The Truth & The Wages of Sin
I got up early, as is my usual routine these days. I love daybreak, as it represents God's promise of a new day, a day not yet ruined by man. I then came to my friends at DS and spent a little time checking in and posting a bit. Then I went to my daily devotionals and God blindsided me. My friend Max Lucado spoke to me about "Truth".
GOD LOVES THE TRUTH
The Lord hates those who tell lies but he is pleased with those who keep their promises. Proverbs 12:22
"Our master has a strict honor code. From Genesis to Revelation the theme is the same. God loves the truth and hates deceit. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul lists the type of people who will not inherit the kingdom of God. The covey he portrays is a ragged assortment of those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, sell their bodies, get drunk, rob people, and--there it is--lie about others.
Such rigor may surprise you. 'You mean my fibbing and flattering stir the same heavenly anger as adultery and aggravated assault?' Apparently so.....
Why the hard line? Why the tough stance? For one reason: dishonesty is absolutely against the character of God. Just like Jesus"
Billy Graham continued the assault on my character when his devotional today was titled "God Hates Sin". He went on to lament that we live in an age where people give a wink & a nod to the concept of sin, and then go about their business of deceit, perversion, self service and the list goes on. Rev. Graham asserts that people today think that God is such a loving God that he will forget & forgive us the stuff we do because he is so understanding and kind hearted. Kind of like a rather senile old grandfather who just shakes his head when the grand kids misbehave. Billy Graham then preaches that God, in fact, HATES sin. Why, he asks? Because God loves us and He knows that sin will bring us nothing but misery and destruction and the ultimate descension into a timeless eternity apart from Him. Into Hell. God hates sin because He hates what it does to us.
Late last night, I wrote in my journal that I have not lived a particularly exemplary life, and that there were was much in my past that I am not proud of. That was my way of giving my sins the "wink and a nod" that Rev. Graham spoke of. It occurs to me today that I have been glowing in my "spritual awakening" and boasting of a profound, new relationship with God. And I have been pontificating all over this beautiful web site, literally posing as some sort of righteous messenger of God. Not intending to deceive, mind you, but deceiving none the less.
I am a sinner. Hell, I think we are all sinners at one time or another. But to confess our sins is to secure our salvation. My dilemna is that I am afraid to confess my sins. To confess them means that I must remember them; ponder upon them; and then OWN them. And I just can't do that yet. Oh, my sins were not THAT horrible. I never killed anybody. I never assaulted anyone sexually or otherwise. Never robbed a bank either. But I have sinned.
I need to take the time to consider this, because it can't be coincidence that both of my devotionals brought the issues of honesty and sin to my attention. The trouble for me, and the fear that I have, is that my sins bring me shame. And right now, I am in the middle of grieving the losses of my wife, my home, my possesions, my money...almost everything. To lose my dignity and self respect is not something I can deal with right now. But Billy Graham ended his missive today with : "Confess your sin today. Don't wait. Receive God's forgiveness and restoration so that you might be of use to Him and enjoy His love forever." But I am so afraid.
So, my prayer for the day is that I am asking my God to give me the courage to face myself in order that I can face Him. Because right now I can do neither.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5T6gyCPDvM&feature=related
GOD LOVES THE TRUTH
The Lord hates those who tell lies but he is pleased with those who keep their promises. Proverbs 12:22
"Our master has a strict honor code. From Genesis to Revelation the theme is the same. God loves the truth and hates deceit. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul lists the type of people who will not inherit the kingdom of God. The covey he portrays is a ragged assortment of those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, sell their bodies, get drunk, rob people, and--there it is--lie about others.
Such rigor may surprise you. 'You mean my fibbing and flattering stir the same heavenly anger as adultery and aggravated assault?' Apparently so.....
Why the hard line? Why the tough stance? For one reason: dishonesty is absolutely against the character of God. Just like Jesus"
Billy Graham continued the assault on my character when his devotional today was titled "God Hates Sin". He went on to lament that we live in an age where people give a wink & a nod to the concept of sin, and then go about their business of deceit, perversion, self service and the list goes on. Rev. Graham asserts that people today think that God is such a loving God that he will forget & forgive us the stuff we do because he is so understanding and kind hearted. Kind of like a rather senile old grandfather who just shakes his head when the grand kids misbehave. Billy Graham then preaches that God, in fact, HATES sin. Why, he asks? Because God loves us and He knows that sin will bring us nothing but misery and destruction and the ultimate descension into a timeless eternity apart from Him. Into Hell. God hates sin because He hates what it does to us.
Late last night, I wrote in my journal that I have not lived a particularly exemplary life, and that there were was much in my past that I am not proud of. That was my way of giving my sins the "wink and a nod" that Rev. Graham spoke of. It occurs to me today that I have been glowing in my "spritual awakening" and boasting of a profound, new relationship with God. And I have been pontificating all over this beautiful web site, literally posing as some sort of righteous messenger of God. Not intending to deceive, mind you, but deceiving none the less.
I am a sinner. Hell, I think we are all sinners at one time or another. But to confess our sins is to secure our salvation. My dilemna is that I am afraid to confess my sins. To confess them means that I must remember them; ponder upon them; and then OWN them. And I just can't do that yet. Oh, my sins were not THAT horrible. I never killed anybody. I never assaulted anyone sexually or otherwise. Never robbed a bank either. But I have sinned.
I need to take the time to consider this, because it can't be coincidence that both of my devotionals brought the issues of honesty and sin to my attention. The trouble for me, and the fear that I have, is that my sins bring me shame. And right now, I am in the middle of grieving the losses of my wife, my home, my possesions, my money...almost everything. To lose my dignity and self respect is not something I can deal with right now. But Billy Graham ended his missive today with : "Confess your sin today. Don't wait. Receive God's forgiveness and restoration so that you might be of use to Him and enjoy His love forever." But I am so afraid.
So, my prayer for the day is that I am asking my God to give me the courage to face myself in order that I can face Him. Because right now I can do neither.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5T6gyCPDvM&feature=related
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