The Monster Sin... And Finding Our Way Out Of The Woods

It seems sometimes... that no matter how hard we try, we just cannot escape that monster in our lives that is sin. We so often venture off the path that God has chosen for us to seek new adventures. Often times these adventures take us into a deep, dark forest, and we easily lose our way... becoming lost amongst the trees where the canopy above is so thick, the sun, moon and stars are blocked from our view. We therefore cannot determine North from South... East from West. We have no idea how to get back to that path we were on before we foolishly, and knowingly, turned our backs on our guide and ventured out on our own. When we turn our backs on our guide, venturing out on our own, that is when we become lost in the wilderness and prey to that monster called sin. It can creep up on us... stalking us from the shadows before it pounces teeth barred claws extended, howling in rage, hunger, and hatred... to destroy us... to devour us... consume our flesh and spit out our bones. Sometimes it prefers to pursue as we flee in fear... running with tears in our eyes and a scream we just can't get past our throat... as branches and thorns from the trees scratch and scrape our skin, drawing blood. The beast smells our blood and pursues with greater passion... it's roar echoing amongst the trees. Sometimes it calls to us in a soft, seductive voice like a siren from Greek mythology... intending to lure us willingly to our own doom as it would a ship at sea to come crashing upon the rocks ashore.

We tend to think that there is no way God could forgive our sins... that they are too disgusting in His sight, that they are too many for Him to forgive. We forget sometimes as christians, that we are already forgiven...our sins of the past, present, and future are forgiven if we believe and accept Christ as Savior. Non-christians who believe there is a God, but will not accept Him, sometimes think that their sins are too great, too disgusting, and too many for Christ to forgive. People... and I've become reminded of this myself recently... God uses sinners and misfits and "bad" people all the time. He always has... we all are these things in one way or another. Moses was a murderer and God used him to lead His people out of Egypt. David was an adulterer and God made him King of Israel. Paul was a persecutor and killer of christians... God used him to preach salvation to the gentiles. Peter denied Christ right to his face and later lead thousands to Him.

If we simply call out to Him, He will welcome us back lovingly and set us back upon the path we were on before. Should we repent? I think so. We are responsible for our actions, for our sins... I think we should fess up... of course He knows what we've done already anyway. But He gives us salvation and grace... and love not of this world.

If you are not a christian, but want forgiveness of your sins, ask the Lord, Jesus into your heart, and to forgive your sins... to make you a new creature in Christ.

God saves us despite our flaws... He forgives us no matter what we've done.

Romans 5:6-11 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

God bless,
Tony