Getting Real

Sin. We know what it means and talk about it in general terms... but do we ever dig deep? We can all admit that we sin sometimes - but do we really think about how we're sinning and repent?
We're quick to judge other people for sinning yet we often turn a blind eye to our own sin. We don't like to talk about our sin, we don't want to examine our lives too closely. It's difficult to confront our own sin.

We all sin. If you say you don't then you lied which is a sin.

Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

What is sin exactly? Sin is doing anything against God. God is good and anything apart from Him is bad. 1 John 5:17, "All unrighteousness is sin."

Alright now let's get real. It's tough to do this because getting real means your flaws and sins are exposed. But that's okay and that's good. We try to cover up our sins, but eventually they are always exposed.
Ephesians 5:11-14, "Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made clear, for what makes everything clear is light."
Look at your life, look really closely. What is something in your life that needs to change? Sin often disguises itself as something fun or cool... but it's not. It may be fun and give you temporary pleasure but it's going to go away. In Jesus is true joy that's eternal. Is there something in your life that takes priority over God? If there is it's a idol and idolatry is a sin. I've struggled with that before because I didn't realize it, and when I did I didn't want to admit it. While the thing may not be wrong it becomes a sin when you place it over God because then it turns into a idol.

It's really easy to sin. It's a lot easier than to do what's right and good. Especially when you think no one will know about it. It's easy to let your thoughts wander to where they shouldn't go, or go somewhere on the internet that's wrong, and it's easy to reason with yourself that it isn't really sin.
The internet is useful and can be used to share the Gospel... but it can also be used to sin. Social media is a good platform to share about Jesus and enables you to keep up with friends, but it can also be used to sin. Books are amazing and I love to read, but not all books are good for you. Movies are fun to watch, but is the content good? Friends are great but are you gossiping with them? Phones are really handy to have but do you spend too much time on yours? These aren't easy questions to answer because we've perfected how to use logic to convince ourselves that it isn't sin. We don't want to give it up. It's fun, it's cool, it gives you a sense of delight and danger, it makes you happy. But those feelings go away as quickly as they come.

So what now? Our sin and shame is out in the open... what do we do about it?
Joel 2:12, "Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning."
Turn back to Jesus. Repent of your sin - repenting meaning to completely turn away from it and towards God, not going back to your sin again. You may be filled with shame, you may not want to admit your sin since it's too painful, you may want to run towards the false security of darkness... But Jesus is waiting for you with His arms wide open. It's never to late. He loves you as you are right now. He didn't die for you because you deserve it, because quite honestly we don't. He died to save you because He loves you!
Romans 5:6-8, "For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
Jesus knows your heart, He sees your flaws, sins, and shame, He knows how you feel this instant, and He's loves you despite of it all!

The thing is, you aren't alone. We ALL sin. We mess up time and time again. Even the people we look up to most sin. David is known for having a heart after God's, for defeating Goliath with God's help, and for being a great king. But he messed up big time. In 2 Samuel 11 it tells of his sin... he lusted after a married woman, slept with her, she conceived a child while her husband was off to war so David killed her husband to cover it up, and then married the woman. That's the gist of it at least. In the next chapter God sends Nathan to basically expose David's sin. David genuinely repents. There were still consequences to David's sin though. The child that he and Bathsheba had died. Our sin doesn't just effect us, but all those around us and there are consequences to our sin. Psalm 51 is a beautiful Psalm that David wrote after these events, asking God to forgive him and give him a clean heart.
That's what we are to do. We sin, but we should repent and ask God to give us a clean heart.


Okay so I'm sure that's a lot to get down. This post was difficult to write because it hits so close to home. Examine your life... what sin do you have? Repent of your sin and turn to God. Don't be afraid to do so, He still loves you and wants to forgive you.
I read a quote recently that said, "The bigger the view of my sin, the bigger the view of the cross." That's true. While it feels uncomfortable to see our sin out in the open we see the cross more clearly, understanding why Jesus died for us.

Mark 1:15, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!"

What things in your life have you put before God? In what way have you sinned but didn't want to admit it? How do you turn away from sin? What's a favorite scripture concerning repentance?
Don't be afraid to get real with yourself.

Let's turn to Jesus and strive to live for Him.