Sunday Notes, January 17, 2010
Dear friends,
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”
Our most perplexing and destructive problem as human beings is sin. It shows itself by bringing misery to every life and relationship, but its most terrible effect for Christians is broken fellowship with God and loss of joy. Look at Paul’s description of sin in Galatians 5: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. “
“Things like these” pretty well includes everything else we can imagine. What happens when a Christian sins? Think carefully through Hebrews 12:6-10 which explains the Lord’s way of correcting sin and reminds us of His purpose in all discipline.
The way we receive forgiveness is through confession which brings relief and release to our spirit as well as freedom from guilt. Once we confess we can have free and easy communion with the the Lord. Saying the same thing God says about our sin, acknowledging it before the Lord, bringing it out into the open all bless our souls. 1 John 1:8-10 clearly teaches we all have sin and need forgiveness. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-15 for how David responded to the Lord revealing his sin. Look at what eventually brought him relief and led to the writing of Psalm 32.
I want us all to experience God’s smile, joy and presence. This only comes through recognition and confession of sin and forgiving others their trespasses against us.
See you Sunday,
Lee
