Sin & The Cross

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.

 Romans 6:6 (NLT) 

Sin isn't a popular word these days.  People don't want to be categorized or condemned about any aspect of their behavior, but all we have to do is look around and see the things happening in the world to realize that sin is a reality. 

Sin is destructive - destructive to our lives in the form of addictions and negative behavior and destructive to our relationships in the form of hurtful words and actions.  We don't love ourselves and others as we should.

It doesn't take long to realize that we are prisoners of our sinful nature. God, in his great mercy and love, being very much aware of our condition, devised a plan to set us free.

There, upon the cross, Jesus took upon himself the weight of our sin. All of the pain we have caused to ourselves and others fell upon him. This is a great mystery, but, if we, by faith, see ourselves dying in him and with him on that cross, we are set free.


There are still the residual effects of sin in our lives and our feelings often don't agree, but we are declared to be righteous before God because of our faith in Jesus. From this position of acceptance, we can continue to grow in goodness and love. Just as the prickly old cactus sprouts beautiful flowers, so our lives can sprout the good things that bring joy instead of destruction - all because of the Cross.

Care

 Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.
 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers

that are here today and gone tomorrow, 

he will certainly care for you. 

 Matthew 6:28, 30 (NLT) 

God cares for us and cares about us.  He is our ally, the one who is always there to help us.  He tells us to cast all of our care upon him because he cares for us.

There are times that we may not feel his love and care.  We may feel alone and abandoned.  But his care is a sure thing.  It never fails.  One of the central characteristics of God is his unfailing love and mercy.  We need to constantly remind ourselves of this fact.  

Why is it sometimes we do not remember?  It is hard to wean ourselves from the idea that we have to take care of ourselves.  We become worried and anxious about things forgetting that God is ready, willing and able at any moment to help us.  It is so hard for us to understand that dependence upon God is not weakness, but strength.  When we depend on his unlimited resources to solve our problems we are so much better off than when we rely on our own limited supply.

Maybe we feel we don't deserve his care because of how we have failed. His faithfulness is far greater than any of our failures.  We read in Nehemiah about how the Israelites failed God, they were proud and stubborn and paid no attention to him.  They refused to obey or recognize all the good things he had done for them and yet he did not destroy them but sustained them.

You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. In your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.  For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!  Nehemiah 9:16-21 (NLT) 

Jesus has not abandoned us and left us as orphans (Jn 14.18).  He has sent his holy spirit to be with us and in us.  Let us bring to remembrance the constant and unfailing care of God and turn to him quickly in our time of need. 

He remembers us in our weakness. 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:23 (NLT) 

He Gives More Grace (Click to Listen.)


He giveth more grace when the burden grows greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials
His multiplied peace.

Chorus:
His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again!

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

He Speaks Peace

 Now may the Lord of peace himself

 give you his peace at all times and in every situation. 

The Lord be with you all.

 2 Thess 3:16 (NLT) 

One of the blessings of seeking, trusting and getting to know God is the blessing of peace.  God offers quietness of heart as an antidote to the feverish activity and strife of our lives.  An orderly and quiet life is a precious treasure.

We know God is interested in our peace.  He is called the God of Peace (Heb 13.20).  He is the author of peace, not confusion (1 Cor 14.53).  One of the symbols of Christ in the Old Testament is Melchizedek, the king of Salem which means king of Peace (Heb. 7.2).  He preached peace (Eph 2.17).  He has called us to peace (1 Cor 7:15).  Practically every book of the New Testament opens and closes with prayers for God's peace.

He especially speaks peace in times of distress or trouble. After his crucifixion, when his disciples were behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus appeared among them with the words "Peace be with you" (Jn. 20.19). He confronted the boisterous wind and waves of a violent storm with the words, "Quiet! Be still!" (Mk. 4:39).

Feelings of anxiety and fear are natural in the face of trouble, but God is greater than our hearts.  If we give in to feelings of anxiety we will have few resources to handle our problems.  A harmonious state of soul and mind actually encourages the development of the wisdom and power needed to better handle every difficulty.

