Sin

Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles them For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23). Salvation is a big topic for many churches. Every service you probably hear the pastor bring up the word salvation. What does that word mean for you and me and especially those we care about? What is the big problem Jesus came to solve? Very simply… it is sin. This is not a popular word when you talk to people; these three little letters make people uncomfortable, ashamed, and the fear of being judged comes to mind. The problem is we will never come to grips or understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice until we face our sin.

What is sin? Rebellion against God. Disobedience to God’s will. The list can go on and on. But all the answers you can come up with boil down to almost the same thing. As James wrote, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (4:17). Sin is not like a disease you can catch floating around in the air like a cold. As Jesus said, our sin is “from within, out of a person’s heart.” That’s why we struggle with anger, greed, deception, immorality, and so many more. These sinful things we do are based on wrong choices we make in our minds. Lord knows I have made numerous bad choices. But, it is who we are at the core. Yes. we are corrupted from the inside out. Sin doesn’t make us bad, it makes us spiritually dead (Romans 6:23). We all have witnessed bad people turn their life around. The problem is a dead person cannot do anything to improve their state unless they reverse course, with God’s help, and repent. We need the spiritual equivalent of a heart transplant. It only works if it’s done from the inside out, by the saving grace of God. In other words, we need salvation. His healing work can save us. I have it. Do you? I am not the same person I used to be. Christ has changed me from the inside out, and I’m still being changed each and every day. I have been rescued from sin’s stronghold. I want to encourage you to read your Bible and pray that God changes your life like He has mine. Without His daily bread I would not make it each day.