FROM: The Cure (John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, Bill Thrall) [Rom.8:23] “For God HAS DONE what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.” Our preoccupation with our sin and dealing with our sin keeps us anxious about sin, instead of being preoccupied with WHO GOD SAYS WE ARE as the basis for dealing with our sin. The good intention of “working on our sin” does not create a redemptive solution, which is the only basis upon which sin can be dealt with. The cross was, is, and always will be God’s only way of dealing with sin. MY NOTE: If I would just deal with my sin, I might – after several thousand years – become who God says I am in Christ. I am glad God has granted me the mercy of outliving the lie. The ONLY way I can ever hope to overcome my sin is by realizing and accepting who God says I am even on my worst possible day. In Hebrews 10: 1 – 3 we are told that the priestly offerings made under the Law were unable to produce a very vital reality. Had they worked, we are told, “the worshipers would no longer have had consciousness of sins.” “No more consciousness of sins” – this is what the Old Covenant was unable to accomplish. In fact, in the endless repetition of the offerings for sin there was an actual building of sin consciousness. It remains to this day: any work, Christian work, moral goodness, obedience, ethical excellence (prayer, giving, Bible reading & quoting, witnessing, confessions of faith and on and on) – when any of this becomes a subtle (and it is deceptively subtle) means of dealing with and overcoming our sin, all that really happens is an enlarged consciousness/awareness of sin. Here is the better way – in fact, the ONE and ONLY way: the once and for all offering of the Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning this Offering the writer penned the following: ‘For by ONE offering HE HAS... (Take a deep breath and ask the question: What is it He has...?) PERFECTED FOR ALL TIME those who are sanctified.’ Know what? If He has, then what do I hope to gain by working on what He has already perfectly accomplished? In the religion of my youth the word in this text that got all the play was the word “sanctified.’ It represented works, our works, the efforts by which we separated ourselves from sin and unto God. The good news is all of that news was wrong. Sanctified: set apart from my sin – set apart unto God; and just when and how did all this “setting apart” take place? It took place once and (unlike medical prescriptions) requires no repeats. It took place in and through the redemptive offering of Christ Himself. IN the perfection of the Offering I AM as perfect as I am ever going to be. I am at this moment and forever more who God says I am in, by, and through His Son. In this profound consciousness/awareness of who God says I am there is no room for that old crippling sin consciousness. What there is, however, is authentic power and grace to deal with sins. Sin consciousness and sins are two different issues. If in dealing with personal sins we find a growing sin consciousness rather than a growing Christ consciousness, we might want to pause and check our focus. Sin-focus does nothing to resolve sin. Christ-focus and who I am in Him – DOES!
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:45:44 +0000