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There are usually two extremes when thinking about our sin. We either think it is too great for God to forgive (it’s not) or we think too little of it and justify it, knowing it’s forgiven anyway.

Just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Romans 6:19bc

I suspect we normally fall into the latter camp of thinking.

We usually think too little of our sins, or think of them as too little. We minimize them. We excuse them. And we keep engaging in them.

Jesus tells us in Matthew that if a hand or foot or eye causes us to sin, we should cut it off.

That sounds pretty serious!

He says that is we temp others into sin, it would be better to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

That sounds pretty serious!

Yet we usually gloss over those words and get right to forgiveness. Right to mercy. Right to the Gospel.

‘Let’s not dwell on the sins,’ we seem to be saying. ‘Give us the Gospel and forgiveness and let me move on (and keep on sinning).’

Certainly there is forgiveness through faith in Jesus. That is beyond dispute and should never be minimized. Yet if we belittle the sacrifice of Jesus in accomplishing our forgiveness, we belittle the true measure of Grace we are really receiving.

We constantly seem to live in our old ways, presenting our bodies for ‘impurity’ and ‘lawlessness.’ But that should not be!

We need to humbly ourselves like a child; truly repent in sorrow of our hearts, doing all we can to change our ways from this time forward with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit; and then in His mercy and grace, joyfully stand up in His forgiveness to new life and new living!

If our actions don’t change, our heart probably hasn’t either. If our heart hasn’t changed, our faith is either stagnant or diminishing. If our faith is stagnant or diminishing, we are in danger of heading to a time when we lose it altogether.

Take your sins seriously. God does. Move to amend your sinful ways. God will help you. But do not lose faith or hope. Rather, take even more seriously God’s grace through faith in Jesus.

“The wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 6:23).

“Lord, forgive. Lord, help. Thank You in Jesus, my Savior. Amen.”

Scriptures

• Matthew 18:1-10
• Romans 5:20–21
• Romans 6:19, 23

There is a lot to unpack in today’s reading, and we can’t and won’t cover all of it. But the basics go something like this: our hearts go after and desire all kinds of things to fulfill our passions and glory to satisfy our pride.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:7-8

Our hearts are far from God, even through His heart is with us.

He is jealous for us. That’s why Jesus came, suffered, dies, and rose; so that we could be with Him forever. Yet for reasons beyond comprehension, that isn’t enough for us. We want more. We want to satisfy our ‘bitter jealousy,’ ‘selfish ambition,’ and ‘passions’ instead of being utterly and completely devoted to and desiring of Him.

How foolish!

We need to repent! We need to “mourn and weep.” We need to return to Him in humility and with a new, clean heart. We need to “draw near to God,” desiring Him only and let the rest fall away.

That is impossible for us on our own, but it is so much easier when we see His heart seeks us out; His life given for ours; His love shown through acts of sacrifice. His heart is with us! He has already drawn near to ours – and He wants ours to draw near to Him! When we repent, turn, and draw near to Him, we see Him closer and more satisfying of all our wants and needs than we ever thought possible!

“Forgive us, Lord, for hearts that haven’t desired or sought You. Break us and turn us back to You and let all other things fall away. Move us to draw near to You in everything at all times and, in so doing, see You, Your heart, Your love, and Your mercy, through Jesus! In His precious name, amen!”

Scriptures

• James 3:113-18
• James 4:1-10
• Jeremiah 29:13

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

Such goes the common saying.

But we know that’s not true. At all.

Words constantly hurt, in many ways.

I’m not saying we should be delicate and offended by what everyone says, but I am saying that words matter. They have meaning even beyond just what is said. They bear weight. They have lasting significance and standing.

No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:8

Our Scripture for today says that if a person does not stumble in what they say, they are perfect and that no one can tame the tongue. It reminds us that what we say stains our body and sets the course of life on fire.

That is powerful!

And scary.

And condemning.

