Sin Doesn't Have to be the End

Sin, the big S-word. It scares us by holding us up to a perfect standard. It subdues us into thinking that we're now and forever alone. Scoffed at, we begin to lose hope. What are some of the ways in which we describe sin? Sometimes we call it a mistake, a slip of the tongue, an act performed in the heat of the moment without thought of its consequences. But what is sin really? Sin is probably best described as rebelling against God in choosing to not follow His example and will for our life.

All of the time in the news media we see celebrities and other public figures that get caught in the moment. Society reacts with anger and rage at what was said or done. In a short time, the individual comes forward and makes a public statement apologizing for their negative act. Whether they are sincere or not in the long run doesn't matter to the people because after a short period of time, we've seen others fall as well and forget about the bad event that happened a couple of weeks ago.

The followers of Christ, though, realize a few things about sin and confession. We were born sinful, tainted from birth. We understand that we will slip and stumble along the way. Perhaps in our plummet we'll reach out and grab onto someone else, taking them down with us as well. The follower of Christ also realizes that there is redemption from our Savior. When we are truly sorry for our negative actions, we know that we can seek God out, asking for His Spirit to come purify our hearts and cleanse our bodies from all things that could cause us to stumble again.

The beauty of Christ is that He wants to help, even when our sins hurt Him. We walk around with our Christian badges pinned to our shirts and even though the image we present the world doesn't always reflect our loving Savior, Christ is always prepared for when we ask for His help and forgiveness. When asked, God sends His Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts. Our sin is wiped away and forgotten in God's record book. Joy in God's salvation is freely given. God's grace is boundless, His mercy never ending. When you're scared, subdued, or scoffed at, trust that you can always reach out for Christ. His love for us drives Him to restore our hearts. Our regret will be turned into determination and our eyes will be opened a bit more into who our compassionate God truly is.

- Thoughts from Psalm 51

encounter: What sin has been difficult for you to forgive? A sin in yourself? A sin in another? How might the Holy Spirit help you with your difficulties and restore GOD's joy in your life?