And so it happened, my time here at Sky Lodge is going wonderfully! I'm making new friends, strengthening great friendships and serving joyfully. Although it's starting to get busy I'm so thankful for the experience I've had so far.
But then a problem sets in. A problem that every Christian should be aware of. Even worse, this problem is what some Christians base their gospel on, and so deceive many people. The problem is that there are "no problems".
In the devotionals that I've prepared and the talks that I've had, a lot of what I've shared is the joy and happiness that Jesus can bring, but I realized that my focus has been lacking something. It lacks the honest truth that all Christians still face trials and tribulations. They still face sin, against themselves and even in their own actions. And a gospel that doesn't contain this truth is a dangerous lie.
So today I want to talk about sin and what it means. But let me preface this talk by saying that by Jesus, you are free of the ultimate consequence of sin. Don't let what I say make you think you're going to hell: for by your actions you don't receive salvation, but God's grace and fatherly love saves you from judgement. Any disciple of Jesus can die knowing that his Father will take him home.
But sin still lives on today. I know that in each person that reads this blog, whether Christian or non-Christian, there is a war going on inside of them. There is that sinful nature, the instinct that wants to be apart from God and do evil things, and there is God's image, beckoning some greater good. It is very easy to hide this fight; simply put on a smile and don't tell anyone. It's especially easy to hide here at Sky Lodge. This camp is a beautiful place, built on a community of Godly servants.
Evil seems so hard to find. But Romans 7:21 says "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me." The evil that seems to somehow still thrive in this world is closer than you think. It resides in your very heart. Search your soul, and you can easily find the urge to lie, hate, steal, lust, and even murder. And there is no excuse for this nature: it is evil and condemnable. Let's look more at Romans:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (3:23) All of us have sinned. And does it matter how much we have sinned? You could say that you are better or worse than another, but what about than God? Because the extent of every person's sin is enough to deserve punishment. In fact, the law of God was not made to make us feel good: it was made to humble us. Our sin is a short-falling of the glory of God, as well. That is how sin is defined. Is it fair that we are judged against God's standards? Yes, because he is the creator, and we were created in his image. Adam and Eve were sinless until they fell.
And don't think that God is not a Judge. God cannot not be perfect: righteousness and justice are his very nature. He must judge those who reject him, those who refuse to follow Jesus. And he is wrathful as well. This isn't the imperfect judgement or wrath of a human, but the perfect wrath of God. He has a deep, deep passion for his children, and when they so persistently disobey him, he becomes rightly angry. Just read Amos: it is a great example of God's anger.
You must understand that God wants us to understand and follow him. We can't be God ourselves, and we can't fulfill the law. So instead Jesus did, and we can depend on him completely. This last verse sums up the solution to sin:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (6:23) Jesus died on the cross, took all the sin in and got rid of it. Sin loses, and death is defeated! Thank God.
But until the day he returns and the Devil's influence is wiped out completely, let us keep fighting. Here is a great Lord of the Rings painting to embody the battle.
And don't forget Gandalf won. So fight on, brothers.
~Sam
If you'd like to read more, check out Romans, specifically 3:9-20 and 7:13-25.
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