via TJC
“[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” - Romans 4:25 NIV
This week we have talked about different aspects of sin. We all sin because, like Satan, we are prideful and want to be supreme over God. We want to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. We say to God: “I’ll do it my way!” We all sin because, like Adam, we are cowards who try to shift the blame of our own unholy desires to anyone we can. We say to God: “It’s not my fault. YOU put me in this situation!”
Ultimately, sin is a choice. No one makes you sin. You sin because it’s in your nature. Not one of us can be holy like God. As Paul says to the Romans: “...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) God knows you’ve sinned and are guaranteed to sin in the future. Furthermore, every priest, pastor, spiritual counselor and role model in your life has sinned and will sin again. We talked yesterday about how sin will bring physical death and spiritual death.
If this sounds like a hopeless situation, you would be right…if not for Jesus. Jesus was tempted in all the ways we are because Jesus was a man, and men have choices to make. Jesus did what no one else could by living a life without sin, because Jesus was God. This man looked at you…saw all your sin…knew that your death was the price that had to be paid…and Jesus chose: Let me die instead of him. I will pay the price. And by Jesus' choice your sin was DEFEATED!
Daily Battle Order:
Kingdom man, you too have a choice. You can choose to remain a slave to sin or you can choose the freedom of the risen Jesus. If you choose freedom, then stop trying to get close to God by being a “good boy”. Start living like a man whose dearest friend died so that you could live.
A lot to consider in the closing remark. The question brought to my mind was , " do I live my life as if Jesus IS my closest and dearest Friend."
Great closing to the DBO “start living like a man whose dearest friend died so that you could live”