*All images used in this comic are royalty-free
The Bad News
As of late, I have come under heavy conviction for some of my hidden sins. Do you have those sins? Sins that you commit so often with little remorse, but if they are exposed in the open, you will feel terrible shame. When I really stopped to consider the implications of practicing such sins, the one emotion that flooded my brain was fear, alongside guilt.
Not a lot of us live as if God exists. My life will be holier if I had a roommate who was always watching over my shoulder. Yet the reality that I subscribe to is this: The creator of the universe, the arbiter of right and wrong, the punisher of all evil, and the God of heaven's armies is the one who's examining my life. Unlike a roommate, He sees everything, even my thoughts. Yet this reality doesn't seem to do much for us. This is understandable since God has hidden Himself to a certain degree. Yet this is also outrageous because at least for me, the Holy Spirit has made His presence very clear.
The worst part is, in the worst moments of my sinning/temptations, I know full well that at those moments if the opportunity presented itself that allows me to commit the sin without consequences, I would do it. I wouldn't do it now, or when I'm clear-headed, but the capability is FULLY present. I'm terrified of that thought. Perhaps this is why Jesus expands the Law into the heart as well because He knows that every sin begins in the heart, which is desperately sick.
The Good News
The good news has been proclaimed in the comic. Though I am immensely thankful for it, I also have an equally immense desire to break free of those sins. In a sense, we are already free. We are free from the punishment of those sins. Yet sometimes it feels like we are still enslaved by their power, and our best efforts prove to be useless. We can only depend on God and His Spirit to rescue us. One day we will shed this corruptible body and take on a glorified one, then, sin will no longer be a possibility.
Interestingly, Christ did the opposite for us. He came down to earth and put on corruptible flesh. He came down to earth to take the worst that it has to offer. When I think about it rationally, the worst the earth has to offer actually should belong to me. I'm no good. I'm evil. But the worst was given to the only one who is good. I'm not gonna pretend to fully understand God's mysterious plan when it comes to the incarnation, but I can say that I understand the results of it all. Christ came to die for me, to take the punishment fit for me, and now He shares His goodness with me so that I can be innocent before God. Somehow this required Him to become a human being, to stoop down to the lowest level. I'm not sure why it had to be done this way (Wayne Grudem lists several possibilities in his systematic theology, you might wanna check it out), but God decided so. All I can do is stand in amazement to see the hardest work done for me at no price at all.
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, please celebrate alongside me the glorious event that is God the Son made flesh so He can save sinners!
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