Your Relationship With God - 22 June

Have you found an accountability partner: someone to walk with you as you struggle with the sins in your life?  If you need someone to walk beside you, email me or talk to a pastor. We’ll help you find that person who will challenge you to walk the way Christ demands.

The Bible is filled with sinners. We see stories of rape, murder, theft, lying, adultery and more. Yet even those sinners had the opportunity to be saved. Some of the “worst” sinners were later called faithful and a man after God’s heart. So we know that it doesn’t matter what kinds of sin we’ve committed – God is willing and able to save us.

The Apostle Paul considered himself one of the greatest sinners of all. He was a part of the ruling priesthood. He persecuted believers in Jesus. But God called him and he became influential in the church. This proves to me that there is no sin too great for God to forgive. God can use you no matter who you are or what you’ve done!

After Paul’s conversion, he became an evangelist. He was beaten and imprisoned many times for his beliefs. He just kept going, writing letter after letter to fledgling churches, encouraging them and teaching doctrine. The book of Romans was written to believers in Rome, and in this letter Paul included himself when he used the word we to describe his condition as a sinner and former enemy of God.

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:  “None is righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:9-10 (ESV)

For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:22-25 (ESV)

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. Romans 5:12 (ESV)

Paul is clear: every human being has sinned. We might be a “good person”, but underneath we are still sinners. We can’t claim to be anything else.

This week has been pretty depressing. We’ve found out just how depraved we are. I want to leave you with the confidence of your salvation.

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:31, 32, 36 (ESV)

Praise God that we are free in Christ Jesus!

I pray you have a wondrous and blessed weekend.