When Sin Explodes

Sin doesn't "just" explode. Let me rephrase--sin explodes, and it seems spontaneous, but it isn't. Solomon captured it well. After describing a naive young man's journey through town at dusk--and the woman of the night's many preparations--"all at once" he finds himself in trouble. All at once he is "caught fast," not knowing it will cost him his life (Proverbs 7:22-23).

The truth is that he ended up on that street at that time of day by placing one foot after the other. He had thoughts--or failed to reign in thoughts--of pleasure and desire. He made choices to turn right, then left, one step at a time.

Sin is like that. It wasn't our plan to end up in a pit of despair, under financial burdens, gasping for air in strained or broken relationships. We didn't know it would feel like this; that it would be like this. The end result wasn't our choice--but we would have to admit it is the practical end of a series of choices.

How do we escape? What do we do when sin has exploded and  our world is full of shrapnel? In that case there is a hard word and a good word. The hard word is that consequences are consequences. Our sadness and regret doesn't remove suffering. The good word is that God is always ready and willing to forgive. When we come to God in brokenness, willing to do life His way instead of ours, we can get on right terms because of Jesus. By faith in His death and resurrection, we can give up our "rights," be reconciled and come near to God. In His death, Jesus became our substitute. He took our punishment and exchanged our sin for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In turning back to God and away from our desire to sin--read, "do it my way instead of His"--God will give us the power that raised Jesus from the dead. He wants us to live victoriously! (Romans 6:4) We are free from guilt and shame. We can take our thoughts captive, overcome sinful desires, and put God first. And on and on it goes, asking for grace to make choices that please Him; to live life differently (2 Corinthians 5:15).

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So how I turn it around before it explodes?The apostle Paul says we reap what we sow. Looking back--step by step--that young man "sowed" a path that led to trouble. We can choose, right now, today, to sow seeds of the Spirit (God's way) or seeds of the flesh (my way). I can obey and trust God or manipulate people and circumstances to get what I want. Planting spiritual seeds comes in the form of prayer--living dependently on God instead of myself--loving others instead of using them, serving instead of expecting to be served, listening instead of talking, giving instead of taking. It's living in a way that looks more like Jesus than myself. Seeds are sown in kind, gracious words, a heart that is tender and sees its own faults.

Sinful choices bring gut-wrenching, destructive, deadly fruit. Godly choices result in untold blessing and a clear conscience. We choose what we sow, but we can't control the fruit. Once filled, the head of grain is what it is. The choice was made over time, step by step. The consequences are out of your hands--for better...or for worse.


Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:1-10 ESV)

The Anonymous Cooking Pot

It was one of those moments when I had to pull back and remind myself that being nameless is more valuable than taking credit. If you love people; if you ever meet needs or reach out to hurting people, you know what it is to be appreciated. And in those moments, I try to remember the pots in Zechariah... you don't know those pots? Let me introduce you:

"On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty..." (Zech. 14:20-21).

http://exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu/galleries/Exhibits/Food/text/store.html

A good Bible student might say, "But we're not going to be pots in Jerusalem," and he would be right. We won't be pots, but we will have Jesus' name written on our foreheads (Rev. 22:3-4).  People, bells, pots. It's all for Him, to Him, from Him.... Can you imagine? We will be set apart, designated, identified by the name of our Creator, Owner, Redeemer, Purchaser. That's our brand.

As I thought of Jesus' words, "your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) I wondered if it's possible to live like that now--here on earth--as it will be in heaven? What if we, God's people, wore His name instead of their own? Lived His life instead of theirs?

What if it didn't matter who we were, by name, as much as who we represented? What if my life was designated, "HOLY TO THE LORD?"

Because it is.

"The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.... You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:13, 19-20)

If my life is His, my name and my body are His--does it really matter if people know who I am?Wouldn't it be better if people said, "Somebody helped me. I don't remember who, but they reminded me of Jesus." And the question that checks my heart is this: does it matter if they know my name? Does it matter if they get it right? Or did I love and serve in a way that God might receive the credit and glory?

If I can serve anonymously, if no one remembers who I am, but they think Jesus was nearby, I'm exactly where God wants me.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:7-18 NIV)

Welcome Home

As I sat reading Jude 24-25 late one evening, I wondered what it will be to really, finally see Jesus. The passage says,  "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

I thought about the smell and feel of a new car; the excitement of driving it off the lot and knowing it's mine. I remembered our wedding day--the jitters, the uncertainty, then the final, overwhelming confidence that this was the beginning of the rest of my life. Moving into a new home came with hopes, dreams, and unknowns. Yes, there would be work, but the thought was thrilling and joyful. Then there are indescribable joys: the birth of children, silent friendship, heartfelt, shared worship....

And it struck me that of all the good,exciting, new things I had experienced (or could think of), meeting Jesus was everything at the same time--without tarnish, without loss over time, without burden or care. I can try to imagine, but the reality is beyond human experience..

Then, to picture Jesus at the gate of Heaven, ready to welcome me in.... What does "great joy" look like for Jesus? Will He stand with His arms full in the air? An open smile on His face? Head thrown back in laughter? All this to welcome me?

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In and through it all, He is the One who keeps me from stumbling; the One who brings me before His glorious presence. It is His righteousness, not mine--and because of that I can rest in His love, grace and power. My job is to take God at His Word; to rest, trust, believe, obey and persevere. He is the only God. Our Savior (did you notice it's collective?). He owns, He is, He deserves all glory. All power. All authority. And He has shown that glory, power and authority through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ--the "Ka-Pow!" that echoes from eternity past through eternity future.

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”
And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:9-18 NIV)