Oops! I Did it Again...and Don't Want to Do it Anymore

 

Heart to Heart from the Housewrights

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly - Proverbs 26:11

These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.” 2 Peter 2:17-22

“Well, those are not very uplifting verses,” you are probably saying to yourself right now.

And, you are right.

They are hideous. And, they remind us of who we are and what we are capable of.

So often, we love to brag on ourselves, proclaim our goodness to others, and put selfies on social media that yell, “Hey, look at me!” But, is that what we really want? Do we want people to know us - the “real” us?

In both Proverbs and Peter’s first letter, we find the truth of what we are really like. We have the proclivity, nay, the downright desire to often go back to that which traps us. That which troubles us. That which keeps us down. 

Like a dog returning to it vomit.

Every single one of us has a sin (sins) that perpetually haunt us. We miss the aim and don’t hit our target. We allow distractions. We do not stay focused. We trip and we fall.

But, thanks be unto God, we can get back up. “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts,” I John 1:8-10.

So, you’re struggling with sin. You keep messing up. You want to change but “old habits die hard” as they say.

Thank God for grace.

Thank God for mercy.

Thank God for forgiveness.

Thank God for hope.

Thank God for being a new creation.

Thank God this is a new day and you can start over…

Look. It’s not ok to sin. It’s not ok to shrug it off. It’s not ok to say, “It’s who I am. God made me this way.”

Those are not words which should ever come out of a follower of Jesus’ mouth. Sin is the very reason Jesus obeyed the Father - even to death on a Roman cross. Willingling he died - so we might die to self and sin. It’s why Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Galatia: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there, Galatians 5:24.

We all have today. Today, let’s keep sin at bay. Give it not an inch in our lives. Let’s put the flesh in its place. After all, the very next verse in Galatians 5 has Paul declaring: Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

For the next 24 hours let us agree to say no to the flesh and yes to the spirit. Hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second…let us walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit and then - and only then - we will not fall into sin. 

“Go, and sin no more…”

We're Not Okay and That's Alright

As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. (Matthew 27:57-61 NLT)

The 27th chapter of Matthew is a rather depressing and sad chapter. Here is a brief synopsis:

Jesus’ death is planned out by the religious leaders
    Judas hangs himself
        An innocent man (Jesus) is put on trial
            The audience of the trial wants a guilty man set free
                An innocent man (Jesus) is found “guilty” and humiliated publicly
                    Jesus is crucified
                        As he is dying, Jesus is further ridiculed and verbally assaulted
                            Certain women could/would only watch from a distance
                                Jesus dies and is buried in a “borrowed” tomb
                                    Plans are made and kept to guard the tomb of someone dead

Ugh. Like we said, depressing.

Many Christians believe - some adamantly - that a follower of Jesus can never be depressed. After all, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Yet, pulling one verse out of context does not make one a biblical scholar.

Depression, sadness, hurt, anxiety, pain, stress…these are all found throughout the Holy Scriptures and afflicted even the stoutest of biblical saints.

One of Christianity’s greatest preachers, C.H. Spurgeon was frequently plunged into severe depression. Quite a bit of his mental crises were due in part to gout. In a biography of this "prince of preachers", Arnold Dallimore wrote, "What he suffered in those times of darkness we may not know...even his desperate calling on God brought no relief. Spurgeon himself once wrote: “There are dungeons beneath the castles of despair.”

Just when you thought you couldn’t get any lower…dungeons.

In all honesty - we’ve all been there. A loss of a loved one. Loss of a job. Destruction of a friendship. Frail health. Chronic pain. Addiction. Financial stress. Impatient demands of others. All of these, plus countless other things, can drive even the sweetest of saints to a moment of mental anguish and spiritual struggle.

Chuck Swindoll once wrote: “Many years ago a young Midwestern lawyer suffered from such deep depression that his friends thought it best to keep all knives and razors out of his reach. He questioned his life's calling and the prudence of even attempting to follow it through. During this time he wrote, ‘I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell. I awfully forebode I shall not.’ But somehow, from somewhere, Abraham Lincoln received the encouragement he needed, and the achievements of his life thoroughly vindicated his bout with discouragement. You and Your Problems Transformed by Thorns, p. 58.

Even the early followers of Jesus despaired. Matthew 27:61 - “Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.” Do you think they were waiting for his triumphant resurrection? No, more than likely, these two could only see and feel: “The One we believed in and followed is gone! Our Messiah is dead!”

We too, often become overwhelmed by life and its often relentless and choking grip…and in our limited thinking we say to ourselves: “Where is God? Why doesn’t he hear me? Why doesn’t he hear my prayers? Does God not care for me or my problems?”

Be honest - you know we’ve all done it. So, quit being ashamed of being human. After all, if you’re reading this, “Surprise! You’re human.” You are flesh. You are bone. You are blood. You are at times weak. At times you fail. This is what it means to live in a fallen world.

Instead, give thanks that God extends mercy and grace when we do fall. He gives us what we do not deserve and does not give us what we do deserve in those moments of despair.

In the midst of their pain and loss, God reached out to the two Marys. Even though it was at a tomb, guarded by the enemy, without joy and hope, God had not abandoned them. God had not left them to their own demise. God did not discard them because they were filled with sadness.

Rather God met them there. He brought forth the greatest moment of joy the world would ever know. He raised from the dead the One who could lead all the captives of sin and death to eternal and everlasting freedom. God brought to life the only One who can give us life.

Holy week is upon us. It is a tough week. Maybe you are encountering a tough time. Know this: it’s okay to fret. It’s alright to stress. It’s normal to get overwhelmed. It’s fine that you are not fine.

That is the reason for Christ Jesus.

Christ has come.
    Christ has died.
        Christ has been buried.
            Christ has been raised from the dead.
                Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father.
                       Christ is coming again.

That’s good news brothers and sisters. We pray it brings a glimpse of hope to your burdened hearts and a smile of joy to your face. It’s okay to not be okay…because, in the end, it will all be okay.