Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.
There is a big difference between asking God to forgive our sin and asking God to accept our excuses for sin.
“If you had a perfect excuse, you would not need forgiveness; if the whole of your action needs forgiveness, then there was no excuse for it.” (C.S.Lewis; The Weight of Glory)
Psalm 19:7-14 NLT
7
The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
9
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
10
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
11
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
12
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
14
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
1 John 1:5-10 NLT Living in the Light
5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness [sin]; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Please take time to read over our passages for today. I will be teaching on them and leading a discussion this evening during our Lenten Bible Study at 7PM. I hope you will plan to join us in person at Connect2Christ Church or online through our website as we explore the Scriptures together.
Prayer: Lord, we want to live in the light of your Word, so we can have fellowship with you and one another. Holy Spirit, please cleanse us from every desire to sin against you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.