sin – Page 6 – Be Still…

1 Peter 2:13-17 – Respect Authority

“Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.” That pretty much sums up today’s reading. Sounds simple enough. What about respect the king? Not all of us have a king. We do all have an authority or governing body setting earthly human laws to follow. We may not be a fan of these laws, but they exist to protect.

I admit I have a lead foot when it comes to driving. I like to drive fast. I like to get where I’m going. Speed limits are in place to protect us, help with fuel efficiency or some other reason. It was a huge realization for me when I realized that by breaking man’s speed limit law, I was not obeying God’s desire for me to obey authority. This is just one example. Continue reading “1 Peter 2:13-17 – Respect Authority”

Ephesians 5:6-14 – Turn on the Light

Read Ephesians 5:6-14

Good and evil exist. When I read this passage I picture having a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other, both encouraging me to act. Some people would call that my conscience. I prefer to think of it as God’s light inside me dispelling the darkness. When we are living in the light, we are less apt to let the darkness direct our decisions.

Yet, we all sin. So there are times when the darkness does win. But this text reminds us we have a choice. We can be careful and not be fooled. We can choose whether or not to participate in activities our “little angel” tells us we shouldn’t. We should also “expose” those activities that are not pleasing to God.

So what does that mean exactly? Continue reading “Ephesians 5:6-14 – Turn on the Light”

Luke 17:1-10 – Faith & Forgiveness

Read Luke 17:1-10

How much time do we spend talking about sinfulness? It’s a subject we don’t like to think about because we expose ourselves, our faults and our wrong doings. But without exposure, how can we be cleansed. God sees our hearts no matter how much we try to cover up our messiness. When we do face our sin so that we can prayerfully ask for forgiveness, do we look beyond ourselves and pass blame?

We might say something like, “I wouldn’t have done it if so and so hadn’t made me.” We want to pass the blame torch, somehow lessening the guilt or shame we feel for our own sin. Rather, we should flat out admit we messed up and move on toward forgiveness. That is such a better place to be. Continue reading “Luke 17:1-10 – Faith & Forgiveness”

Luke 12:1-12 – Hypocrisy

Read Luke 12:1-12

Probably one of the biggest hurdles the church faces even today is the issue of hypocrisy. Think of your friends and neighbors who do not have a church home. Many of those folks have made that choice on purpose. There is a growing sense that we don’t need church so long as we have Jesus.

To not be surrounded by a church family can isolate you in your journey of faith. As you build your relationship with Jesus, it can be so much more rewarding to be in the company of other believers. There is a special bond. We are all part of the family of God, and the intimacy is hard to describe. Continue reading “Luke 12:1-12 – Hypocrisy”

Luke 7:36-50 – Welcome

Read Luke 7:36-50

I always enjoy reading a Bible passage that I can picture happening. This is one of those stories. I found a reenactment that seems pretty accurate. You can watch it HERE.

We are all sinners, and here we see an example of how one so deep in their sin can be overcome with devotion and appreciation. It is only by God’s grace through our faith that we are saved. Those Pharisees in this story were not able to comprehend how Jesus could grant this forgiveness. We know, but we have the benefit of the Biblical account. They were the ones making history! Continue reading “Luke 7:36-50 – Welcome”