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Have you ever felt like you’re incapable of certain kinds of sins?

I know I have, only to later find myself humbly confessing those very sins. If there’s one thing the Bible is clear about it’s that we’re all capable of great evil, and that despite our attempts to rank sins from bad to really really bad, God views our sin much in the same way. Our pride is direly misplaced.

Our Daily Bread reminds us today that our response to someone else’s sin should be alertness rather than smug pride that we haven’t done the same:

It has become so commonplace to hear of the misconduct of a respected public figure that even though we may be deeply disappointed, we are hardly surprised. But how should we respond to the news of a moral failure, whether by a prominent person or a friend? We might begin by looking at ourselves. A century ago, Oswald Chambers told his students at the Bible Training College in London, Always remain alert to the fact that where one man has gone back is exactly where anyone may go back . . . . Unguarded strength is double weakness.

Chambers words echo Pauls warning to be aware of our own vulnerability when we see the sins of others. After reviewing the disobedience of the Israelites in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:1-5), Paul urged his readers to learn from those sins so they wouldnt repeat them (vv.6-11). He focused not on past failings but on present pride when he wrote, Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (v.12).

The devotional above reminded me of the parable that Jesus told in Luke 18:9-14 about the Pharisee and the tax collector. In it, Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying at the temple. The Pharisee thanks God for everything he’s not, the tax collector merely asks for mercy for his sins. Jesus concludes by saying that the tax collector was justified before God, not the Pharisee.

Have you been comparing your “goodness” to others? What would it take for you to spend some time today humbling yourself before God?

In this Morning and Evening devotional, Charles Spurgeon observes a simple yet profound truth of the Christian life: no matter how low we sink, no matter what we do or what trials we face, God is always there:

God—the eternal God—is himself our support at all times, and especially when we are sinking in deep trouble. There are seasons when the Christian sinks very low in humiliation. Under a deep sense of his great sinfulness, he is humbled before God till he scarcely knows how to pray, because he appears, in his own sight, so worthless. Well, child of God, remember that when thou art at thy worst and lowest, yet underneath thee are everlasting arms. Sin may drag thee ever so low, but Christs great atonement is still under all. You may have descended into the deeps, but you cannot have fallen so low as the uttermost; and to the uttermost he saves. Again, the Christian sometimes sinks very deeply in sore trial from without. Every earthly prop is cut away. What then? Still underneath him are the everlasting arms. He cannot fall so deep in distress and affliction but what the covenant grace of an ever-faithful God will still encircle him. The Christian may be sinking under trouble from within through fierce conflict, but even then he cannot be brought so low as to be beyond the reach of the everlasting armsthey are underneath him; and, while thus sustained, all Satans efforts to harm him avail nothing.

Does knowing that we can never “be beyond the reach of the everlasting arms’ comfort you? How does that knowledge change how you approach situations in your life?

Have you noticed that once we make the choice to sin, it gets easier and easier to commit that sin again in the future?

Patterns of sin are self-reinforcing. When we start down the path away from God, we’ll slowly but surely be co-opted into a mindset that not only accepts sin, but embraces it. Think about a situation where you acted sinfully, or sinned by failing to act when you should have. Our minds are brilliant at building up justifications and rationales for sinful behavior, all of which makes it a little bit easier to repeat the sin when we’re next faced with the opportunity.

This devotional from Today in the Word refers to this condition as spiritual Stockholm Syndrome, and says that the only defense is actively go on the spiritual defensive, taking every thought captive for Christ:

…without growing in the knowledge of God, we can easily be deceived and co-opted by the evil of this world. We must guard our sympathies so that we dont find ourselves in league with lawless men.

In this final chapter of his letter, the apostle Peter provided three reasons why we should grow in the knowledge of God. First, evil is real, present, and persuasive. The arguments of those who scoff at the notion of a holy, loving God might make sense to those who deliberately forget the word and work of the Lord. The temptation to follow their own desires seduces many into rejecting the knowledge of God. Peter knew that even believers struggle, and he urged them to be on their guard, a picture of active vigilance against sinful lies.

Consider your actions today, this week, this year. Do they illustrate a person whose every thought process is captive to Christ? Or have you drifted off the path and been co-opted by selfish impulses and desires? Praise God that no matter how deeply we’ve become enmeshed in sinful thought processes, God can lift us out of the mire.

