"If you love me, obey my commandments" John 14:15
This has been the verse used in our home a lot this past few weeks. My husband and I have both felt like we are fighting, and sometimes losing, character battles with our two big kids as of late. Most of this is a result of unnecessary business that has resulted in not enough time for just playing, laughing, and having quality time to impress character on our children. So we have been having a lot of obedience talks about the same offenses, a lot of time outs for the same bad choices, and a lot of fake "I'm sorrys" from our kids!
On Saturday morning while I was reading in Isaiah (the first part of the book) it dawned on me that we often talk with our kids about how Jesus loves them. We are always quick to remind and point them to who they are in Him....precious, beloved, chosen, and bought with a high price. And while this is all very true we hardly ever spend much time at all talking about sin. We spend even less time explaining that their "bad choices" are in fact sin, and that these "choices" can serve to separate us from God. An analogy that we have used is that sin is like a brick that stacks and stacks in your heart until there is a wall between you and God. The part I am not sure we ever explained is that God hates that wall. Its not the view He desires for us or delights in. I realized that we had presented sin as a "bad choice" as if a better choice was preferred. When in actuality the "bad choice" is evil in the eyes of the Lord. Sin is detestable to God and He doesn't weigh some sin as worse than other sin. In his eyes its all sin and all heartbreaking.
"Blesses our those who mourn for they shall be comforted" Matt 5:4
These are Jesus' own words in respect to our sin. My heart should mourn and grieve over my sin. It should sadden me and afflict me. Out of the recognition and hurt over my sin also flows my awareness of my need for Him. I need Jesus. I am unable to know God without Him. The "high price" I am redeemed with was Jesus' very life. God is the perfect balance of justice and love. He never glossed over my sin, but instead He tells me the truth of justice and points me always back to His sacrifice of love for me.
Corinthians 15:57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ
Perfectly truthful. I am a sinner who participates in evil often- this is true. Left to myself I am an enemy of God unable to love Him and unable to feel His love- this is true. But He made a way through the brick wall of evil I built. He provided His Holy, spotless, blameless, perfect son as a living sacrifice to pay my debt of sin and buy me back from the clutches of sin. He made a way for me to return to Him redeemed...where I belong...where we all belong. AMAZING!!
Without calling sin evil we can't fully comprehend God's holiness. We all, my children included, when asked would say they love God, but would it be as easy to say that we also hate what God hates? Sin: lying, gossip, envy, idolatry, selfishness, pride....
.16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community
Proverbs 6:16-19
So the Lord comforted my heart to love my children enough to tell them the Truth and trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest. I prayed over my children that day that I would have the courage to tell them of their need for Jesus. That without Him they have no power over sin that will make them a slave. I prayed their hearts would mourn and break over their sin to cause repentance, which turns them from sin. And I will keep telling them that they our chosen and precious and loved with His everlasting perfect love. I prayed this over myself too. I want to share, and tell, and know the WHOLE truth not just the parts that make me comfortable.
Practically speaking I got up from that chair committed to sharing the whole Truth and person of Jesus. Knowing and believing He will do the rest of the work in their little hearts and behavior (which is the focus of my usual parenting efforts) will be a symptom of a greater joy- their acknowledgement of their absolute need for Him.
bye till next time :)
