2011-09-25: Sin…What’s the Cure?

Well! After a few weeks of feeling the weight of sin, today’s message helps us turn the corner of hope!

Last week Alan quoted G.K. Chesterton’s letter to the editor which was written in response to an article’s question, ‘what’s the problem with the world?’ His response was simply, “I am.”

If we look in the mirror and examine ourselves and come to that same conclusion, we’re on the right track! So today, Davy asked, “What’s the cure?”

We’re given two choices, really:

We can pull out the ladder, just like in Genesis 11 when a tower was built to try to reach God. That ladder is so often used in an effort to “do” those things which we believe will get us closer to God or earn His favor…like going to church, giving money to a charity, checking off the box that we read our Bible for the day. These are not the kinds of activities that are going to get us anywhere but in a rut of religiosity.

Or we can take a posture different than trying to get higher. Instead, we can get lower. We MUST get lower. We must come to that place of confession. Coming clean before God — and perhaps even another person.

1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.” (Contemporary English Version)

God promised us this — and made a way for us through the salvation we can have through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (New International Version)

It’s a GIFT. No more “striving.” No more ladder climbing.

One more thing from today’s service…a song that goes so well with the posture of surrender. We’re not promised that all will be easy or that all will be “crystal clear.” Yet we must still surrender to find what God has next for us. Enjoy this song as you re-evaluate your posture in life.

~ Paula