Scripture
Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
~Psalm 143:2, NIV
Quote
“There may be some sins of which man cannot speak but there are no sins that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse.”
~Charles Spurgeon
I’ve read through the entire bible over 30 times and the Psalms probably twice as much and yet when I read this Psalm the other day, it was if I had never read it. I guess a part of that is me being a senior adult and waking up to in a new world each day but I think it is more, much more. The word of God is so rich and deep that we will never exhaust its truth: as long as we read with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will gain new insights. You know how amazed I am that God used David. David had a passion for worship but he was prone to violence and he had an insatiable lust for pleasure. Yet, God used this man in a phenomenal way. In a sense, David is the Old Testament poster child for GRACE. One of those amazing things about David is his understanding of sin and grace. David not only knew that he was a sinner, he understood that all men are sinners and that we deserve to be judged accordingly. Yet David knew the peace that comes from forgiveness. He understood GRACE better than most professed Christians living this side of the cross.
What’s the point? I am concerned about a lot of people who professed to be Christians but they have no sense of personal sin and guilt. They are good at spotting sins in the lives of others but they never mention their own sin and yet they never doubt their salvation. They don’t doubt it but I do. If you are truly saved, you should have the attitude of the prodigal, “Father, I have sinned against You and I am no longer worthy to be called Your son.” You should have a growing sense of sin. In other words, I am more conscience of my sin and guilt today than ever before and I am more dissatisfied with my sinful state than ever. As Paul said, “What a wretched man I am, who can free me from this body of sin and death?” You know the answer: Jesus will save me from this body that is prone to sin and He will save me from it through the process of death. Not only is my body dying, my desire to sin is dying with it–Hallelujah, what a Savior.
So examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Do you have a consciousness of personal sin? Do you understand your need for GRACE? Do you sense God’s grace working in you to make you not only conscious of your sins but to make unhappy with them. His grace in you will give you the desire to free of sin?
Christmas Eve Rush
Every year it is the same but I wouldn’t want it any other way: isn’t it great to be able to go and to give. We have 17 more widow visits to make today and I will love each and everyone. I do love Christmas. Thank God for my two Christmas loving daughters and my grands. They make today special and fun.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND
HAPPY NEW YEAR
See you January 2, 2020