“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:6-8
What is your favorite passage in the Bible?
This is one of my favorites. In it we see the perfection of God’s timing and the unimaginable love He has for us. We also see our pre-Christ condition and our complete dependence on Him for our salvation.
It’s a great place to be. To know that God didn’t wait for us nor did He base His saving actions on our merit. He saved us because He loves us, period.
It reminds me of a quote from Martin Luther.
“when Satan comes, accuses us, and says, ‘You are a sinner. God hates sin. You are damned to hell!’, we can say, ‘You’re right. I am a sinner. A terrible sinner. In fact, I am the worst of all sinners. But I will be saved.’ And when the devil says, ‘No, you’re damned. There’s no help for you,’ Christians can say, ‘No, there is a helper. His name is Jesus Christ, who gave himself for my sins.'”
In other words, when Satan accuses us of being sinners, it brings great comfort, because Christ died for sinners.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for not coming for the righteous, for I am not righteous. Thank You for not sacrificing for the good, for I am not good. Thank you for dying for sinners, for that I am, and that puts me is a great place, in the center of Your love and grace.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” – Romans 3:23-24
Do you ever feel like you sin more than anyone else?
We can all feel like that sometimes. In one sense, it’s not a bad thing. The Law of God is showing us our sins. That’s its primary function. Seeing our sins, we feel guilty. That’s good! That drives us to Jesus in repentance for forgiveness.
Don’t let it drive you to despair, though.
We all sin. You sin. I sin. Mother Teresa sinned. Everyone sins. Knowing this keeps us from being arrogant since no one has a leg to stand on. It also lets us know we are not alone. We are all in the same boat, sinners in desperate need of a savior.
Thankfully, our salvation is not earned, it’s a gift. God gives it to us out of His great grace (the undeserved favor of God). So, once again, we are all in the same boat.
Whether we are the “worst” sinner or “best” righteous person, we are still just sinners saved by the undeserved gift of God.
What if I don’t feel like I am or deserve to be forgiven?
I like Martin Luther’s answer:
“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!” – Martin Luther
When satan reminds you that you are a sinner be comforted, for Christ died for sinners.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for forgiving me and saving me. I know I don’t deserve it, but You tell me my salvation is a gift. Thank you.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1
What do you do when you hear about someone else sinning?
How about when they sin against you?
Sometimes we are tempted to attack the sinner and destroy them. Sometimes we are tempted to avoid them so we aren’t associated with them or so we don’t have to deal with it.
It’s interesting to see the difference between how Jesus and the Pharisees treated people. The Pharisees labeled people sinners and avoided them. Jesus ate with sinners and offered forgiveness. Jesus doesn’t ignore sin, He gently restores people through forgiveness.
That’s what Jesus wants us to do, too, gently restore people. We may need to challenge a sin, but the intent isn’t to destroy or beat up, it’s to restore the person through repentance and forgiveness.
Watch Yourselves!
What does it mean that we should watch ourselves lest we be tempted? There are lots of temptations that come with dealing with someone who sins. There’s the temptation to become involved in their sin. We may also be tempted towards self-righteousness (as if our sins are better than theirs). We may be tempted to gossip. We may be tempted to ignore the sin and let our brother continue drowning in it because we feel uncomfortable.
There are many temptations to avoid, but God still wants us to deal with the sin of our brothers and sisters and He wants to do it gently with the intent of restoring them…just like we would like to be gently restored when we sin.
Dear Jesus,
Please forgive me when I sin. Please give me wisdom when dealing with the sin of others. Help me to see them as you do, as Your precious child and seek to restore them gently.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
The Other Six
How To Use These Posts
The Other Six is a short, daily devotional blog post. You can use these posts for personal devotions, however, I’m also going to write them in such a way that you could use them for family devotions. I’ll include a Bible verse, questions and/or discussion points, and a closing prayer. I highly encourage you to do these devotions with your family or friends if possible.
“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.'” – Luke 22:41-42
For a long time, I viewed the phrase, “Not my will, but Thine be done” as a surrender to the authority of God. It’s as though I would tell God, “This is what I want. This is what needs to be done, but I guess it’s Your call. (sigh) So, do what You want.” Then I read something in a book that changed my view on this phrase forever.
The person wrote something to the effect of, “‘Not my will, by Thine be done.’ is not so much about giving in to God’s might. It’s about recognizing that God’s will is good and perfect. He loves us. It’s also about recognizing that our will is corrupted by sin. This prayer is a desperate cry to God that His will be done because His will is better than anything we could ever conceive.”
In this new light, the prayer moves away from me being like a child upset that His dad won’t let him do what he wants and moves toward me clinging to my loving Father in the midst of a frightening and overwhelming moment or looking to His wisdom when I am unsure.
Now, I gladly, even desperately sometimes, pray for God’s will to be done over my own in a similar way that when I fly, I prefer a professional pilot fly the plane rather than demanding I be allowed in the cockpit. Something tells me the other passengers on the plane also prefer that.
Heavenly Father,
You are good and You are loving. You are wise and You are all-knowing. Help me to trust You and Your will no matter what is going on in my life. May the prayer of my heart always be, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”