Have you ever noticed how easy it is to rationalize even the most heinous sins? We let ourselves get away with so much. And if we have no trouble with the worst kind, imagine how many less offensive ones (if I can say it that way) are setting up shop in our souls. Take a look. See what you find camping out there. When I survey my soul I find the love of money, the love of vain-glory, the love of material items, ease, pleasure...I could go on, but there's not enough RAM in the universe.
Have you ever seen someone throw trash out of their car window onto the side of the road? Have you ever seen a beautiful, natural landscape littered with cups, trash bags, paper, and the like? I see cans, old tires, and tennis shoes floating to the surface of the canal behind my house all the time. It's disgusting. It's disturbing. When Jesus suffered on the cross a beautiful, undisturbed-by-sin, pure, human-being was polluted by sin--my sin and your sin. There, the trash of our lives was thrown on top of him. "Guilty, vile and helpless we, spotless Lamb of God was He."
To close our service yeterday with "Hallelujah, What a Savior" delivered me in my desperation, in much the same way that Paul's hope in Christ delivered him from his desperation. "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 8:24-25)!
A simple "thank you" to Jesus will not due. We owe him a worship life, full of heartfelt gratitude. He deserves nothing less. We're going to mess up. Big time! Nevertheless, where sin increases grace superabounds into "Hallelujah, What a Savior." Thank God for songs that say it so well!
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