Daily Devotional

I was part of a seminar about immorality in the ministry, specifically how to prevent immorality, not how to be immoral. It is a poignant reminder of how easy it is to fall into the trap of sin, even in Christian settings. The ultimate takeaway is no matter how young or old in the faith we are, and no matter our maturity level, we must always be on our guard. Our sinful nature is a powerful force within us and we must not underestimate it.

The reality of our propensity to sin can be disheartening as we try and live out our Christian faith. Thoughts of inadequacy and failure can easily overcome us and we can feel as though we don't deserve salvation. It may surprise you to learn that you don't. The very point of this verse is that Christ died for us in the midst of our rebellion. As humans, we would be more inclined to take the approach of "If you get your life together then I'll forgive you." But God loved us first and offered a way back to Him, knowing we couldn't do it on our own.          

Now does that mean we should just do whatever we want, live in the now, and sin like there is no tomorrow? Of course not, we are called to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. And even if this standard is not attainable here on earth, it is what we are to strive for. That is how we say "I love you" back to God, for His amazing gift of mercy and grace.

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.