Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, not on our sin

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith  - Hebrews 12

I am not worried about your sin, or my sin, or anyone else's sin... and I don't believe God is either.

My expereince in my ministry is, folks do their spiritual work: actively deepening in God and letting God heal them...  and they start dropping sin/addictions like crazy:  sugar, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, sex, caffeine... One day, they just show up and say: "I don't need, want or enjoy this anymore," Then we work with the energy and 'demons' associated with the issue, and they drop it and they are free.  I watch this happen over and over.

It isn't about working with me, I am just blessed to watch.
It is about fixing "our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."
It is about allowing God to Fill us with Blessings and Grace and Mercy and Fruit, 
and allowing God to wash away So Much Pain and Fear and Striving and Doubt and Lies.

From my perspective, a focus on SIN is a stumbling block, there are many wisdom warnings about this:
What we resist, persists.
What we run from, pursues us.
What we focus on, we become.
What we give our attention to, grows.

My favorite Christian minister, who helped pulled me through years of challenges with his teachings, Dr Bruce Morgan; used to say:
"enjoy your sin as long as you can, because it will fall away before you know it" 
something like that... I thought he was quoting someone like Luther, but I can't find it - I found this quote instead, and with this I will close:

Be a sinner and sin boldly,  but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world]  we have to sin. This life is not the dwelling place of righteousness,  but, as Peter says,  we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. It is enough that by the riches of God’s glory we have come to know the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.  No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. Do you think that the purchase price that was paid for the redemption of our sins by so great a Lamb is too small? Pray boldly—you too are a mighty sinner.  - Martin Luther

1 comment:

  1. Just shared this with a group
    Thought I would post here, as similar theme:

    From my perspective:
    The Way of Jesus is for sinners.
    Anyone who is not aware of their own sin, addictions, shortcomings, failures, missteps...
    and willing to uncover them: stop hiding and being a hypocrite (wearing a mask)
    is not ready for the Way of Christ.

    IMO, the 'dressing up and acting good' game, the 'playing church' game that masquerades as Christianity in many places, is trying to take the easy way out... it is the Best Way to try to run and hide from Living God (good luck with that ; )

    I believe the focus on FIGHTING sin and Avoiding sinners in our Christian culture, has led us astray from BEING Jesus' disciples. Sin falls away WHEN we follow Jesus - our sins just fall away, over time. Before then (and after then) we are called to love each other and follow Jesus. Let us do that!

    Peace and direct experience of our nurturing Father to all, wendy

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