October 23, 2006

Good morning! How much do you believe? Whenever I try to answer that question in my own mind doubts come from much of my worldly learning. I have been warned that what is true in Christ would be thought of as foolish by the world, but do the doubts have to come from my own inner dialog? I realize today that this conflict is the same that Paul experienced almost 2,000 years ago. Some things haven’t changed yet, and will not until our Lord arrives to claim us. What this conflict in my heart does for me is that it gives me understanding into what would make someone uncomfortable in the presence of the Word of God. The world will feel that I am putting its toes in the fire when writing about the things we know of Jesus. In the world the schools teach us about the natural process of conception in human beings. So naturally, when I think of what happened to Mary my worldly knowledge fights against that and causes me to doubt. However, when I believe that God created the heavens and the earth from nothing, how hard can it be to believe in conception by the Holy Spirit? What trouble is the manipulation of a few chromosomes to the Lord of all Creation? You and I believe more than we think during those times of doubt and stress.
Have your sins been forgiven? When I think of the answer to this I cannot help but to burst into a smile. I need to remember the grace of God more often during each day. All of my sins are forgiven in Christ. It is a glorious thing to have your sins forgiven. The world would likely take that as a license instead of liberation, and some early Christians did just that, but in the love of Christ we know better. Liberation from the chains of sin allows us to serve the cause of Christ and to spread the word to a non-believing world. Having trouble with the difference between license and liberation? Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.” That is liberation. Had he said that her sins were forgiven and to go and do whatever she pleased, that would have been a license to sin. However, Jesus did not and would not have said such a thing since we are promised in John 3:17 that the Son came to save the world, not to boot it off the cliff of sin.

God bless you this day!

Bucky