Tag: Sin

We have Sinned

Posted on by scott

We Have…

we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled 

We have not listened to your servants the prophets

we have rebelled against him

we have sinned against him.

we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God

we have not obeyed his voice

we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

because for our sins

Preach It

In the mid-1980’s my wife and I, young newlyweds, had the privilege of spending a Sunday with a special couple, Peter and Alice.  Our dear friends were well in their eighties at the time and we considered them spiritual mentors.  Peter and Alice had long since retired from the ministry, but despite their declining health they never lost their passion for Christ.  Not even close.  After an afternoon of fellowship, they took us to an evening service at a local church.  I would like to say I remember the sermon the pastor preached, but I don’t.  What I do remember is the little sermon I heard from my dear friend.  After the service, Peter made his way to the pastor and thanked him for his message. What was the sermon about?  Sin.  According to my dear old friend sin was a topic out of vogue at that time.  He said the church needed more pastors with the boldness to preach about sin.  If God takes it seriously, so should the church.  Sin might be an unpleasant topic, but I know on that Sunday at least, one retired pastor went home with a smile on his face.  Sin is a plague that must be addressed.  The consequences for ignoring it are not only serious, they are eternal.  The wisdom of our dear mentor was shared by the prophet Daniel.

Confess It

It seems as if the only time people are sorry for their sins is when they are caught.  Their sorrow then isn’t usually so much in what they have done, but the fact that they have been exposed.  Too often, the finger pointing then starts.  Instead of confessing our sins, we usually want to put a spin on the situation and make ourselves out to be victims.  Not so with Daniel.  During his humble prayer before the face of God, Daniel makes the confessions above.  As I read through this list I wonder how many of these sins Daniel was actually guilty of.  But ultimately it doesn’t matter.  Daniel knew that his actions did not make him a sinner, but rather he was a sinner by nature.  Daniel’s sins may not have been as blatant as those of others, but they had to be repented of nonetheless.  Rather than stand in judgment of his fellow Israelites, Daniel associates with their sins and turns to God for forgiveness.  Daniel did not take the path of the self-righteous Pharisee, but rather the humble path of the tax collector, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” – Luke 18:13.

When Daniel made his prayer of confession, Judah, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.  Hundreds of thousands of his fellow Israelites had been killed, emasculated or raped.  Many, like Daniel, had been taken into exile and many made slaves.  As already mentioned, Daniel did not play the victim card or the blame game.  He did not blame the religious or political leaders of Judah.  He did not blame the wicked or morally corrupt who angered God.  Instead, Daniel identified himself with his people.  We have sinned.

The Body

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Daniel’s prayer seems to me to be an illustration of a Truth that Paul would write to the Corinthian church years later (1 Cor. 12).  Although he may have had a very intimate relationship with God, Daniel never lost his love for his people, his home or the Temple.  He knew that sin in one member of the body affected the entire body.  When convicted by the inspired Words of Jeremiah he wisely turned to God in repentance.  No excuses.  No blaming.  Just a healthy dose of conviction and shame.

When it comes to discussing sin we need to strike a healthy balance.  First of all, we need to be careful not to “glorify” sin.  There is no need to draw extra attention to it, give too many details, etc.  Sin is appalling and we don’t want to make it sound like anything different.  Confess it, repent and move on.  Secondly, like my wise old friend once said, sin must not be ignored.  Church leaders need to be faithful to the Truth.  All of it.  The body is diseased.  The body is suffering.  The only cure for sin begins with conviction.  Look what reading Jeremiah did to Daniel!

May our leaders have the boldness to preach about sin and it’s consequences.  May we as individuals have the discipline to be consistently in God’s Word as Daniel was.  May we pray for our leaders as they minister to the Body.  May we pray for the other members of the Body as we strive to bring glory to God.  When God’s Word convicts us may we drop to our knees and confess, “I have sinned”.  When our brothers or sisters have fallen into sin may we drop to our knees and confess, “We have sinned”.

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – 1 Corinthians 12:13

Knowing Our Trangressions

Posted on by scott

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me. – Psalm 51:3

Sin Struggles

In many respects, Psalm 51 is bittersweet.  While we can rejoice in the penitent nature of David, we are saddened by the sin and cover-up that preceded it.  How could this happen to King David, the man after God’s own heart?  The man hand-picked by God to rule over His people and inspired to write many of the Psalms.  Despite his position, David struggled with sin.   Just like us.  Furthermore, he struggled with denial.  Just like us.

Feeding Lust

Some have argued that if David was at war with his army he would not have fallen into sin with Bathsheba.  That may be true, but I believe it misses an important fact.  David wasn’t looking for Bathsheba, he was taking a walk on his roof.  The problem was David’s reaction to the inadvertent sight of Bathsheba bathing.  Instead of turning around and walking away he fed his lust.  Not only was Bathsheba beautiful, she was married.  But David wanted her regardless.  This is not the side of David we see revealed in the 51st Psalm.  However, this is the side of David too many of us can relate to.  This is where we could all learn a lesson from Job.

Job Lessons

“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
    how then could I gaze at a virgin? – Job 31:1

Am I endorsing battling sin with human effort?  Not at all.  I am encouraging all of us to learn from Job the importance of not underestimating our depravity.  Or, if you prefer, to not overestimate our spirituality.  David may have been referred to as a man after God’s own heart, but look at the description of Job.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. – Job 1:1

8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” – Job 1:8

Twice we are told that Job was blameless and upright.  He feared God and turned away from evil.  This is not Job’s evaluation of himself.  These are the words of God.  Pretty impressive.  Job not only had a healthy fear of God, but he also had a realistic view of his own depravity.

God’s Desire

I don’t believe any of us will be perfect this side of heaven, but with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we have a great ally in our battle with sin.  However, we need to be reminded of our weaknesses and limitations.  God has made an unbreakable covenant with us, is it too much to ask that we might reciprocate and like Job, “make a covenant with our eyes?”  After all, He wants us to be blameless and upright.  He desires for us to fear Him and turn away from evil.  Before we will turn away from evil, we must admit our inclination towards sin and develop a Godlike abhorrence of it.  Only then will we resolve to “mortify” it as Paul encouraged us.

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. – Romans 8:13

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.  – Colossians 3:5-10

Sin Lessons

We may be redeemed by the blood of Christ, but we live in a fallen world.  We still struggle with the flesh.  We would be wise to learn from David’s sin and subsequent repentance.  Look at these words of David:

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me. – Psalm 51:5

David wrote this Psalm after Nathan confronted him with his sin.  In his brokenness, David confesses his depravity.  He was brought forth in iniquity.  In sin his mother conceived him.  Every aspect of his life was affected by sin.  And so is ours.  Despite what our society tells us men are not basically good.  To the contrary, we are born with a sin nature and an inclination towards evil.

Beware of Bathsheba!

God grant us the honesty to admit our depravity.  We never know when Bathsheba will bathe on the rooftop, but we know eventually she will.  I don’t know what your specific struggles are but I do know this: Bathsheba will be attractive, Bathsheba will be enticing, Bathsheba will force you to make a decision.  You will not be a victim.  To the contrary, you will be responsible for your decision.  You may make the wrong choice like David and find yourself trying to cover up for your sins and suffering long term consequences.  Or you may be like Job and turn away from evil, putting to death the deeds of the body.  Either way, I am convinced that your decision will be greatly influenced by your fear of God and your Biblical understanding of your depravity.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9