Read Proverbs 10
Let’s talk
about breaking up. Well, maybe later we
will get to that.
Here’s a new
one for you. There is God’s way and
there is everything else. Ok, maybe you
have heard that one once or twice before.
Consider the
Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. Is
it great or is it terrible? The answer
is yes. It all depends on your
relationship with God.
Knowing God,
seeking God, desiring his wisdom more than gold or silver gives us hope for today and for the future and for
eternity. We know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of many good
things.
The fear of
the Lord adds length to life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.
The prospect
of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to
nothing.
The way of
the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
The proverb
helps us understand a very familiar verse from Jeremiah.
For I know
the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We should
understand that the way of the Lord is a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways. For the blameless—the righteous—the way of
the Lord is a refuge.
For those
living in the everything else, the way of the Lord brings men to ruin. Rejecting the Lord, rebelling against the
Lord, mocking God puts us on the path marked by destruction.
Yes, the Day
of the Lord will be great and it will be terrible. We want to enjoy the former and only know of
the latter.
Understand
that we will sin. It happens and we give
thanks for God’s pardon. He is faithful
and just to forgive, but we must never take his mercy and grace for granted.
We sin and
know that we are forgiven but we must not deceive ourselves into thinking that
God accepts our sin. He forgives us, but
our sin is still our sin. Our sin rebels against God.
Our hearts
must long to live in the way of the Lord.
We don’t long for him to accept our sinful ways. Or do we?
Life, joy,
and refuge come in living in the way of the Lord. Shortened life, shriveled up
hopes, and ruin are waiting on us if we desire God to embrace our sin.
We can’t
have it both ways. What do I mean?
We will sin,
but don’t ever become comfortable with your sin. Never let guilt keep you from confession, but
don’t become comfortable with your sin.
God wants
you to come boldly before his throne of grace, but you must humble yourself
knowing full well that you have fallen short.
We all have fallen short.
We don’t ask
God to accept our shortcomings—our sin.
We ask him to accept us and forgive us and give us another chance to run
our race of faith and bring glory to his name.
Don’t ever
think that our sin is acceptable to God.
We are acceptable to him because of what he has done for us, but we must
end the relationship with sin.
God hates
divorce, but he expects us to divorce ourselves from that unsavory partner
known as sin.
God loves
us. He detests our sin. Don’t be deceived into believing that God
considers your sin acceptable. Bring it
to him in confession and don’t makeup with it later.
Blessings
lie in living God’s way not in insisting upon our own way and living in the
everything else. We do not petition God to accept our sin and then when we have
stopped listening to his Spirit, to embrace our sin. Our hearts must detest sin to embrace God.
God is love.
God loves
you.
God loves
you with an everlasting love.
His mercy
has forgiven you of your sin.
But sin is
still detestable to God and we must end our relationship with it. It is time to break up with sin once and for
all.
Amen.
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