Good morning, one and all!

A passage that we studied in our Men’s Tuesday Bible Study was one that gave us all reason to pause:

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a  fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” [Hebrews 10:26-27]

So we are called to live sinless, even holy, lives. Impossible, one might conclude. Even Paul (Paul!) recognized this impossibility:

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a  slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do….For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing…. So, I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” [Romans 7:14-15,19,21]

It appears that Paul really had a problem with this conundrum:

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” [Romans 7:24]

Of course, Paul taught Who his rescuer was in the next verse:

“Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Paul continues in the next chapter of Romans:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ  Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”[vs. 1-2]

But sin is always out there, crouching at the door:

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”[I Peter 5:8]

When, not if, but when, sinfulness happens, we must default to asking God for forgiveness so we can accept this promise He made to Isaiah:

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”[43:25]

Blessings,

–Keith