The Problem of the Ages
Romans 6:23 When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When I use a word like “sin”, what thoughts does it bring to mind? What reactions does it elicit in your heart? Guilt, perhaps? Annoyance? Anger? Should I even use the word at all? Or should it be consigned to the old-fashioned, outdated religion of the past?
Back in the day when I was a young IT consultant, I learned very early on that you never talked about “problems” with clients. You called them issues, considerations, opportunities. That sounded much nicer than “problems”, right?
Today, I guess I’m what you’d call “a minister” and my clientele, if you will, are people like you. And they say that because I never know who I might be speaking to, I shouldn’t use the word “sin”. It’s so judgemental. It could alienate people. Hey, it could alienate you!
But when it comes right down to it, we know that there’s stuff that we think and say and do that’s just plain wrong. It doesn’t matter how we dress them up – those things rob us of life.
Indeed sin – our rebellion against God, the way that we so selfishly and, at times, brutally treat one another – is the age old problem of humanity, plain and simple.
Romans 6:23 When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And so seriously does God take our sin and its consequences, so much does He yearn for us to spend eternity with Him, that He sent Jesus into this world to pay the price – death – on that Cross.
So in a few weeks’ time, as we revisit yet again the joy of the entry of the Son of God into this world … remember the sadness that must have tinged the Father’s heart in that moment, knowing what Jesus had come to do.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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