Saturday, December 09, 2006

A Hopeful Word in a Fallen World




"No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."
~I John 3:9 (ESV)


Recently Revised Article!
This article is a revised version of the original article from 12/09/2006 titled, "Sin: A Sober View of a Fallen World."
Revised on 06/29/2011

Introduction

Guess what! We're not in Heaven yet!

By default, that might just sound discouraging. But think again. That's actually a great reminder when battling our every day struggles and temptations! Is it a ticket to sin? Of course not. If we know God's Word even a little, we probably know that God doesn't have "tickets to sin." But the fact that we are not in Heaven yet is a reminder draws our attention away from arrogance. It might just make us less likely to make statements that sound humble but aren't--such as, "I should be better" or "I / they should have grown by now!"

Nonexistent Locations 

Is it not easy at times to become anxious about where you are in the sanctification process? I have often found myself immersed in thoughts such as, "I'm here when I should be way further down this sanctification road" and "Why am I not growing?" I've thought in frustration, "I'm here when I should have been out there!" The truth is, there is no "out there." God has each of us where we are for His sovereign purpose.

Statements with Holes In Them
Now again, let us caution against using any of these things as excuses for sin. The following statements are ones we could be tempted to use as license to sin:
  • "We live in a fallen world; sin is inevitable."
  • "I'm going to sin again anyway."
  • "I have grace; God will forgive me."
  • "God understands that I'm having a hard time and need this comfort."
But God's Word says, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

As we just observed in Matthew, God's Word nullifies the list of statement preceding. Yes, sin will happen. But even so, we are called to and equipped for high standards that we can joyfully seek. We are free to run! God's holiness is our one standard as Christians. We live a new, purchased life now. Though I do not agree with a lot of what this individual teaches, but this is a credible, provoking statement by Josh Harris:
"May we not use the freedom, purchased by Christ's blood, to celebrate the sin that He died for."
New Creations

Hallelujah! God has shown us that our sin grieves Him and so mercifully purchased us so that we might now live uniquely for His glory. God's new-found solution for our difficult lives is to use every circumstance to lead us toward satisfaction in Him and in His ways. It's not always what we want to hear in times of practical want--but He will provide for your every need.

Friend, He has begun a good work in us, and He has promised to finish it! Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

God bless you, my friends! It is a pleasure to walk out this adventure of God's merciful grace with you.

-Franz

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