“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I recite that line as part of the Lord’s Prayer most Sunday mornings at church, and yet no matter how familiar it is, that phrase always stings a little. It reminds me that God expects us to forgive others just as he has freely forgiven us. But it’s safe to say that for most of us, our track record when it comes to extending grace and forgiveness to people who have wronged us is decidedly mixed.

But here’s a new wrinkle to consider: what if it’s too late to extend forgiveness, because the person who hurt us is dead or gone? What if we hurt somebody who is no longer around to hear our apology or our plea for forgiveness?

Charles Swindoll addresses this question today in Day by Day:

I suggest you share your burden of guilt with someone whom you can trustyour spouse, a counselor, your pastor. Be specific and completely candid. Pray with that person and confess openly the wrong and the guilt of your soul. In such cases prayer and the presence of an understanding, affirming individual will provide the relief you need so desperately.

After David had indirectly murdered Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, his guilt was enormous. Adultery and hypocrisy on top of murder just about did him in. Finally, when he was caving in, he broke his silence and sought God’s forgiveness but Uriah was not there to hear his confession. He had been dead almost a year. The broken king called on the prophet Nathan and poured out his soul, “I have sinned….” Nathan followed quickly with these words: “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.”

Death or geographical distance can disrupt the critical act of reconciliation between two people. But God’s grace is greater yet. If your conscience burns over an apology never offered or forgiveness never extended, it’s not too late to bring it to God and find peace.

Have you ever sinned expecting it to be pleasurable or even joyful and instead experienced the complete opposite?

Part of what makes temptation so damaging is how it makes sinful activities appear appealing. It’s only after we’ve given in to our desires that we realize, or remember, that there is real pain associated with stepping outside of God’s law.

Our devotional this morning is from This is Today by Adrian A. Helleman. Helleman reminds us below that there is no real lasting joy in sin. In fact, the aftermath of sin is usually nothing but guilt:

Some people I know do not like to obey the law—and certainly not Gods law. They make their own rules. The psalmist, however, praises Gods law as true and beautiful. Whether we are young or old, we do well to walk with God, the only source of blessing and goodness in life (James 1:17).

Whenever we disobey Gods law by giving in to temptation, we may feel a thrill or a sense of freedom or fun or ecstasy, but it wont last, and sooner or later we experience disappointment and grief for doing wrong. Then we realize that the psalmist is right: only by following Gods way for our lives will we have full, joyful life (see John 10:10).

I know this from personal experience. I have done things that were wrong, and later I had no joy. You probably have had this experience too. Its the Holy Spirit of God who convicts us of sin (John 16:8). The Spirit stirs our hearts to remember Gods law, and we realize we have done wrong. But the Spirit then also encourages and guides us to live by the truth of God (John 16:13). We can depend on him!

Read the entire devotional at thisistoday.net.

Have you ever felt “disappointment and grief for doing wrong?” What’s the most recent example in your life of the Holy Spirit stirring your heart?

Whose fault is it when we sin?

We’re all familiar with the old saying “the Devil made me do it!”, but I don’t think most of us would take that excuse very seriously if we heard it from somebody who’s done wrong. But it does raise interesting questions: what exactly is Satan’s relationship to sin? Are there situations in which the Devil actually could make us sin against our will?

Our Daily Bread tackles the question and lays out the Christian understanding of Satan and his role in tempting us to sin:

The devil tempts believers, but he doesn’t make us sin. James tells us that God isn’t to blame either: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). He is good and holy.

So who is to blame for our sin? James says, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (v.14). Just as a fisherman uses bait to lure his prey, so our own evil, unchecked desires lead to giving in to temptation and sin.

When we disobey God by sinning, let’s not shift the blame or justify our actions with the faulty “the devil made me do it” theology.

Our sin is our own; the devil may tempt us toward sin, but we’re the ones who make the final decision to obey or disobey God. I’ve always found this Christian understanding to be simultaneously sobering and comforting: on the one hand, we can’t wiggle out of the responsibility for our sins by blaming the devil; but on the other, we can rest assured that the devil has no power to make us disobey God.

What do you think? Has anyone ever tried the “Satan made me do it!” line on you, and how did you react?

In a recent advice column at Slate, a reader wrote in to ask how to handle an awkward situation in her church small group. (The relevant letter is the second one down the page.) A wife in the group asked the letter-writer to change her outfit because the wife’s husband struggled with lust; the outfit, while not inappropriate, might nevertheless tempt her husband to sin. The letter-writer went along with the request, but felt awkward about the experience.

This seems like an instance of the “weaker brother” scenario, in which Christians are encouraged to voluntarily refrain from actions that might cause spiritual problems for fellow believers who have “weak consciences,” even if there is nothing morally wrong about those actions. (See also Romans 14:1.)