God values peace.  He speaks peace to the disturbing forces in our lives. As we open our hearts to him, as we cast all of our cares on him, his peace will rule in every situation.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Col 3:15 (NIV)

The Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier writes these beautiful words:

Drop Thy still dews of quietness

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress, 

And let our ordered lives confess

 The beauty of Thy peace.

Listen to the hymn:
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

Trust

Natural Bridges.  Can you find me in the picture?

  God is our sure foundation. 

 We are exhorted over and over again to trust in him.   

  O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

       Psalms 62:8 (NLT)

Our peace depends upon our trust. 

 Whenever worries arise, replace them with trust. 

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

      Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)

He will provide all that we need as we trust in him.  

 In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Isaiah 33:6 (NLT)

More Than Conquerors

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.

Romans 8:37 (NIV)

So many troubles and problems assault us in this life.  It is so hard for us to go through difficult times, our emotions are so intense.  Fearful feelings, anxiety and worry overwhelm us.

When we are in this state, it is hard for us to imagine ourselves as conquerors, victorious over every thing that life throws at us. It is hard for us to see how our failings and weaknesses could be woven together for good. 

Paul recounts his own struggle: 

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

But he said to me, 

"My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. 

For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV) 

We can only hold onto God's promise with what little strength we have. God is faithful. He is holding on to us with a firm grip even when it feels like our grip is failing. For,  "It is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."(Heb. 6:18,19) 

He will bring us through. No trouble, hardship or problem can ever separate us from God.  Hold on!

Home

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down

 (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body),

 we will have a home in heaven,

 an eternal body made for us by God himself 

and not by human hands. 

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT) 

Just a few days ago our neighbors lost their thirteen year old son to cancer.  This is the second time in my life that I have known a thirteen year old boy who has died from this devastating disease.  Each was a sweet and kind child. How is it that such a young body could be filled with such destruction and pain?  How is it that a life could be cut so short?  It is so hard to understand.  It is beyond our comprehension. The grief of the parents and family is overwhelming.

Death and loss are very real experiences in this life.  When things are going along smoothly and care free we don't think about it much, but the fact is our lives here are only temporary.  "This world is not my home. I'm just passing through." as the old song says.  

The time we have here on earth is a gift from God.  But this earth is not our final home.  There are many good things here, but there is also much sorrow, strife and pain. Our bodies are weak and continually decaying. When we come to terms with that fact, it completely changes our perspective.  The grief and sadness of death do not change, but we can accept it as part of the life process and as a door into our eternal destiny. 

With this change of perspective, we will see that our purpose here on earth is not to settle in but to learn and grow - to learn how to love.   Every experience is only a stepping stone moving us toward our true destiny.  Life experiences here fit us for the real life to come and when the time comes to drop our human bodies it will be only an entrance into the beauties of that eternal life.

What about those two beautiful boys who left us too soon.  We don't know why they had to go, but we know that they have entered into their new life of joy and beauty a little sooner than most of us.  I know God has a lot more work to do in me and I look at every moment as a preparation for that day when I will enter into that beautiful place and see all the things God has in store for me forever.  

We do not grieve as those who have no hope. (1 Thes. 4:13)

That is why we never give up. 

Though our bodies are dying,

our spirits are being renewed every day.

 For our present troubles are small 

and won’t last very long.

 Yet they produce for us a glory 

that vastly outweighs them

 and will last forever!

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now;

 rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.

 For the things we see now will soon be gone, 

but the things we cannot see will last forever. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) 

Reminders

Arches National Park

 Let all that I am praise the LORD;

 may I never forget the good things he does for me. 

Psalm 103:2 (NLT) 

It is good to be reminded of God's faithful love for us.  His constant care and love never fail.

• He surrounds me with love and tender mercies. Ps. 103:4

• He fills my life with good things Ps. 103.5

• He is merciful and gracious:  he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. Ps. 103.8

• He is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who honor him for he understands how weak we are he knows we are only dust. Ps. 103.13,14

• Your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. Ps. 139.11

Lord,  what a joy to have your unfailing love surrounding us.  If we feel alone, sad or discouraged in this moment let us remind ourselves of who you are and ask for a renewed sense of your presence with us.

Listen to this beautiful hymn:
Love Divine, All Love Excelling