Living With Purpose
A man once took on the challenge of walking from New York City to San Francisco. You can imagine all the obstacles that would have made his trek difficult. When asked what the biggest and most troubling part of his journey had been, he responded, “It wasn’t the steep slopes of mountains or crossing hot, dry desserts. Instead, the thing that came closest to defeating me was the sand in my shoes.” Little things do make a difference! A person, no matter how incredibly successful, is prone to being side-tracked from the divinely-appointed destination God intends for them. Even the smallest setbacks, mistakes, and dare I say it, sin, can derail what’s intended for us. Why is it, that God allows these big and small things to affect us in challenging ways? Is it to make us realize our dependence on Him? Is it to grow our faith or give us a chance to put it to work? Could it be to strengthen our testimony before others so God can be glorified? All these are potential reasons for God’s allowance.
But the truth in all of it is that we all fall short sometimes (Romans 3:23). The acknowledgment of sin in a person’s life, whether you’re a believer or not, can’t be overemphasized. Sin is the one thing that places everyone on common ground. The only way sin can be removed from our lives is to willfully confess our guilt, accept Christ as Savior, and ask for God’s forgiveness.
If a person wants to know God’s view of sin, one only has to look to the Cross. The penalty Jesus suffered for us reveals God’s hatred of sin. What has happened to sin? Is sin still relevant if Christ paid the penalty for our transgressions? You bet it is! Sin still has the same affect it did for people hundreds and thousands of years ago. Sin is the trip-wire that causes us to stumble. Before a person accepts Christ as their Savior, they’re a sinner all the way to the core. Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”
Before becoming a Christian sin isn’t what we did, it’s who we were. When we accept Christ and are born again, we still struggle with the vestiges of sin. It’s a strong enemy. Its power is magnified because our culture promotes it. Sin for the spiritually aware, is not the most popular topic of conversation. We want to skip it, change the subject, or justify it. High levels of self-esteem and self-determination are sought after, for good reasons, but they’re also excuses to pursue sinful actions and to do whatever makes us feel good.
A great number of people reject the idea of moral absolutes, because if a person accepts their reality, then they would be subject to them and the Higher Power that handed them down. People don’t want that or the quilt that accompanies it.
To minimize sinfulness is to minimize Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. All blood is precious, but Christ’s blood is most precious, because it was perfect and shed for us all. Acknowledging our true condition, which is flawed and prone to sin, isn’t always pleasant, but it’s the first step in being set free from the things that tie us up. Sin is the thing that leads us to Jesus.
The encouragement we need is this: If someone ever points their fingers in your face and proclaims your faults, take the high road, and know that we’ve all sinned; even the accuser. Pray for them and be sure you’ve risen above your own temptations. And be careful, because in this world there’s always another mountain you’ll have to face in the journey of faith-building. Don’t let the morally confused world make you ineffective.
Grace becomes amazing when we understand that sin is a huge problem for us. Amazing grace becomes marvelous when we’re forgiven and given a new life to live for Him!
• This bi-weekly column is written by Matthew Dobson. He’s a teacher, U.S. Army Chaplain, and the Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in the New York Community. His most recent book is titled: “How the Race Was Won: A Coming of Age Story About Running”. He can be reached by email: rmdobson@liberty.edu.
