Thursday, April 28, 2011

Right View of Sin

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. Hebrews 12:3-4

Ouch.

First of all, my tendency toward discouragement and lack of perseverance takes on much more significance when I read verse three. Why don’t I fully grasp what Jesus’ death on the cross means? It is salvation to the fullest. Salvation from the full significance of sin. I think sometimes I fail to realize just how much effect sin has on me. Growing weary, losing heart, and failing in perseverance are effects of sin. Anything that keeps me from the fullness of perfection is sin. Anything. And Jesus suffered and died so that I could be free from that. So that I could persevere. Oh how I must remember!

Then there’s verse four. Double ouch. When I see this statement I realize just how little I fight against sin. I don’t often even fight to the point of discomfort, much less to the point of shedding blood.

My awareness of sin is so dulled. I rarely truly stop and perceive it from God’s perspective. I say I do. I say I want to. But then I fall right back into a worldly view of my sin.

I am challenged to wake up. I am challenged to truly fight it, no matter what the cost. I am challenged to not mock the beautiful, perfect, and exceedingly costly sacrifice of Christ by losing heart and growing weary. I am challenged to instead walk in the amazing victory He has provided through that gruesome death. Oh, may I not grow weary!

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