a depraved mind). Basically, because we preferred the lesser glory of created things to the greater glory of God, He surrendered us completely to that kind of thinking so that we can't help but prefer those things (apart from his intervention - Paul gets to that later) and suffer all the consequences of that preference.
Interpret:
The main argument of the passage is that because of humanity's choice (specifically Gentiles) to exchange the glory and wisdom of God as seen in creation for the lesser glory of created things (Paul actually says we traded God's glory for the glory of reptiles - good job humans!), God has "honoured" that choice and abandoned us to the consequences of that decision.
Paul's main point in Romans is that the just will live by faith. We are made righteous as a gift from God. He is proving here that we couldn't achieve this righteousness on our own because we have become such victims of our own choices that we have become totally depraved - we can't help but prefer the lesser glory of created things to the glory of God.
Paul is also saying that the pleasures of sin have actually become our punishment. This might not make sense at first glance (God punishes me by giving me over to sexual impurity? Wahoo!) but you don't have to look very far to see the emptiness and destruction that sexual impurity and perversion brings to people, families and society.
Apply:
First, I think that this passage actually settles the debate on homosexuality. It may have been a choice at one point but Paul makes it clear that God has given people over to it. I don't think most people would choose homosexuality - it almost always means secrecy, hardship and loss of relationship.
Second, I can find myself on the list of characteristics of someone who has a depraved mind: greed, envy, deceit, gossip, boastful, disobedient, etc. The words that jump out to me specifically are "they invent ways of doing evil." This is a huge inditement on our society and on me. We are not just content to do evil, we find ways of doing it differently, more and "better".
Third, the people that Paul is talking about know better and know that they deserve punishment but continue in sin anyway. He could be talking about me. How many times have I done something I knew was wrong or not done something I knew was right, regardless of the consequences? Too many to count.
Finally, the ultimate sin according to Paul is applauding the sinfulness of others. This stands as a huge condemnation on our society, on our churches and on myself. We hold up as heroes those who break speed limits - the faster the better! We honour those who find inventive ways of cheating the system or on the test. We listen with rapt attention to those stories about sexual conquest and applaud the conqueror. We applaud, rather than regret, sin.
Lord, have mercy...
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