Skip to main content

To Save Us


          But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)

          Today’s Christmas themed verse from Bible.com returns my thoughts to the question of why Jesus came. It’s one of those obvious old ones that you’d likely answer if you were asked. In fact, we might all be tempted to say that the verse(s) that talked of Jesus coming to bring salvation covers today’s verse, too. And we’d be right, but the wording puts a slightly different spin on it.
          He would come to save us from our sins. Point one: sin is bad. We know that, but do we really know that? Murder, rape, assault, abuse, and polluting are bad, but there are other sins that we don’t put in the same league: gluttony, anger, lust, disobedience, lying... Add your favorites that “aren’t as bad as” those big boys.
           Do we really need to be saved from our sins? And, well, I mean, as Christians, we are saved, aren’t we? Doesn’t that go along with the adoption? Of course, Christians aren’t perfect, so we do sin, but aren’t we already saved? This is one of those “already-not yet” things. We are saved from the ultimate effect of our sins. When our sins get us in trouble, we pray to be saved from the consequences of our sins (which might be a mistake on our part.) But do we regularly pray to be saved from our sins?
           This morning, I can think of a couple sins I would love to be saved from: fear/anxiety, doubt, anger, pride, and lack of self-control. Listing them is a little like praying for patience – it’s scary to do because God might answer the prayer. Saving us from our sins involves removing them from our lives, and these are at the core of most of our beings. It feels like an invitation to a quintuple whammy!
           We should so desperately want to be saved from our sin that any price is a bargain.  This morning and today’s passage lead me to my prayer theme as I walked the dog. Save me from my sin, even if it hurts.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more