The Good News About Sin

*Textual Tuesdays will study an excerpt of the Bible or a biblical topic.

The following is an outline of a sermon I presented on Sunday. I hope it's uplifting and encouraging and convicting for you.
The format was actually a lot of fun. I asked our teens a question on Facebook: "What questions do you have about sin?" And they really came through! So the points of my lesson were based on their questions...

"If you sin, but fail to ask forgiveness, does God hold that against you?"

You've probably heard this question before. If I sin while dying (like curse while I wreck into a tree) will I be forgiven?
Heb. 7:26-27 tells us that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice ONCE FOR ALL.
This phrase is used five times in the book of Hebrews! We need to start believing that Christ died, and his death (once we accept it) took care of our sins! We cannot drive ourselves crazy keeping a checklist of the sins we fail to repent of.
Heb. 10:19-23 tells us that we can have "full assurance" and our hearts should be "cleansed of a guilty conscience."
You were not meant to live in guilt if you have given your life to following God.

"Does God punish other people for my sin?"

I used to wonder about this question. There are verses that talk about God punishing the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. I believe this is talking more of natural consequences than punishment. Here's why:
"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." (Deut. 24:16)
Others may suffer the CONSEQUENCES of your sin (e.g. drinking and driving) but YOU are responsible to God for your own sin. PLEASE don't think that God punished someone else because of YOU!

"Is there a sin so bad that God cannot forgive it?"

Jesus says in Matt. 12:31 that "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" is the only unforgivable sin. But even this is open for interpretation.
Does that mean you cannot get angry at God or yell at Him? (What about the Psalms?)
Does it mean that you cannot run away from God? (What about Jonah?)
Does it mean that you can't ever be against God? (What about Saul/Paul?)
I think it means a lifelong, turning your back on God, not taking any responsibility for your actions or your spirit that lives inside of you.

"Is sin treated all the same?"

At first glance, some sins seem worse than others. After all, they DO carry different consequences.
However, James 2:10 tells us that if you stumble at keeping ONE law, you have broken them all. This is because ANYTHING wrong breaks God's heart! (Lying to murder.) So, unfortunately, we have ALL been lawbreakers (and heartbreakers) at one point.
But the good news? Christ's sacrifice covers ALL sins!

"What will it take to make up for my sin?"

Unfortunately, we have this idea that WE can make our sins better. But let me try to expose a flaw...
If you lie, what can you do to make it better?
If you have premarital sex, what can you do?
In both these cases, we think we have an answer! But if we "make ourselves OK" by fixing it, then answer these questions...
If you get someone pregnant, how do you make it better?
If you murder someone, how do you fix it?
When answering these questions, there is really no way to "undo" what you have done! Does this mean these sins are beyond redemption?
Please read this carefully:
SINS CANNOT BE UNDONE, THEY CAN ONLY BE FORGIVEN!!! (Read Galatians 5:4-6)

So, what should you do to get your sins forgiven? Read Acts 2:38. Once you accept God's forgiveness, you will know the good news that God forgives and forgets!

Losing Weight and Following God

At the beginning of the year, I mentioned that I was on a crusade to change the way I look at food and exercise. So far I've done pretty well. 15 pounds lost so far and I feel lots better than during the holidays. There are some things that strike me as I look back that I think apply to spiritual life as well...

1. It's easier to gain weight than lose it. Following sin and following Christ are much the same way. Sometimes it just seems easier to give in to sin instead of following Christ.
2. What takes one day to gain might take one week to lose. I came home after the Tulsa workshop and freaked out because I had gained three pounds! It was so disappointing because I remembered how hard I had worked to lose that weight! Sometimes one bad decision can follow us for years. It's not that God can't wipe it out, but the consequences may still be with us. I MUST weigh my decisions and my words.
3. The pressure to overeat is everywhere. Food Network is one of my favorite channels. I know it's weird when you are "dieting" but it's true! I also LOVE to watch commercials to see what fast-food chain has new offerings on its menu! Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but all the donuts and cakes are at the FRONT of the grocery stores! I know that God is everywhere, but so is temptation. God gives us the freedom to choose Him or not, but that does not mean that sin is the same way. Satan won't just let us make our own choice...he'll throw every tempation he can at us!! The good news is that God's help is more powerful than worldly pressure, if we allow God's power to work.
4. My attitude must change, and not just my actions. I've done this many times before, and failed because I felt like I let myself down when I stopped exercising or ate too much. Instead of "getting back on the wagon" I would beat myself up and tell myself that I was a failure. Last week (in Tulsa) I did not work out and ate too much a few times. But you know what? I'm back in the gym this week and I won't let ONE failure define me! In our spiritual lives, we cannot let ONE failure keep us from seeking God! Just because you failed once (or more) does not mean that you are evil and can never follow God again! Get up, dust yourself off, and get your heart for God back in shape!

I'm sure I'll keep learning. I pray I can stay on track, not only in my struggle with weight, but also in my struggle with sin.

Sins of the Past

Sins of the past cannot be undone...only forgiven.

This thought came to me last night, for no particular reason. I have not been able to get it out of my head all day...