1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
When I was ten or eleven, my mom was constantly telling me not to throw the football in the house. Of course, it was almost irresistible to be able to do it and get away with it. One day, the absolute worst happened. After airing the football through the living room, it landed on a shelf where my grandmother’s antique figurine had been placed. With mom in the kitchen, I had a little time to buy, and so I assessed the problem and realized that a piece had broken off. I knew where my dad stored the super glue and immediately began fixing it back to normal. It was a success and the only person that knew about it was me. I was paranoid for months until my sister was playing in the house and knocked the same figurine over. Can you imagine what happened? Of course, she broke it and was the one to get in trouble.
Have you ever gotten away with something that you knew was wrong? At the beginning, you might find yourself relieved that no one else caught you. However, the conscience records our wrong doings and eventually our sin will find us out even though we may be able to hide it for a little while. Over the process of time, our conscience will not be so quick to feel the guilt if we continue to get away with our sin. First Timothy 4:2b speaks of men “having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” A clear and cleansed conscience is one of the greatest gifts a man can have, but many today carry guilt and remorse instead of finding forgiveness.
This morning, I was trying to do something special for my wife. It is her birthday, and I thought that I would take her to breakfast and to work to spend a little extra time with her. Of course, the roads were busy and I decided to take a back road. I have driven this road a hundred times and had become acquainted with every curve. Like usual, we were a little pressed for time, and I was not paying attention to my speed. I was going about 46. However around one of the curves, I saw blue lights. I immediately looked at the speedometer and realized it was me. I had been caught. My heart began racing, and I could not believe that this could be happening on my wife’s birthday. I was trying to be good, but good wasn’t good enough.
Between ages sixteen to eighteen, I knew that one of the most dreadful things that could happen would be to explain to my dad that I had gotten a speeding ticket. I knew that he would be disappointed and the citation would cost me. Now, I have no one to watch my every action. My parents are no longer responsible for my actions. They trained me in what’s right and wrong and now I realize that God sees everything. When I sin or do wrong, I am disappointing my heavenly Father whether the occurrence happens in open daylight or in the dark.
It takes more than good intentions to please God. I desired to please my wife this morning, but I still got caught. Are you serving a god that is only good but it not just, holy and fair? In reality, we can’t be good enough to please God. His law is holy, and we all have broken it. Do you know how I felt when I got caught by the officer? Convicted… Can you imagine how I really felt when my sister got in trouble for something I had done? I felt horrible and was ready to confess. Second Corinthians 5:21 reminds us, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” You and I are the reason that Jesus died on the cross. It’s humbling to know that He paid our penalty of sin and allows us to live to reveal His grace. That’s good news!
When I was ten or eleven, my mom was constantly telling me not to throw the football in the house. Of course, it was almost irresistible to be able to do it and get away with it. One day, the absolute worst happened. After airing the football through the living room, it landed on a shelf where my grandmother’s antique figurine had been placed. With mom in the kitchen, I had a little time to buy, and so I assessed the problem and realized that a piece had broken off. I knew where my dad stored the super glue and immediately began fixing it back to normal. It was a success and the only person that knew about it was me. I was paranoid for months until my sister was playing in the house and knocked the same figurine over. Can you imagine what happened? Of course, she broke it and was the one to get in trouble.
Have you ever gotten away with something that you knew was wrong? At the beginning, you might find yourself relieved that no one else caught you. However, the conscience records our wrong doings and eventually our sin will find us out even though we may be able to hide it for a little while. Over the process of time, our conscience will not be so quick to feel the guilt if we continue to get away with our sin. First Timothy 4:2b speaks of men “having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” A clear and cleansed conscience is one of the greatest gifts a man can have, but many today carry guilt and remorse instead of finding forgiveness.
This morning, I was trying to do something special for my wife. It is her birthday, and I thought that I would take her to breakfast and to work to spend a little extra time with her. Of course, the roads were busy and I decided to take a back road. I have driven this road a hundred times and had become acquainted with every curve. Like usual, we were a little pressed for time, and I was not paying attention to my speed. I was going about 46. However around one of the curves, I saw blue lights. I immediately looked at the speedometer and realized it was me. I had been caught. My heart began racing, and I could not believe that this could be happening on my wife’s birthday. I was trying to be good, but good wasn’t good enough.
Between ages sixteen to eighteen, I knew that one of the most dreadful things that could happen would be to explain to my dad that I had gotten a speeding ticket. I knew that he would be disappointed and the citation would cost me. Now, I have no one to watch my every action. My parents are no longer responsible for my actions. They trained me in what’s right and wrong and now I realize that God sees everything. When I sin or do wrong, I am disappointing my heavenly Father whether the occurrence happens in open daylight or in the dark.
It takes more than good intentions to please God. I desired to please my wife this morning, but I still got caught. Are you serving a god that is only good but it not just, holy and fair? In reality, we can’t be good enough to please God. His law is holy, and we all have broken it. Do you know how I felt when I got caught by the officer? Convicted… Can you imagine how I really felt when my sister got in trouble for something I had done? I felt horrible and was ready to confess. Second Corinthians 5:21 reminds us, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” You and I are the reason that Jesus died on the cross. It’s humbling to know that He paid our penalty of sin and allows us to live to reveal His grace. That’s good news!
I LOVE you for making my day so special AND MEMORABLE! You are such a sweet and loving man, and I am so thankful we serve a just God.
ReplyDelete