Let's talk about sin.
No, this post actually probably won't make you feel awful about yourself. :) Maybe I should say "repentance" instead of "sin." That's closer to where I'm going with this.
I figure almost everyone who reads my blog is also Facebook friends with me. And if you are, then you probably notice that a lot of my status updates are lyrics, quotes, and thoughts like,
"Some people worry about others becoming 'too devoted' to Christ. But I know how unfaithful I am. I know that no matter how devoted I become, it will NEVER be more than Christ deserves."
"Long to look on the face of the One that I love; long to stay in Your presence, it's where I belong."
"I don't wanna be just dry bones."
Don't those make me sound like such a great Christian? Haha.
Well, I'm not. (And those of you who know me pretty well already know that, unfortunately.) When I post things like that, it's usually after I do something stupid and realize how stupid it was. It's usually me repenting.
If y'all are like me, then you usually wait a while to repent after you've screwed up. If you're like me, then after you sin a little bit, you say, "Oh, what's the point? I've already failed. I might as well just keep living like this for a while." And you wait until you're completely disgusted with yourself, till you've sunken so low that you crawl back to God and lament,
"I just can't do this anymore. Please, will you take me back?"
Now, here's the thing. We could never live lives of holiness on our own. I know I can't. ANY good deed, good thought, good intention that comes out of me is from God. We know this to be true.
So the thing to do is to REPENT IMMEDIATELY. Yeah, I think that deserves Caps Lock. As soon as we begin to feel ourselves compromising -- in any way -- we need to turn back to God right then.
No more feelings of failure driving us further from our King.
We need to accept His free gift of grace and move forward into holiness.
I think the following passage fits perfectly with my point. It brings some conviction, but it also brings grace and hope. The entire passage is absolutely key, but the parts I made bold are my focus right now:
4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
--James 4:4-10, ESV
I think that says it all.
