It has certainly been a long time since my journaling has retired, I will save you the ‘update’ pick up in the end of the chapter we left off.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42
An overwhelming large majority of people seem to have this view that God is a angry old man out to get us… this is malarkey, had it not been for His abundant love and mercy, all of us would receive the wages of our labors, and the wages of sin is death. Death of the conscience, death of relationships, death of the body and finally death of the soul. This is how God views sin and those who purposefully and willfully cause others to sin, it would be better for them to die… Had our Lord not also been full of grace and patient with our rebelliousness we would all have perished in our sin. I certainly would have long ago. But as it stands, you and I remain, for, and only because of the mercy He extends towards us. What’s more, He offers us a life of meaning and purpose now, a life defined by it’s quality and renewal, for though the wages of sin be death, eternal life is the gift of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” Mark9:43-48
I do not feel qualified to speak further on this matter but what better to speak about then that which your going through. I find it necessary to give You the glory Lord. I have burnt many valuable bridges in my life and reaped the consequences of my bad choices. I see that Your way of dealing with sin is always drastic, it is perceived as fanatical and extreme but so it must be. No one understands the cost of sin better than You. As such, no one understands the necessity of radical repentance better than You. Our inability to be sinless cost You Your life and if we do not deal with our sin by extreme measures than it will cost us our lives as well.
Father, to be honest, as if to say ‘You don’t already know my heart’, I love my hands and feet and eyes. I dislike the things they make me do but they remain dear to me still. I do not like it when my feet lead me down the paths of destruction, or when my hands reach out and take hold of that which You have forbidden in Your omniscience, and I hate it when my eyes are charmed until entirely distracted from You. But I love them still for they are my own, and would rather do all that is in my power to prevent the sin without truly dealing with that which led me to it. What is the cost of integrity? Have I considered the price of a clear conscience? You are altogether good, I trust that there is no evil in You, neither be there a desire to do that which is evil. I can bank on that. I can put my life in Your hands knowing You love me with more than just a great love, it is with an unfailing love. Father help me to live this life on Your terms, to surrender the things I am reluctant to give up. Help me accept that my rights were forfeited at the cross and my life is dependent upon Your truths, not my opinions. You and I both know the areas where I am weak, but we both know that there is freedom in Your Name. Jesus, my God, I pray for freedom. Amen.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42
An overwhelming large majority of people seem to have this view that God is a angry old man out to get us… this is malarkey, had it not been for His abundant love and mercy, all of us would receive the wages of our labors, and the wages of sin is death. Death of the conscience, death of relationships, death of the body and finally death of the soul. This is how God views sin and those who purposefully and willfully cause others to sin, it would be better for them to die… Had our Lord not also been full of grace and patient with our rebelliousness we would all have perished in our sin. I certainly would have long ago. But as it stands, you and I remain, for, and only because of the mercy He extends towards us. What’s more, He offers us a life of meaning and purpose now, a life defined by it’s quality and renewal, for though the wages of sin be death, eternal life is the gift of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” Mark9:43-48
I do not feel qualified to speak further on this matter but what better to speak about then that which your going through. I find it necessary to give You the glory Lord. I have burnt many valuable bridges in my life and reaped the consequences of my bad choices. I see that Your way of dealing with sin is always drastic, it is perceived as fanatical and extreme but so it must be. No one understands the cost of sin better than You. As such, no one understands the necessity of radical repentance better than You. Our inability to be sinless cost You Your life and if we do not deal with our sin by extreme measures than it will cost us our lives as well.
Father, to be honest, as if to say ‘You don’t already know my heart’, I love my hands and feet and eyes. I dislike the things they make me do but they remain dear to me still. I do not like it when my feet lead me down the paths of destruction, or when my hands reach out and take hold of that which You have forbidden in Your omniscience, and I hate it when my eyes are charmed until entirely distracted from You. But I love them still for they are my own, and would rather do all that is in my power to prevent the sin without truly dealing with that which led me to it. What is the cost of integrity? Have I considered the price of a clear conscience? You are altogether good, I trust that there is no evil in You, neither be there a desire to do that which is evil. I can bank on that. I can put my life in Your hands knowing You love me with more than just a great love, it is with an unfailing love. Father help me to live this life on Your terms, to surrender the things I am reluctant to give up. Help me accept that my rights were forfeited at the cross and my life is dependent upon Your truths, not my opinions. You and I both know the areas where I am weak, but we both know that there is freedom in Your Name. Jesus, my God, I pray for freedom. Amen.
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