LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

I don't know what it is with sin and man. It is like a bad love-hate relationship that exists worldwide.Sin is so ugly, so rotten yet we love what it brings (the offers) but at the same time hate the result of indulging. I don't understand it at all. Quite strange, if you ask me. It's like a magnet of some sort that attracts us yet in reality we are supposed to be repulsed if not repelled by it.How can something so bad look or feel so good? The reality is that it's so good, but only for a moment before guilt, regret, anxiety and torment kick in.  This reminds me of the first sin-story and I can't help but running back to my Bible in Genesis to check for when it came into existence: how it all started.

Devil deceives Eve through the snake, she uses peer pressure on  Adam and the result is a broken relationship between God. Worse still a new relationship rears it's ugly head on all humanity: a relationship with sin. This tragic shift of events causes a strain on man,; on one hand he has to a maintain a relationship with God while on the other side the Devil keeps trying to destroy it by making man cheat/ skunk on God. I still ask myself why God didn't just cut off sin as a whole. Create a system whereby man could exist in a loving relationship eternally( with Him) without the possibility of ever being drawn away. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Then again, who am I to question the great ways of the Almighty? Since when did the creation tell the Creator what to do? I guess that is where the difference between angels and man comes in. Angels were created to serve, love and glorify God-without choice, it's in their system while man was created to serve, love and glorify God- with choice. That is where the trick comes in.

Being given the gift of choice comes with  heavy responsibility. Where ordinarily we are drawn to flesh desires we need to make conscious decisions to do what is right. Not just because it right but because it what God wants. If it is what God wants and commands us to do as a show of love then it ought to be our devotion-to please God and steer clear from sin. It sounds easy in theory but in reality it is a struggle all people go through.

I hate the feeling after that comes immediately after sinning. It just drives the point home- the Devil is a liar. Let me try set  the scenario of how sin takes place. First of all sin will tend to creep in when you are idle. Doesn't the Bible say that an idle mind is the Devil's workshop? There you go. So you are doing nothing then a thought comes to mind. It may start as something totally harmless; tiny and then it soon builds up to something bigger than expected. The minds is an amazing thing. It can create anything it wants to or is allowed-there no restrictions, that is until we place them.  We toy around with the ideas about the 'big thought' soon start picturing the so called benefits of indulging. The 'big thought' will arouse all our senses and emotions: and convince us that indulging in 'the act' will bring satisfaction beyond comprehension. Then our conscience has a go at us. He begins to present the reality: dangers of indulging in 'the act' and the aftermath on the negative if not real side. We are so caught up on the good that we refuse the wise counsel of our conscience and begin shut him up. "Keep quiet. I know what I am doing. Besides, I will feel good, why wait? The effects are not really that bad-the good surpasses it. Just hush up and let me be," we say. The truth is that we know what we are about to do is bad, we simply try to downplay the gravity of it all. No sooner than we know we take the dive into the act; dive and plunge deep into sin.

 Almost immediately after soaring high and feeling good, realization sinks in (deep). We have sinned. The voice that was encouraging you to indulge in the act comes back but this time he is hitting us one blow after another. It hurts, it hurts so bad we feel like killing ourselves. "You are so stupid. Useless. Hopeless. You can't be helped. You keep messing up. You think God will forgive you let alone save you? Ha!Funny! How many times do you think He can forgive you?Even He gets tired and moreover disgusted. That's right, you are disgusting and you will always be disgusting. Failure-you can't do anything right. Waste of flesh! And you are supposed to be a leader/ example for others!So much for righteousness."  Such things continue to run through our heads and it keeps getting worse. We regret ever indulging but we can't turn back the time. We want to tell somebody but feel afraid to; because if we do we may be judged, scorned or hated: that would only cause more trauma to our already difficult situation. We also want to pray but it's so hard. We just stabbed God right in the heart. What re-assurance do we have that He will listen to us let alone forgive us?  We feel depressed, trapped and heavy laden. We know we have to pray but we're already so down. Where do we start? How? It's difficult.

 Well, I am here to encourage you. In the Bible, 1John 1:8 , it says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us". We are all sinners. In Romans 3:23-24 it says, " ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Not one, not two but all have sinned therefore nobody is perfect except for Christ..(Note, I am not saying this to justify us such that from now on we think it is okay to sin. It is not.) The only person who can save us, redeem us is Jesus Christ. He alone can save us;cleanse us and forgive us. It is not by our might or our strength but indeed by His grace, amazing grace (and the immense love He has for us). That,we need to remember. 1John 1:9 says," ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." So let us go before our Father, our God and talk to him for indeed we are guaranteed that He will listen to us. We need not worry over who to confess to for He is right there.

In summing it all up, I will leave us with Psalm 51.  Be encouraged!

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

2Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

3For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

4Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are proved right when you speak

and justified when you judge.

5Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6Surely you desire truth in the inner parts^a;

you teach^b me wisdom in the inmost place.

7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

10Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

14Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17The sacrifices of God are^c a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

18In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19Then there will be righteous sacrifices,

whole burnt offerings to delight you;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Till the next time: Theng'e signing out!

Reference:

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