Scripture: Romans 6:1-5 [The Message]
1-3So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
3-5That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country.
Observation(s): Will I be forgiven if I keep on sinning? No, according to Paul. When we leave sin behind we enter a new life. Paul compares our baptism to the selling of a house. Can we continue to live in an old house if we’ve packed up and moved out. That is what baptism into Christ means. We leave the old life behind; we enter a new life of grace, “a new house”. Our baptism further compared to the death of Christ. Lowering into the water is the burial of Jesus and the raising from the water the resurrection of Jesus. We are able to see things in a different perspective–”enlightened” as we head in a new direction that is grace-centered.
Application(s): Do I continue to separate myself from G-d? Do I believe that I can continue to make excuses for sinning and that I will be “let off the hook”? Am I a new creature in Christ? Am I connected? Am I headed in the right direction? Is my faith grounded in His grace?
Prayer: Lord, you know my fallibilities–Let your grace fill and lift me up when I separate myself from you. Give me your spirit to stay connected, even when I fall down. Thank you. I love you.
Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 27:3-4 [The Message]
3-4Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, “I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.
Observation(s): Jesus is betrayed by a so-called friend and disciple, Judas. Judas who many say wanted to usher in Jesus’ rein realizes his mistake of betrayal and goes back to the priests and returns the blood money that he took for Jesus’ betrayal. Recognizing his guilt he acknowledges his betrayal of an innocent man.
Application(s): Like Judas do I betray people, my credibility, thoughts, beliefs, etc. for my personal gain? Like Judas am I convicted of the Truth (of self) and attempt to remedy my betrayal. Like Judas do I show remorse for my mistakes?
Prayer: Lord, Thank you for the Gospel that convicts me of my sinful nature–keep me from self and give me a spirit to seek You daily and live out your humility, compassion and love for my family and those who cross my path.
Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17 [The Message]
15-17“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.
Observation(s): Jesus says to His followers, in response how we will gain the Kingdom, that we need to work things out when someone hurts us. If you go to them and tell them how they have hurt you and they respond positively then you have gained a friendship. And what if the person does not cooperate? Then Jesus says to take a couple of other people along with you (as witnesses) and try again. If the person still refuses you take it to a larger body/group within the community. If this person still refuses to be accountable, then you must start over from the beginning and be more forceful, inviting the person to seek forgiveness all the while offering unconditional love of G-d to this individual.
Application(s): More times than not we do not go to the person who hurts us. Instead we recoil in our pain, or seethe with anger over the injustice. Scripture is clear. We must go to the person and talk to them about it. G-d is like that also. He keeps coming to us when we separate ourselves from Him. He doesn’t stop, he keeps coming back pointing us back to Him, starting over with us if necesarry–always offering His unconditional love. Some questions. Do I personify the person who hurts others and refuses to listen? Am I the victim who is inactive and lives with dread in my life because I do not seek out forgiveness? Or am I a person who seeks out my perpetrator and when ignored is persevering until the end; willing to start over again when necessary–always loving and offering G-d’s unconditional love to that person?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for always pursuing me when I get off the beaten path. Forgive me when I hurt someone, I do not want to prevent anyone from seeing You or entering the Kingdom, because of my failures. If I am the person who is not listening to how I’ve hurt someone open my eyes and ears so that I will listen and seek repentance. Keep me from playing the victim and not stepping up to the plate and going to the person who hurts me. Give me the courage to seek reconciliation in peaceful ways. Thank you for loving me, I love you.
