Soap - Sin's reminder

Back to putting LJs publicly. I doubt many people read them, but the act of putting them up for everyone to read has quite a few benefits in comparison to writing them in my notebook:

1. Added bonus of having others proofread, to avoid heresy and utter crap that usually crops up in each of us.

2. Typing is way easier than writing.

3. You can tell if I've been doing them regularly or not, whereas with the notebook LJs you can't really tell without asking me to flip them out as proof xD

4. As long as blogger doesn't crash, I have a safe, organized means of looking back on LJs.

So back to it!

S: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world (Adam), and death through sin (the wages of sin is death-everyone dies. Original sin.), and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Romans 5:12-14, 18

O: Why is sin a big deal? I've been thinking about this question and I wonder...

Is it because sin is what severs our relationship with Him? The actions of one man's sin resulted in the entirety of humanity falling into total depravity, no hope-no means of returning to a righteous standing before the Lord...at least not by our own strength. Sin represents everything God hates and detests-it is the highest offense. In separating us from God, sin crushes us-it condemns us, rightfully bringing us before God's wrath as punishment. And the remnant of sin in our hearts and lives still exist even after accepting Christ-there is still santification to be done. One, like Christ-the Holy Spirit continues to do a work in us to mortify sins-sin, which is so repugnant to God.

Sin enslaves us. I think sin is such a big deal because it determines that we on our own, fell and by no means could ever get back up. Sin is not just a problem-it is an inevitability of life, meaning that if God did not provide a means of salvation by His grace, then we would only find ourselves on a one-way ticket to condemnation and judgement.

But, praise the Lord, He provided of means of being saved from our sins-and that was through Christ. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, the means of reconciliation was given to us and the relationship between man and God has been restored in those who place their faith in the propitiation of Christ, who curbed the wrath of God and paid the penalty of our sins-thereby allowing God's righteousness and holiness to be satisfied as well as allowing forgiveness of sins then and now and forevermore. Christ was the atoning sacrifice, and His finished work upon the cross continues to justify us. His grace is sufficient for me.

A: I think the big hit falls upon the fact that we, as sinners cannot save ourselves from our sin. Even sin points towards Christ, that He alone is the way. He died for us to be holy and blameless before Him-and it would be a waste to live continuously in the flesh knowing that (it would also judge us). I will live in the knowledge that the redemptive work of Christ is a unique gift that is consistent with the loving character of God-salvation is in Christ alone. Not in our actions in the slightest-even our disciplines to draw close to God cannot earn salvation. It is given and has been received-and to see from that perspective brings forth greater clarity and hope in Christ.

P: Lord, through one man, the world was thrown into chaos and through One, you brought everything back to order. God, I thank you for the deep reminder of Christ's work and how sin itself is even a reminder as well. Thank You for being You-loving and forgiving, and so amazing to satisfy your holy righteous standards...all of these things at the same time! It was upon Christ, and to Him be the glory-thank You. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Matthew 15 - Jr. High

S: You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 15:13-16

O: You. "You" represents the subject at hand and "You" happens to be the salt of the earth as well as the light of the world. "You" was and still are the Christians that live in this world.

Salt. What does salt represent? After reading a wikipedia article on salt, I found out that salt can't actually lose it's flavor due to it's chemical composition (sodium chloride)- and reading about the speculation of how true salt may represent how Christians cannot "lose salvation," I have to come to the conclusion that Jesus was fully aware that salt didn't lose it's flavor and neither do Christians lose their faith.

So we are Christians, and we are what we are-and that can never change. Just like salt, if we don't taste like salt, we aren't really salt. If we don't have faith in Christ, and aren't Christ-like, we aren't what we claim to be.

We are also the light of the world. This world that is so deeply engulfed in darkness and sin, we need to be ambassadors for Christ and shine the light that exists in us, that which is Christ. Christ is the light to darkness:

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

John 8:12

And we who follow Jesus are also considered as the light of the world (notice the non-capitalization, however :), and Jesus commands us "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." - We must let Christ shine in our lives so that God may be glorified.

A: What are some ways can we shine our light (that which is Christ!) in our life?

How does shining our light glorify God?

Who do we shine our light before? Men? Who are these "men?"

Christlikeness should be apparent in the Christian-and I know the fundamental means of going after Christ and becoming more like Him is to spend time with Him. The Word is a person-and that person is Christ. But, I know that the application of what He teaches me should be taught and shared-how can I personally shine the light in my life? To make Christ more visible, through the very life I lead-I should strive to obey all He commands (in salvation, He chose us and in doing so, intending for the Christians he chose to be molded as holy and blameless). People are quite observant, and I want people to see Christ-that my love and my means of being anything...a guy, a musician, whatever would transcend that which would be anything anyone would expect-that people would see that Christ really is my Lord and Saviour and that I'm nothing but better off because of it. I want the message of the Gospel to be preached through my life, not just by my words-and I want to shine the light of Christ before my family and my friends.

P: Heavenly Father, I thank you for this day. You have made life so awesome lately and I wonder to myself why I wouldn't want to praise You or even dive right back into Your arms. So, I'm sorry for my callousness-it's not as if there's been a deep revelation or deep-seated conviction that's been going on-but just the fact that I know I have a responsibility and know enough to have myself judged. Bottom line, I know better and I'm sorry for my indifference and lack of diligent disciplines. I pray for that deep, radical change-because I know that the light is pretty dim at the moment, but I certainly don't want to act like the salt is no longer salty or put Christ underneath a basket-no, please teach me Father to chase after Your Son and to spur me on towards action. Teach me to apply the very things I'm setting out to teach. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria