Tuesday, November 8, 2016

The Greatest Fall in History – Part 2


Psalm 51:1-5 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

Continuing pastor Kyle’s message: The cost of sin was higher than ever expected or imagined. Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal states that one of the greatest problems inside and outside of Christianity is not realizing just how great the fall of man really was and how far humanity really fell. Our just and holy God cannot be in the presence of sin and sin cannot go unpunished. In the day that they sinned, death entered the world; Adam and Eve died and died until they were dead. God banished them from His presence and from the Garden of Eden. Now, a sacrifice was needed and provided by God. First, an animal had to die to provide a covering for their physical nakedness. Ultimately, Jesus Christ had to die humanity’s spiritual nakedness. Our Father God had to take intentional steps towards reconciliation and restoration.

 

Psalm 51:7-17 “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness;  let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

Darkness seems to overshadow light, but that is impossible. In light, darkness disappears. Satan amplifies our fears with darkness. God’s light dispels the darkness of sin, so rather than hide, come clean. Bring God’s light into this world of darkness. Confess your sins and experience healing. Rather than worry about the consequences of sin, rest in God’s grace and forgiveness. When you fall in sin, get back up and walk with the Lord. Rather than repeating the past and dwelling on your sin, commit to God’s plan for your future. You cannot change the past, even if you want to, but you can dedicate yourself to the Lord as a devoted follower and have a better future. This side of eternity, we’ll always have to deal with the fallen flesh’s sin nature, but we must be sure to settle the forgiveness and eternal life question today.



1 John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”


In Christ, Brian

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