Your Sin Remains

"Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'we see,' your sin remains.'" - John 9:41

From the time we learn to walk and talk, our parents teach us what is right and wrong. We're not supposed to lie, cheat, steal, hurt others, etc. It's really not as simple, though, as we get older, is it? Suddenly, those things that we learned we're not supposed to do, become things that aren't that big of a deal to do. Things we tell our friends about, but would never tell our parents. Because all of our friends do it, and the people we watch on tv, it becomes the norm and then it's not necessarily bad.

Well, wrong is wrong, no matter how many people commit the sin. Think about certain things in your life where you are committing a sin, but don't feel it's so bad, although you are very well aware it is a sin. I feel this is part of Jesus' message to the Pharisees. As teachers of the law, they had very clear definitions of what everything meant. They knew the law from A to Z, and yet, they were the worst sinners Jesus ever encountered! The Lord's mercy knows no end, but it will not get you off the hook for doing something you know for a fact you're not supposed to be doing! The Pharisees said they could see, meaning they understood and since they understood, they could not be forgiven. Those who do not know the law could never be held accountable for the sins they commit, since they do not see. In the same way, you, if you know what is wrong, and you do it anyway, your sin remains. This is the type of sin that ruins your relationship with God. It separates you from God's grace, making it hard for your soul to find its way back. That's why those deep in sin keep falling and have a tough time recovering. Never carry this type of burden around. It's a dead, needless weight and only leads to more sin and death.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I see but am actually blind to many sins I carry. Give me the strength to do away with what disappoints You, what my conscience tells me that is clearly wrong, but I find myself doing anyway. I know all things are possible with You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

No Record of Wrongs

"Love overcomes anger and forgets offenses." - 1st Corinthians 13:5

I know a girl who committed a sin she is very ashamed of. Immediately, the walls went up between her and God, but God wasn't the one who raised them, she did. I look at myself and think of the times I've offended someone and needed to apologize. I find that I keep my distance and not talk to the person, hoping they'll get over it because it makes me feel bad that they're so angry with me. It takes a lot to apologize so it's easier for me to stay away. A lot of us tend to take this route with the Lord. We do something we know God wouldn't like and/ or continue to do it, and we distance ourselves from God because of the guilt we feel, or because we think we're just not compatible with Him.

In this verse, Paul tells us that even though that's how we are, God is not like this. In his gospel, the apostle John said that God is love, and this God, who is perfect love, does not hold on to grudges from the times we have offended Him. Another translation says that love does not keep a record of wrongs. That's what we do! We keep a checklist of what others have done to us and we also keep a checklist of sins we've committed, reasons we've made up to justify why we stay away from God and why we're not worthy. We all need to take a step back and realize that God is love and God understands all that we go through. All we do in life is part of a journey we need to take to discover ourselves, so no sin should keep us away from trying to get back to God. He waits for each and every one of us with open arms. Forgetting our offenses, He always waits in love for our return.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, You are so good. You forget the sins I've commited and cast them out of Your site when I seek You. No matter what I've done, You still love me and wait for my return. Lord, don't ever let me forget Your great mercy, love and compassion for me. I love You. In Your Name we pray, amen.