God of Sinners

Looking for a job, it is almost impossible to get hired with a felony on your record. If you have been stained with the swift justice of America, you will have a difficult time getting back on your feet. Such is the nature of wrong - such is the nature of sin. You can look left and right, up and down, but no one wants to hire a criminal - no one wants to trust a man or woman who has been labelled a liar, cheater, thief, or murderer. Now, time for some heavy words - you are a spiritual felon. Matthew 5 says that you don't actually have to be commit a crime to be labelled a criminal. For example, Jesus says that he who hates is guilty of the same judgement as a murder - they are labelled the same way. You a spiritually unwanted - you are untrustworthy and deserving of nothing but swift justice of a mighty God. Well, why doesn't He just get it over with? Our God is just, but he is also merciful and full of grace - God wants sinners - not sinful people, but ones who have been stained with title of 'spiritual criminal.' How do I know this? He sent his only begotten Son to hang on a cross and bleed to death so that he could welcome me into His forgiveness. The God that wants to call sinners His own ... leaves me speechless. Psalm 32



Verses 1-5 I remember when I was in first grade - beanie babies were hot stuff - so I decided to steal two off of my teachers desk. The guilt of my sin weighed so heavily on me, I couldn't even play with my newly acquired best friends (the stuffed animals), so I threw them under my bed and refused to play with them. I found the toys later on in life and thought to myself how stupid I was - how foolish the decision I made looked, gazing back in the past. Guilt is serious business - it's painful and dangerous - it eats away at you. So it's no surprise to us when David says, "blessed be the forgiven." Basically, how lucky we are to have a God who is faithful and just to forgive us of all of our mistakes - no matter how big or how small. But there is a catch right? We have to be honest - we have to show Him our "criminal record" and make ourselves vulnerable in His presence. A convicted felon could finish his sentence in jail, falsify his records, and get a job, right? He could lie about who he was and where he came from ... but he would never break free of reality - He would not be restored or cleared of his conscience, of who he really was. Even if you want to dodge God and pretend to be "holy," He knows what's going on. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God's eagle eyes penetrate to the heart. David is right, the only way to be freed of your guilt is to ask for God's forgiveness (faithful as the morning - 1 John 1:9). But this is cool right. So many religious systems are governed by conviction - you have to earn you forgiveness right? You have to do so many hail mary's and confess to the Pope, right? WRONG. God's forgiveness is eternal - it's fulfilling and beyond measure. Ephesians says that we have been saved through grace and nothing else (not even works) ... but that God chose to want a relationship with sinners - with us.

Verses 6-11 [Side-track] If you have never heard the cry of a donkey and seen tears fall from its beautiful face, then you have not experience true sadness [end side-track]. I love what David says here - don't be stubborn. People are so angry at God when it comes to sin ... why? PRIDE. Nobody likes to answer for their mistakes. Nobody likes to be told their wrong. Nobody likes to humble themselves before an almighty God ... it's not easy and it's not comfortable. The world is stubborn, are you? If so, you're missing out. David continues to say that the sins of the world are numerous, but God's love is so much greater. God's ability to forgive is so much further beyond anything we could possibly add up to in sin. Have you been forgiven or do you still have guilt? Are you rejoicing in Christ or are you throwing yourself a pity party? God always wants the sinner, but for some reason the sinner doesn't always want God.

Just some stuff to think about
- Chris