On of the sad realities of modern Christianity is we sometimes give the wrong idea when trying to teach a positive truth. For instance, I love the doctrine of grace, it was not taught much in my early stages of Christianity, but it is at the heart and core of the Gospel. God is full of grace and is willing to forgive. However, that does not mean we should go and make horrible decisions because we know God will forgive us. This is the very point Paul is making in Romans 6.
In our zeal to be loving and non judgemental, which is good, we can give others an excuse to sin. In chapters 1-5 Paul explains that we are saved not by our works, but by the grace of God through faith (more discussion is needed there, but this is not the time). Perhaps, part of the problem is we don't see sin the same way that God does. Perhaps, we have been deceived to think it is not that big of a deal. You hear some say things like, "oh I can't help it, it was how I was raised." Or, "it is a lifestyle choice." Or, "you have to change with the times." And of course, "you without sin cast the first stone." (I think they are missing the whole point Jesus is making there).
What is the cost of sin? The cross. We make pendants, wall hangings, pretty pictures, and such of the cross. However, it is a vile thing when you consider what it really is. Capital punishment to the extreme is not pretty. It is horrible to look upon, it is a bit sickening to consider, it is nothing any of us want to be near. Yet, the Son of God choose to take on the humiliation, excruciating pain, and the alienation associated with the cross because of the vile nature of sin.
If we love someone we do what we can to protect them from harm. We shelter them from abuse and pain when we can. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." The Lord knows us and knows that when we sin it hurts us, it hurts those around us, and it hurts him. If we truly love the Lord perhaps we need to consider the pain we cause the Lord when we willingly sin know what the cost of sin.
A word we do not use often enough is, "repent." To truly be sorry for the sins we have committed. That means more than being upset about the consequences but making a conscious decision to not commit those sins again. We need to grow to hate the sins we struggle with and wage war upon them. We wage war with the renewing of our minds through Scripture, the power of prayer, and accountability of fellow Christians.
It would do us all good to meditate upon the cross daily. Consider the agony of Mary as she saw her son on the cross. Let me illustrate it with the word of Jack Cottrell:
"What do you think she felt as she watched the soldiers nail her son to the cross? As she watched them nail the large nails through his writs and feet, as she watched Him writhe in agony, what was going on in her heart? Do you think for a moment she would have gone over there and said to the soldiers, "Give me the hammer. Let me drive some nails into His hands?" How utterly preposterous! Her heart was breaking with every pounding of the hammer!
Picture yourself at the same scene. How would you have felt, watching the soldiers nail the body of your Savior to the cross? how would you have felt, knowing that it was your sins that were nailing HIm there? Would you have wept in sorrow and agony? Would you have denounced your sins on the spot, filled with loathing and hatred for them? Or would you have gone over to the soldiers and said, "Give me the hammer. Let me drive some nails into His hands"?... Every time you decide to do something you know is wrong, you are saying, "Give me the hammer!" You are piercing Him to the very depths of His heart..." (from his sermon, "Give me the hammer")
Sound too harsh? Give it some thought, more importantly give some thought to your own sins and what it does to the heart of God and Read Romans 6.
Here are this week's texts:
August 15, 2013 Ps 33–35, Rom 6:1–7:6, Ps 94:14–23,
Prov 20:12–14
August 16, 2013 Ps 36–37, Rom 7:7–25, Ps 95:1–4,
Prov 20:15–16
August 17, 2013 Ps 38–41, Rom 8:1–30, Ps 95:5–11,
Prov 20:17–18
August 18, 2013 Ps 42–45, Rom 8:31–9:13, Ps 96:1–7,
Prov 20:19–20
August 19, 2013 Ps 46–49, Rom 9:14–33, Ps 96:8–13,
Prov 20:21–23
August 20, 2013 Ps 50–54, Rom 10, Ps 97, Prov
20:24–26
August 21, 2013 Ps 55–57, Rom 11, Ps 98, Prov
20:27–28
August 22, 2013 Ps 58–62, Rom 12, Ps 99:1–3, Prov
20:29–30
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