“With [our tongues] we bless [God] and…curse people…made in [God’s image.”

That truth should disgust us and convict us.

We are held to a higher standard in what we say, how we say it, and to whom we say it. We should be lifting people up and pointing them to Jesus, not tearing them down, belittling them, and condemning them.

But it actually goes further than this.

Scripture likens calling others “fools” to breaking the commandment on murder and puts in danger of hell!

Wow!

The solution? Setting our hearts on Jesus and keep our words those of praise, of thanksgiving, of edification, of glory! Singing songs of praise with our hearts and lips! Letting the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts be expressed in our words and letting the rest wither and die.

This is not possible by us. It is only possible by, in, and through God! Left to ourselves, we will continue to slip – in heart and tongue. But living out the indwelling Lord, both will edify and uplift!

Jesus has died for our sins – all of them, including those of our imperfect tongues. May we take His forgiveness to heart, sing His praise, and lift others up in our actions and words all our days!

Scriptures

• James 3:1-12
• Matthew 5:21-22
• Isaiah 50:4-10
• Psalm 116:1-9 (Confession and Absolution)

Jesus essentially called a woman a “dog,” and she didn’t disagree!

She answered [Jesus], “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Mark 7:28

Wow!

Unfortunately, that’s focus for many in today’s reading.

But what most miss is the incredible faith of this woman – acknowledged and praised by Jesus, and the healing of her little daughter!

The Matthian account adds that Jesus said, “O woman, great is your faith!”

Jesus came first and foremost to the lost of Israel. That wasn’t this woman – or us! We are like the dogs in this story, too!

Yet what the woman received was the same thing Israel received; the same thing we receive – the Grace of God! Even crumbs of His grace is more than sufficient for us and our salvation!

There are some forms that ask for race or ethnicity. Sometimes I just put “European Mutt” to throw them off. But mutts are faithful and lovable (like me?)!

I don’t mind being a dog like the woman in today’s story. In fact, I relish even the crumbs of Grace God lets me have every day! Through faith, those crumbs are all I will ever need to supply what I need here and for life everlasting! His grace and mercy are that overflowing; that amazing; that salvific; that living!

Today we have a baptism, too. Like all baptisms, it matters not how much water is there; whether a trickle or an immersion. However much is used – like crumbs – is more than enough for all of God’s salvation Grace to cover us for life everlasting!

“Gracious Lord, thank You for Your amazing Grace shown to us each and every day; whether they be crumbs or an overflowing of baptismal waters! Grant us the desire for You all our days! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Scriptures

• Mark 7:24-30
• Psalm 146

“The things that come out of a person are what defile him.” (Mark 7:15)

That’s what Jesus said. And, boy, do a lot of defiled things come out of us!

The things that come out of a person are what defile him.

Mark 7:15

There is a phrase that was popular when I studies programming many moons ago: “GIGO!” It stands for “Garbage in. Garbage out.” If you aren’t careful with the inputs, your outputs will be of no use.

We certainly need to be cautious of what we take in: what we watch, persons we hang around with, things we read, and the like. They affect us. But it is what comes from us that is a reflection, not only of what we take in externally, but the sate of our hearts and mind, too; and those are affected most of all by how closely they are aligned with Jesus and the Scriptures.

If our heart and mind are defiled, we will output defilement, and desire to take in more defiled things! It is a vicious circle.

And the way to stop it? We need a new heart and mind. Cleansed. Focused on Him. Desiring and spewing forth His grace, His forgiveness, His righteousness, His mercy; Him!

And we can’t change our hearts and minds. We need God to do it for us. To rid us of the filth and vileness that stains and defines us and exchanged for a heart and mind that eagerly desires and pursues His heart; His mind; His will; His ways!

“Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within us. Grant that we are so desiring of You we take in that which is good, right, and proper, and radiate out all that is holy, and just, and true! In Jesus’ Name. Amen!”

Scriptures

• Psalm 51:1-12
• Mark 7:14-23