Page 31 - Living Light 91

Friday January 2 - Spiritual and sexual impurity
(they) entice the Israelites to sin... and commit sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:14
‘Beware he who stands, lest he fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:12). In my many years of Christian ministry I have heard of and personally known a number of Christian leaders who have faithfully taught Christian truth from the pulpit, only to stumble and fall at the hurdle of sexual sin. This fills me with sorrow and concern. If any of us has not been tripped up by this then let’s say “there but for the grace of God go I.” Some have made a shipwreck of their faith by falling deeper into the snares of sexual sin and idolatry, rather than repenting and being restored. This can be true of any who occupy the pulpit or the pew.
Those in the Pergamum church were very susceptible to such temptations, and rather than heeding true Christian teaching they were listening to false teachers who said that living in that way was OK. We face similar distorted teaching today: “Express yourself the way you want to, and don’t worry about outmoded biblical ideas.” Such perversions of the Bible’s message are causing havoc instead of holiness, and selfishness instead of purity. In verse 14 sexual sin was linked with idolatry. We all need to be careful not to elevate ‘good things’ to the status of ‘God things’ – be it sex, money or anything that could be an idol.
Lord, please keep me pure in body, mind and spirit – for your name’s sake. Amen.
Saturday January 3 - Repent!
“Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” Revelation 2:16
When we sin, as inevitably we all do, the response must be to repent. Sin means that we are guilty before a holy God, and it is important that we come to our heavenly Father to confess our guilt. 1 John 1:9 assures us that when we do, ‘God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ What’s more, our heavenly Father reassures us: Don’t you know that the price is paid? ‘You are not under condemnation... go and sin no more’ (see Romans 8:1 and John 8:11).
However, we often act like Adam and Eve who, after sinning, did not come to God but hid from him. They were more concerned with shame than with guilt. God does not engage us in the guise of a psychotherapist but as a Saviour. His effective remedy is primarily to deal with our sin-guilt, not our shame – although we can always bring that to him in prayer too. Shame can distance us from God; confessed sin-guilt brings us to God in repentance.
If we don’t repent God will confront us with ‘the sword of his mouth’ i.e. his truth. His truth will prevail; sin leads to guilt, but confessed guilt leads to forgiveness and the full joy of our salvation.
Lord God, I am a guilty sinner and you are a mighty Saviour. Thank you for your forgiveness. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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