TOO HEAVY of a WEIGHT |
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Pastor Todd Christopherson
Mid American Stock Car Series
June 14, 2013
The kids and I were talking that other day. I was trying to give them a word picture of sin and the effect on our lives. I told one of them that if sin is like a weight and we keep piling it on it does not take long for us to crumble under its weight. Think about that. What is your sin? I don’t like listing them because there are never all-inclusive so just think about it, what do you do that is contrary to God’s Word and law? You can go back a read several times what I have written on the Ten Commandments and how each one of us have broken them and have fallen short of God’s standard of holiness and purity. I know of some that say, “I have never sinned!”. God’s Word addresses that clearly -- 1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. That combined with Romans 3:10; 3:23 and 6:23 make it clear we are all in the same boat.
With racing, sin is like having weight added to the car. It slows it down and if you add enough weight you are going to lose speed, break parts, and eventually crash which could be severe. No racer wants to hear, “you have to add weight…”
In life, how sin weights us down can come in different ways. It can be the loss of a job, home, bad grades at school, money, relationships, etc… The steps of the sin and weight can be slow or fast depending on God’s timing but in James 1:15 we see the steps to destruction James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Can you see the picture? For those that are children of God, sin hinders our relationship with God. As we read the Bible, we will not get meaning or understanding. As we pray, our prayers will be self centered and not heard. As we try to serve, we will serve for the wrong motives. All of this will be because our relationship with the LORD is damaged. Think about the follow verses:
Luke 21:34-36 34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Numbers 32:23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
Let’s say as you read this you say, “Wow, that is just where I’m at. It is as if there is a distance between God and me. What do I do? I don’t want it to be this way”. To that I say, “Great!” It is the first step in taking the weight of sin off. Here are the steps in general: 1) recognize there is sin; 2) pray and identify what the sin is that God wants you to deal with. You may want to seek out a godly friend or pastor at this point. I would be glad to help; 3) confess and repent of the sin in specifics; 4) Memorize and study Scripture that deals with the sin; 5) replace the sin. If it is the sin of food gluttony, put the fork down and start exercising. If it is stealing, stop taking and give to the church and the poor. If it is swearing, stop using the LORD’s name in vain and replace it by singing praises to the LORD. Hope you get the idea. You do not want to be weighted down with sin but instead built up with God’s grace and mercy and your obedience. Repentance is on-going. Don’t think, “If I just deal with it this one time or this one sin I will be done with sin.” No! It is day to day that we need to seek the LORD and draw near to Him.
AMEN!
Have a great day racin’ in the SONshine and see you at a track soon,
Todd