Thursday, May 26, 2011

The James Challenge Chapter Four

Anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.

If you're like me, you tend to understand sin as the things that we do in defiance of God's authority and righteous way. I hate enemies. I covet the grass that is greener in another's life. I murder. I lust. I lie. I deceive. I ________.

But ultimately that is barely the beginning of following Christ. In one sense, yes, God wants to turn our affections away from the sinful ways, acts of disobedience, the defiance of our hearts. But He is at the same time desiring that we be turning toward Him.

It's not enough to avoid the things that God tells us to avoid. He wants us to follow His promptings. Its not just "Don't do this" but also "Do this". And when we experience those promptings and delay or disregard obedience to them, we are in the same boat as those who do the sinful things.

So when we read about being ministers of reconciliation and don't actually go work out the issues we have with the person, we're sinning. When we feel God nudging us to give the money we've been saving up for our kid's college fund away to the cause of Christ, we're sinning. When we're gifted to serve in youth ministry and don't offer to use our giftedness to serve, we're sinning.

Missing the mark is more than just doing the bad things God says to avoid. It is every time we are out of step with the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit.

So...how's the walk?

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