Psalm 25:19-21
See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
Some of us have been captivated by the scandal surrounding mega-church pastor Ted Haggard of late. Some have gotten a degree of satisfaction as yet another evangelical falls from his pedestal and most Christians are just sad. None of us knows the truth. A few of us don’t think it’s any of our business.
This isn’t a post about Ted Haggard but about the potential for sin in all of us and how naive we all are where sin is concerned.
For what it’s worth, here’s what I think about sin.
I do it. I was born into it and I come by it naturally. In fact, I sin magnificently.
I sin in hidden ways that you’ll never know about unless I tell you, and I’m not going to tell you.
I could sin right out loud but often it’s not my moral compass that stops me so much as my pride. I don’t want to be caught, labeled and pointed out.
I have asked forgiveness for sins that only God and I are aware of. I have also asked for grace to cover sins that I myself can’t remember but I’m sure they are there staining my soul nonetheless.
I am capable of rebellion, blasphemy and war against God.
I can do all three within the confines of my skull and you’d never know it.
My sin has degraded me and made me degrade others. Worst of all, it has degraded the cross.
My sin sometimes feels very much like righteousness in disguise when it’s driven by ego.
It feels like justice when it’s fueled by anger.
My sin has only one goal, it wants to kill me.
It will kill you too if it can get its hands on you.
I can’t obey enough rules to stop sinning and I can’t isolate myself from enough of the world to break free. I can’t dress in a certain manner or speak a certain way or pull myself up out of the mud by my own bootstraps.
You and I are capable of sin.
And we are magnificent at it.
God, cleanse me with the blood of Christ, guard me with your Spirit and create in me a hunger for holiness that distracts me from all other pursuits.
Be magnificent in me.
12 comments:
have you heard this yet?
Luke 6:37
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
I have to say I am one of those who thinks we should mind our own business except to lift him & our leaders in prayer.
I am want God to be magnificent in me too! Thanks for the great post, as always, you are so wise and such a blessing... and so real.
and Becky, how come you don't make her look up the scriptures like you do to me??
thats the guy from that movie i told you we need to go see! man.
as you say... my most impressive sins happen in the confines of my wicked little brain.
galatians 6
I do feel sad...for the sinner and the sinned against...My mama always said...the arm of flesh will fail you...and she is right...
We cannot live the Christian life...it is too big, to pure, too holy...only He can live it in us...without Him we can do nothing...
Lord, keep us by your mercy for we know not the darkness of our own hearts...
anybody else immediately go read galatians 6? if not, go now! that t must've had some kind of sunday school teacher. she's a smart one! brain sins are the worst.
I just read Galatians 6. It says all that needs to be said.
stupid brain.
as far as sunday school teachers go, i can only say that the gospel goes down a lot smoother with a donut. its like a delicious buffer!
clearly, mine was an epic genius.
how come i can't get my teeth that white? do you think he drinks coffee?
he can't possibly drink coffee and have teeth that white!
Galatians 6 tonight after work, although someone probably should get a Bible over here to spin city hall. do you think the walls will crumble if i bring one in? :)
...there but for the grace of God, go I....
It saddens me that we tend to shoot the wounded, forgetting that we too are fallible. Satan knows our weakness and he has plan A,B,C all the way thru Z, he does everything in his power to find a weakness in us. If this brother has sinned, God has turned on the light so it can be seen, so it can be dealt with. I too will pray for this Pastor, thanks for the reminder.
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