From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God. Self cannot satisfy self. We must hunger for God.
This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God. Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.
“‘It’s God who ought to suffer, not you and me,’ say those who bear a grudge against God for the unfairness of life. The curse word expresses it well: God be damned. And on that day, God was damned. The cross that held Jesus’ body, naked and marked with scars, exposed all the violence and injustice of this world. At once, the Cross revealed what kind of world we have and what kind of God we have: a world of gross unfairness, a God of sacrificial love.” —-Philip Yancey
Day 33: Will-driven Sin
Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa from the place of his flogging to Golgotha—the place where he would be crucified and take his last human breath. The details of his physical abuse are just too terrible to even think about; our innocent Savior being mocked, beaten, and crucified for the sins of the world—a deceived people and a world that does not recognize or know their Maker.
The very breath that filled the lungs of Adam at Creation, chose to die for his sin and all of ours that day at Calvary.
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Jesus died for our sins, so it is unthinkable to continue willfully sinning. We must start loving, because the lack of love for the Lord and his Word is our greatest sin of all. So, today, we fast our will-driven sin by asking God to help us love more deeply and more like Jesus loves us. If we are really filled with Christ’s pure love, we will repent and walk away from the sin that grieves his heart. We must never forget the cost of the cross he bore for us.
John 20:1-9 NLT The Resurrection
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.
Prayer: Lord, please forgive us for the times we have been indifferent to your suffering for us. When we willfully sin, we must pray for mercy, turn to you and confess what has come from our hearts and through our actions has dishonored you. We are sorry, Lord, please forgive us. We pray and ask to be given a hunger for your love. Help us to love you and others more deeply the way you love us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.