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Ten lords a-leaping (the Ten Commandments - Exodus 20)Wednesday, January 3, 2001
John 1:29-34 Paul, the saved and sanctified sinner Saul, writes in Romans 7, late in his life as a man of God: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing...when I want to do good, evil is right there with me... what a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Paul dared to ask that question, because he had the answer. His next words are, "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Because he recognized his weakness and knew God loved him, he could ask God to make his weakness strong. He could look more directly at his own selfishness, his own mistakes, his own sin-sin-sin-sin-sin, because he experienced forgiveness. His sin had been taken away by the Lamb of God. In the words of John Wimber, it "was taken away, it is being taken away, and it will be taken away." Wimber, the founder of Vineyard Christian Fellowship, talks about forgiveness as a waterfall...not an idea but an experience. Sure, it's something powerful to stare at awestruck, from afar off. But then I can ask for (and receive) the courage to swim under it, to stand up on the rock, to feel the rushing water fall all over me, to be washed clean by water that never stops flowing. Falling short of God's standard is a daily experience for me. I never stop sinning, but the forgiveness never stops flowing. I'm glad to be in the club. Father, surely you desire truth in my inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. |
Yes, there really is a book called The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible. And yes, it's a pretty good book, according to my friend Bud, who is reading it. He tells me that one of the best things about the book is its explanation of who can belong to the Christian Club. You don't have to be "just right" to join; perfection is not a requirement of membership. In fact, you can't join unless you figure out that you're really pretty screwed up!