My wife and I were struck by this recent devotion from C.H. Spurgeon’s Checkbook of Faith — so much so, in fact, that we’ve printed out a copy, framed it, and hope to make it a regular part of our prayer life. Nothing is more potent or refreshing than praying God’s promises back to him! From Every Sin “He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Sin
If We Confess Our Sins
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We have no idea how deeply damaging the unconfessed sin in our life is. But we also cannot imagine how powerful and wise God’s forgiveness and cleansing will be.
To Us a Child Is Born
Christmas is now world famous, and so the only surprise many people expect during this season is while opening presents. But in fact the manner of the Messiah’s coming was unexpected for many, even among those who looked for him — and he will continue to be a mystery to us today, if we do not know him through his word, the Bible.
God Is Good, So Grace Is Amazing
The God of all grace [has] called you to his eternal glory in Christ (1 Peter 5:10). God is the God all grace, but he is not all grace — he is also holiness, wrath, justice, and strength. It is for this reason that the only way to go to God or receive blessings from him is through the way he has provided in Jesus Christ.
Any Unchecked Sin Is Ruinous
Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). I was thinking this past week about cases where a person who has been a professed believer, maybe even a well-known Christian leader, falls into public sin or even apostasy, walking away from the Christian faith. Sadly, there have been many such cases in the news lately.
Is Your Life the Same As the Unsaved?
In several places in Scripture Paul gives us a list of the kinds of sins that characterize the unsaved, along with the admonition not to tolerate these sins in our own lives as professing believers (1 Corinthians 10:7-12; Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-9). It should be incredibly sobering to us if we are regularly participating in the exact same sins that have brought others under the wrath and judgment of God!
Is Suicide An Unforgivable Sin?
It is important to know that every sin leads to Hell — even a sin as seemingly “small” as eating one bite of a forbidden fruit. There is no sin which, in the eyes of God, is “forgivable” in the sense of being too small or petty for God to care about.
Four Ways Self-Pity Distorts Your Perception of Reality
Along with so many other “small” sins in our lives, self-pity is actually very dangerous and self-destructive. The good news, however, is that the Bible gives us some very insightful help regarding this age-old sin. Some time ago I preached a message on self-pity, as part of a series “Beware of Small Sins.” Let me share a brief outline of it with you. Here are four ways that self-pity distorts your perception of reality, with some biblical solutions.
Judah, Tamar, & the Messy Messianic Line
Genesis 38 is nothing less than scandalous. Although a passage of Scripture that talks openly about embarrassing sin might at first affront our cultured sensibilities, the reality is this is exactly the kind of Bible we would wish for! A Bible that is about real sinners, who make really big mistakes, and mess up in horribly embarrassing ways, just like us – who God nonetheless saves, and even uses, in his great plan of Redemption.