April 10, 2015
Christians Aren’t Hypocrites
Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
And I’m still a sinner. Believing in Jesus’ sacrifice for me doesn’t get rid of my sins but does, indeed, forgive my sins. All of them!
While we were still sinners... That’s now. I still struggle with doing what I don’t intend just as the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 7:22-25. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
The unbelieving world often marks Christians as hypocrites. They think we think we’re perfect. That just couldn’t be further from the truth. We know and fully recognize our struggle with sin. The only difference between me and my unbelieving neighbor is that God isn’t holding my sins against me anymore.
Jesus didn’t take our sin nature away when he died on the cross for our sins. He simply took the penalty of our sin nature away. Big difference. I see everyday the one who frees me from this life that is dominated by sin and death. Jesus! He gets the credit; I didn’t all of a sudden become perfect.
Just God, in his peculiar and generous way, decided for there to be a way for me to have a relationship with him that is not dependent upon what I do at all. That’s weird to us because in society if you want to be in a club of some kind you must pay or meet requirements of some kind. That’s why the unbelieving world is so confused. They can’t wrap their brain around the fact that God isn’t running a country club. God loves everyone, and he doesn’t want anyone to die unforgiven (See 2 Peter 3:9). So he makes it so simple that anyone can do it.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law... We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. (That is all!) And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22)
That’s it. Christians aren’t hypocrites because we don’t think we're perfect – JUST FORGIVEN!
Dear God,
You love me just the way I am. You know my weakness and you forgive me anyway because of what Jesus did! I’m so glad that’s how you operate because, like Paul says, I don’t do what I want to do all the time. I struggle. But I just can’t thank you enough for your help and presence and forgiveness in my life; that takes all the pressure off of me and gives me a real relationship with you. Thank you for Jesus’ example how to live and for your Holy Spirit helping me to give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you while I still have a sin nature waging a war. Your ways are amazing and good, and I love you so much and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Christians Aren’t Hypocrites
Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
And I’m still a sinner. Believing in Jesus’ sacrifice for me doesn’t get rid of my sins but does, indeed, forgive my sins. All of them!
While we were still sinners... That’s now. I still struggle with doing what I don’t intend just as the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 7:22-25. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
The unbelieving world often marks Christians as hypocrites. They think we think we’re perfect. That just couldn’t be further from the truth. We know and fully recognize our struggle with sin. The only difference between me and my unbelieving neighbor is that God isn’t holding my sins against me anymore.
Jesus didn’t take our sin nature away when he died on the cross for our sins. He simply took the penalty of our sin nature away. Big difference. I see everyday the one who frees me from this life that is dominated by sin and death. Jesus! He gets the credit; I didn’t all of a sudden become perfect.
Just God, in his peculiar and generous way, decided for there to be a way for me to have a relationship with him that is not dependent upon what I do at all. That’s weird to us because in society if you want to be in a club of some kind you must pay or meet requirements of some kind. That’s why the unbelieving world is so confused. They can’t wrap their brain around the fact that God isn’t running a country club. God loves everyone, and he doesn’t want anyone to die unforgiven (See 2 Peter 3:9). So he makes it so simple that anyone can do it.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law... We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. (That is all!) And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22)
That’s it. Christians aren’t hypocrites because we don’t think we're perfect – JUST FORGIVEN!
Dear God,
You love me just the way I am. You know my weakness and you forgive me anyway because of what Jesus did! I’m so glad that’s how you operate because, like Paul says, I don’t do what I want to do all the time. I struggle. But I just can’t thank you enough for your help and presence and forgiveness in my life; that takes all the pressure off of me and gives me a real relationship with you. Thank you for Jesus’ example how to live and for your Holy Spirit helping me to give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you while I still have a sin nature waging a war. Your ways are amazing and good, and I love you so much and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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