October 4 – I’ve Done Nothing Wrong
Scripture: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18, Colossians 1:1-17, Psalm 76:1-12, Proverbs 24:21-2
And yet you say, “I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!”
But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned. Jeremiah 2:35
Observation: I’ve heard one spiritual leader talk about how hard it is to hide our sin. He said that the devil wants to expose our sin to discredit our message and cause us shame. God wants to bring our sin to light so that it can be dealt wit through repentance and reconciliation. So if God and the devil both want to uncover our hidden sin, what chance do we have of keeping it hidden?
This is easy to see with the more dramatic sins like adultery, murder, or robbing a bank. How long do I think I might be able to get away with killing someone before it starts to come out. What about pride, or gluttony, or laziness? What about being a workaholic? How many of us that deal with these issues for days, months, or years without ever being called to the carpet? How many of us don’t even recognize that our lifestyle in these issues is sinful? I justify my pride by saying I have a lot of self confidence. I justify my busyness by looking at how much get done. I say, “I have done nothing wrong, surely God isn’t angry with me.”
Application: The fact is that God is far more concerned with who I am than what I do. In Jeremiah, God didn’t say He was going to punish Israel because of their sin. He said He is going to punish them because they don’t even recognize they are sinning. We see the same thing in Jesus ministry. To those who know they are sinners, to those who acknowledge their sin, He shows them compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation. To those who think they are doing OK, He comes at them with judgement. Am I approaching God with a repentant heart or a self righteous one?
Prayer: Dear God, I am sorry. I recognize that I’m a sinner. I realize that I don’t have it made. Help me to be sensitive to Your conviction. Help me to avoid justifying my sin. I want to live holy. Help me to realize that I am not doing so already.