Acts 10: 43 NKJV
I ran across a Wayne Jacobsen blog a week or so ago that I had a bit of trouble with. Now, usually I tend to agree with most of what ol' Wayne says, but this one, this one was trouble from the begining. Here was Wayne talking about the forgiveness of our sins and that we, as christians, enjoy that gift through the work of Christ at the cross. Yeah, I'm totally ok with all of that so far. Then he went and tossed a curve ball into the entire conversation. Not only are my own sins forgiven, but so are the sins of those who sin against me! Wait, so that same dude who cussed me out at work or flipped me off on the freeway has his sins forgiven as well? I can see how someone would have a real issue with that line of thinking. I mean, here I am a christian and I constantly come across those who take it upon themselves to behave badly against me each and every day. Such people can't possibly be christians...can they? Am I justified to call upon the vengence of the Father upon them? I mean, they treated me, a son of the living God badly. People such as this HAD to be sinners, right? Yes, they once were sinners, just like the apostle Paul, king David and many more people of scripture whom God not only blessded with forgiveness, but with salvation as well. Not only am I in good company, but so are those among the elect who have done wrong against me. See, human behavior and following the urges of our flesh is not something that just sinners do from time to time. I can definately attest to the fact that I have done my own share of behaving badly to others. I have insulted, judged and persecuted the same as anyone else out there. Yet I would be the first one to get my feathers ruffled if a fellow christian indulged in that very same behavior which I once engaged in. Hypocracy on parade.
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be adone away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV
My dear mother had a saying which she all too often would tell me whenever I would complain about how others were behaving in a non christian way. Whenever I would complain about such things, she would smile and say that every time I pointed that finger of guilt at another person that there would all too often be ten more pointed right back at me! Yeah, she was right. The simple fact is that, as christians, we don't hold dominion over our Lords grace and forgiveness. Yes, our sins have been washed and forgiven by Christ, but so have the sins of those around us. Those whom we have thought to ourselves could never be christians. How many have thought the same about me from time to time? How many christians would consider Paul a sinner? Well, Paul himself did. In fact, Paul refered to himself as "chief" among sinners {1 Timothy 1:15}. Yes, one of the greatest defenders of the christian faith of all time WAS...chief among all sinners. I say was because that is exactly what happened on that Damascus road that day. That man Saul became the old man, the man who once was. This new man, Paul, was one who soon began to recognize his own life in Christ {Galations 2:20}. This wasn't a instant transformation for Paul, but a gradual revelation of that man he truly was. This is the very same transformation that I found myself in as I began to realize the truth of Christ in me. Galations 2:20 never tells us that Christ has chosen to live in a select few christians. God never gets into favoritism. Instead, when we accept Christ Jesus in our own hearts, He Himself shares our life with us. Just like Paul, our "old" man has passed away. As He is revealed in us, those around us will see Him through all we do, good and bad. Not only are my own sins forgiven, but so are the sins of those around me who have trusted in Him.
14in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or eprincipalities or fpowers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Colossions 1: 14 - 17 NKJV
~Scott~
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