Unlocked    

Thursday, January 25, 2018

 

A locked cellphone blocks a person’s access and a locked computer does the same. A locked door keeps people out and a locked jail cell keeps them away. If you’ve ever been locked out or even in you know how terrible it feels. It’s like losing your keys and getting locked out of your house or car; or forgetting the code to access your online accounts. In some extreme cases, you might know someone who has committed a crime and was locked out of the community. This is precisely what sin did to us in our relationship with God; it locked us out and away from God’s presence.

 

 

In my early walk with Christ I was taught that I had access into God’s presence all because Jesus died on the cross to wash my sins away. That impenetrable barrier was removed, the door was unlocked, and I had direct access into God’s presence. In those early days I was also taught to avoid sinning at all cost because if I didn’t, my sins would once again lock me out of God’s presence. Truthfully, as a newborn believer I felt no desire to sin nor did I believe I would ever sin again. Oh, but I was completely mistaken. I soon discovered that sin was still present in my life; I could not avoid it no matter how hard I tried. I felt like the Apostle Paul when he said, “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” In all honesty, I sill feel a burning desire to live a sinless life. However, I don’t think a single day has gone by where I have not sinned in thoughts, words, or deeds.

 

What many believers fail to understand is that when Jesus gave his life, he did it for all of our sins. He not only died for the sins we committed in the past, but also for the sins we would commit in the future. His sacrifice was perfect and complete. As believers, the greatest consequence of our sin was done away with the moment we accepted Jesus as our savior; sin lost its power to separate us from God. True there are still consequences for sinning, but separation from God is not one of them. Rob a bank and you will likely go to jail. Cheat on your spouse and you will probably lose your marriage. As I stated, sinning will always have its consequences but it no longer has the power to separate us from our Heavenly Father.

 

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:16 NLT

 

Adam and Eve have the dreadful distinction of being the first sinners and when they sinned their initial reaction was to hide from God. Most of us today have a tendency to act the same way. When sin gets the best of us, instead of running to God we do everything possible to avoid him or to hide from him. I am not by any means trying to imply that it is ok to sin. Sinning as I previously stated has its consequences and they are never good. What I am saying is that in the process of God renewing our lives, there are going to be many times when we will fall short and sin. Jesus however, unlocked the door and there is no need for you to try and avoid or hide from him. Every time you go before your Heavenly Father he promises to be merciful to you. So, when sin gets the best of you don’t run from God instead, boldly go to your Heavenly Father to receive mercy and grace.

 

Questions

 

1. Have you ever experienced being locked out? How did it feel and why?
2. What is your personal belief about sin?
3. What have been some of the consequences of your sins?
4. When you sin, what is your initial inclination to run to God or avoid and hide from him?
5. How does it make you feel to know that God promises to be merciful to you every time you come into his presence?

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, hard as I have tried, I sin. But today I come with boldness into your throne room to ask your forgiveness and to seek your mercy and grace. I thank you for Jesus and for the love he showed when he died on the cross for all of my sins. I don’t want to run from you I want to run to you in my time of need. Thank you for forgiving me, Amen.