Not Quite Finished

Why do we as children of God continue to sin – constantly, every day, every week? As I listen to preacher after preacher expounding on becoming a believer in Jesus and sin no longer having a “hold on you”, I keep thinking about my life and how sin has been around every corner, always. It makes me wonder if I’m missing something that years and years of reading scripture, and walking with the Lord, has somehow eluded me.

From the beginnings of Genesis to the tails of Revelation there are a multitude of laws, precepts, guidelines, commandments, and suggestions that try to guide one away from sinning. I cannot even fathom how the Jews of Old Testament times were able to keep the 613 laws laid out in the godly decrees. They must have spent an extraordinary amount of each day simply making sacrifices for their breaches of the laws. . Even until today, some of these decrees are held on to strongly by the church, while others have been shelved into oblivion with the reasoning that they were strictly for the Jews of that time.

In thinking about my average day on this planet, and the number of times that I didn’t do something that I should have done, or did some other indiscretion that I should not have done, all the while knowing the desire of God’s heart through the dictates of scripture, I feel overwhelmed. I’m writing this little blurb because of something that happened to me yesterday. While I was in my vehicle and leaving a parking lot, I saw a woman trip on the sidewalk and fall down. She didn’t appear to be injured in any way, but at that very moment I questioned whether I should stop and offer to help her (she got up rather quickly), or to do as I did in keeping an eye on her until I was sure she was OK and then going on my way.

The dilemma that I pondered all the way home, and even until now as I’m typing, was, did I do what was right in God’s sight? Should I have stopped and offered her a ride to wherever she was going? Should I have at least stopped and personally made sure she was OK? In doing either of these I might have had an opportunity to share God’s love for her. The question then entered my mind – did I sin in not taking an opportunity that seemed to be from God?

Another scenario has popped up a few times since my wife and I have returned to the States last year that has me wondering and pondering. Several times I have been asked, either directly or indirectly, to lead a discussion, bible study, or spiritual meeting. Most often I have either turned them down or simply not responded. Inside, I simply did not feel ready, prepared, or spiritually inclined to take the lead in those circumstances. (Occasionally, I did). So, did this disappoint God? Did I sin by not accepting to be his servant in that moment? Should I have asked for forgiveness for not stepping up?

I think that the bottom line of where I’m going with this thinking is, “can sin ever really be out of our lives?” And the deeper, and more important query, “ how do we keep on sinning and remain in favor with our Creator?” God knows that the Enemy roams this earth from one continent to the other and that sin’s temptations are everywhere. I think that this is where His overflowing bucket of grace comes into play because He realizes what feeble creatures we are. We are human, imperfect in every way possible. At the same time, we who are believers have a heart and mind that has a desire to please Him and watching ourselves fail is a reminder of His incredible love. If I went through life perfectly pleasing Him every day, I think I would soon lose my edge to bring joy to Him. And I’m sure He would not want that.