Sermon March 1, 2023
Jonah 3:10 10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
It has become my business to think of God and His ways now for over 20 years. I have come out of my darkness and into Christ Jesus’ light. You would think that this would be such a turning point in my life that I would have completely stopped sinning. I most certainly wish it was that way. We might think we are good and in the eyes of some we are, and in the eyes of the Law we are not. Unfortunately, we are still a slave to our sinful nature and no matter how hard we try we continue to fall. I know, I fall without warning, at a blink of an eye, at every turn. I am a sinner and I am not proud of it.
We, for the most part, do have some good in us and that good that is in us is Jesus Christ. Through the Law of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit we have a means to see our sin. Hopefully when we see our sin we are alarmed by it and feel remorse for it. This remorse is the beginning of repentance, and repentance leads to forgiveness and God’s forgiveness leads to eternal life with Him.
God’s forgiveness is not God condoning our sin it is God telling you to try again, and try harder. When God forgives us we do not gain God’s trust, but what we do gain is another chance to continue to be a child of God. You actually have more than 490 chances. I know for me, 490 is not enough; I need as many chances as I can get.
Revelation 3:19–20 19Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Here’s a thought, if you feel guilty you know God loves you. Some people take longer to feel guilty than others. But when you do feel guilty know God has contacted you to let you know He loves you. If God makes something happen in your life that helps you see your guilt; well, that is God’s love for you and God calling you to His love.
We reprimand our children to teach them in a tough love kind of way what is wrong and what they need to do to do what is right. Likewise God reprimands us for the same reason. As we want to be proud of our children, so God wants to be proud of us. This is not for salvation as Jesus Christ secured that for us. This is really to see how proud of our God we are. What God does not do is to punish us through meanness, or cruelty as Job’s friends tried to convince him. We put our faith in God that He is, indeed, our loving Father in Heaven.
Luke 13:1,2,4 1There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?
Some will try to tell you that God is punishing you, however, the Holy Scripture tells us that God reproves, that is, God reprimands us to get our attention and keep in our hearts that our God wants to save us. That God loves us, and that God forgives us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son should let you know just how serious God is and His love for us is. And how serious God’s salvation for us really is.
Luke 13:3,5 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Think, our Lord Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sin. His death on the cross which we celebrate or remember on Good Friday was the most serious act of salvation for all of God’s children. We are God’s children, and our God loves us all. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May