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Sins of omission - 7 January 2010
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts…Hebrews 8:10a [NIV]
I remember when I was about ten or eleven, my Dad chastising me for not being thoughtful enough to take my plate into the kitchen after finishing my meal in front of the telly. I remember feeling quite incensed – he hadn’t told me to clear it up, so why should he complaining now that I hadn’t! And how can I just be “thoughtful” if the thought hadn’t occurred to me.
As we follow Jesus it is no longer just that we have God’s rules as recorded in the Bible to obey, but he also says he will put his laws into our minds, and writes them on our hearts. Being selfish is our natural state, looking after “number one”. Is it fair that God should count the things I omit to do as sin, until I have recognised them as such? As God is perfectly holy and the absolute standard for us all, I don’t think he has any option but to count it as sin. So I am thankful I have a Heavenly Father to teach me, and carry on what my Dad started. God transforms us by “renewing our minds” and changing our hearts so we can love, looking beyond ourselves and being thoughtful.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10-12, from song by Keith Green.
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Jon Seaton, 07/01/2010 |
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| | | Alison French (Guest) | 07/01/2010 12:45 | Thank you Jon. Found this very helpful. Didn't feel codemned but encouraged to think afresh WWJD, what can I do and say tht would please Him.
| | | | Sheree Burgess | 07/01/2010 13:16 | Hi, I don't often disagee with what is written in devotionals but I do disagee with this one. I think the idea that God will punish us for sins we are unaware of is doing what Jesus accused the pharisees of, giving people extra burdens through legalism.
You may have had an earthly father who had unreasonably high standards but I like to believe that our Heavenly Father is perfect and therefore incapable of being unjust. I ask God to reveal to me when I have sinned so that I can repent ie make a resolution to do the right thing next time with His help and guidance. Then I can put it out of my mind and concentrate on doing the next good thing rather than being negatively focussed on what I might possibly have done wrong. Satan would love us all to be paralysed by false guilt over what we didn't do.
| | | | David Gibbons | 07/01/2010 13:51 | I don't find this devotional to be about punishment but learning. Does God count unknown failings as sin? Probably, but if so, so what? My sin has been forgiven--all of it, past, present and future! Indeed, if we accept John the baptisers words, Jesus dealt with "the sin of the world" so not only believers sin but unbelievers sin has been dealt with (and "judgement" is not about sin but about relationship with God).
So, the sin is forgiven but God might use it to teach me, to bring me to a better place, to change me into a better image of Jesus. Such work may still be painful, but let us not confuse it with punishment!
| | | | Jonathan Seaton | 08/01/2010 17:00 | The last thing I wanted to do in these devotionals was burden people with any Pharisaical type guilt. Hopefully today's devotional and David's response above helps clarify where I am coming from. Thank you though Sheree for starting this dialogue.
| | | | Liz Fleming | 11/01/2010 16:27 | Hi everyone! This is an interesting conversation. I read this devotional again to explore this conversation. I think the two words "chastised" and "incensed" set a tone of conflict which is quite normal between human beings. The difference I feel when my Father in heaven shows me my sin is that it is done in pure love and not out of any form of annoyance. When He shows me my sin He also gives me the power to overcome, more love. An example I gave recently at church shows this beautiful love, many years ago I had a period of my life when I did not spend time with Jesus and when I did return to His arms He did not tell me off, He just said "I've missed you" :) His love showed me my sin and I have never left His arms again. When He shows me my sin I feel loved and never condemned, although I may feel shame for a short time which helps me to learn and focus on Him. Hope this helps!
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