Our small group recently finished a discussion regarding the Malignancy of Sin. The phrase, "The Malignancy of Sin" is a chapter heading in a book authored by Jerry Bridges - Respectable Sins. Bridges draws on the terms cancer (the "c" word) and malignancy to really drive home the notion that SIN (the new "c" word) is a spiritual and moral malignancy. Wow, that analogy really hit me hard.
SIN is the spiritual cancer that will ultimately lead to our death. Question - what does the majority of the population do when they get a cold? Maybe go to the local CVS to get some OTC medication, Kleenex, and some 7-UP. If it is something serious, we may go see a doctor and if it is cancer - a doctor is a must! That got me thinking . . . what do a majority of Christians do when we have a spiritual cold? Do we go to the Father or do we wait until we have spiritual cancer? These spiritual cold symptoms are what Bridges refers to as "Respectable Sins".
These respectable sins are anything from anxiety and frustration to pride and worldliness. And, if they go without attention they can metastasize into other areas of life, into our families, and damage our walk with the Father. These respectable sins are just as dangerous and must be brought to feet of our great physician, the Father. Bridges underlines this notion on page 25 when he states,"The acceptable sins are subtle in the sense that they deceive us into thinking they are not so bad, or not thinking of them as sins, or even worse, not even thinking about them at all!" When we get mad or become anxious are we aware that we are grieving the heart of our heavenly Father? Bridges underscores this on page 29, "This means that all of our rebellion, all of our despising of God and His law, all of our grieving His Holy Spirit, all of our presuming on His grace, all of our sin, is done openly in the very presence of God. It's as if we are acting out all of our sin before Him as He sits on His royal throne."
Question - do you believe in the omnipresence of our Lord? If you answered yes, do you live your life like it? Do you think about it when you are anxious or angry? Do we grasp that every sinful thought and action is done in front of God? The following words from David were very convicting; "O Lord, you have searched me and know me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether." (Psalm 139:1-4)
Let us remember, God forgives our sin because of the blood that was shed on the cross by Jesus Christ, but He does not and will not tolerate it. May we put on the armor of God, may we rely on Him for everything, may we go to His Word and not the world for what to do next. Let us be reminded that sin, "respectable" or not, is still sin and will not go un-noticed by the Father. It is my prayer that we can recognize our sin, that we can realize that we are totally depraved. Our depravity can only be erased by Jesus and it is only through Him that we can have access to the Father.
Blessings -
GutCheck Ministries
No comments:
Post a Comment