Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Trying to be Religious
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Your Grace is Enough by Chris Tomlin; Sing to the King by Passion Band; Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture; How He Loves by David Crowder.
Read: 1 Corinthians 4:4-5, Psalm 51:10, Mark 3:29
Think: Pastor Ben taught us this weekend that trying to be religious is not a way to please or gain favor with our Father or a way to present a witness to the world of our Father.
There is a religious phrase that comes pretty easy for me (sorry, Lord) and that is “Wow, that guy is sure going to hell”. To my credit, I save it for only the most despicable of people. But here’s what it does in my mind, it writes that person off.
I have to bring myself back to a couple of simple truths. First, God judges the heart (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). Paul says we judge by what we see and only God sees people’s hearts. I even have trouble judging myself because as Paul says “For I know of nothing against myself” only God can judge and He judges hearts.
As bad as someone looks at this moment I don’t see their heart and if I write them off I also dismiss the Lord’s ability to create in them a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) in a moment if they put their sin under Jesus’ blood.
The second truth is, sin is sin. The Bible only talks about one unforgivable sin (Mark 3:29). All the rest, separate me from God but can be covered by the blood of Christ. So if I tell a little white lie, I’m separated. If I cheat on my taxes a little bit, I’m separated. And if I do whatever that person did that I’m so sure condemns them to hell, I’m separated. I want there to be some scale. If I’m separated by a few feet I’m OK but that guy is separated by miles he’s so much worse. That’s religious.
Forgiveness is available to everyone for almost everything and my job needs to be praying for folk’s salvation and not condemning them.
Do: As we read the newspaper or watch the news or hear of a family tragedy, check our attitudes toward heinous sinners. Pray for their salvation.
Pray: Father, let me not be the older brother when it comes to judging others. Help me Lord to become more like you, offering hope, grace and forgiveness.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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