It’s a well-known Christian principle, but it’s also a challenge to apply to everyday situations like the one described in the Slate advice column. If you’re not doing anything wrong, how obliged are you to change your behavior (or your outfit, in this case) because somebody else can’t control their lust (or other sinful impulse)? Where is the line between gracious accommodation of a weaker brother, and having your choices dictated by that brother’s weakness?

Have you ever been in a situation like this—either as the “weaker brother,” or as someone who voluntarily gave up one of your “freedoms” in order to help a stumbling fellow believer? Based on your experience, how would you counsel the letter-writer in the Slate column?

We all label people—it’s almost impossible to avoid. We draw conclusions about others based on their appearance and behavior (and sometimes based on our own preconceptions). Sometimes this is harmless and useful—for instance, in identifying a policeman by his uniform. But when we make moral and spiritual assumptions about people based on their appearance or behavior, we tread on much shakier ground.

In this Nehemiah Notes devotional, Blaine Smith writes about the unfortunate power of labeling:

Such labeling is a compulsive process that we can scarcely avoid completely. Yet the tragedy isn’t that our first impressions so often are inaccurate, but that they so easily get locked in concrete. They become still-life pictures that never change….

Just as unfortunate can be our tendency to label ourselves. Christ is working to change our lives, yet often the greatest barrier is our difficulty in letting go of old self-perceptions.

He holds up Jesus as the perfect example of somebody who looked beyond labels, always pushing past surface impressions to identify people’s potential. The most dramatic example of Jesus defying human labeling and judgment is in his treatment of the “woman at the well;” despite her sinful behavior, Christ engaged her and transformed her into a messenger of his Gospel:

Jesus was under no illusions about her past…. Yet he also showed great respect for her, privileging her with a private discussion about his messiahship.

Following her conversation with Jesus, the woman broke out of her shell. She returned to Samaria and declared to numerous people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

John minces no words about the woman’s effectiveness in arousing her townspeople’s interest in Jesus. “They came out of the town and made their way toward him…. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony…. And because of his words many more became believers.”

What’s most interesting is that Jesus allowed her to play this critical evangelistic role. She ignited one of the most stunning explosions of interest in Christ recorded in the New Testament. And all because Jesus saw beyond her immediate condition to a vision of what she could become.

None of us have Jesus’ divine insight into other people’s hearts and motivations. But Jesus’ example shows us that while we should recognize and respond to the behavior that people present to the world, our interaction with others should not stop there. The sinner who offends and repels us just might be a saint waiting for someone to engage them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Did you do any spring cleaning this year? Each year as winter draws slowly to a close and the last piles of snow melt away, I count down the days until it’s finally warm enough to open the house windows and let the spring breeze in. It’s the time-honored tradition of spring cleaning, when all the little household chores, repairs, and cleanups that have been put off all winter must finally be dealt with.

This devotional from Delve Into Jesus uses the metaphor of spring cleaning to make a point about our Christian faith: it’s important to periodically conduct a “spring cleaning” of your spiritual life. “Little” sins and unhealthy habits have a way of accumulating over time if we let them, and there comes a time when we must grit our teeth and clean them out:

Dealing with sin in our lives is a bit like taking care of chores around the house. None of us are free from the need to battle sin; it is an ever-present, daily struggle to identify and weed out problem areas where we are not living the life Jesus intends for us. The more frequently and diligently we do this, the cleaner our spirit will be. If we neglect this task entirely, it won’t take long before we are wading in filth and grime.

Most of us do an admirable job of identifying and tackling the bigger sins, even if we don’t always win the fight every time…. But how are we doing with the little sins? I’m referring to the ones which keep getting put off and pushed down our chore list as we battle for control over the larger and more serious sins. We can procrastinate for a little while, but eventually the combined effect on your spiritual health of these so-called “smaller” sins can cause just as much damage as the larger ones. If we are going to keep our spirits clean and healthy, then maybe it’s time for a little spring cleaning.

Can you relate to this experience? Have you allowed sins or habits to accumulate in your life, but you keep putting off the task of confronting them? If you cleaned your physical house out earlier this year but still need to clean out your spiritual house, stop putting it off—do a little spiritual spring cleaning today!

Ted Haggard has once again found himself in the limelight—this time not for his very public personal problems, but rather for his quick return to ministry.

It’s a story that plays out every few years: a leader falls from grace, goes into a period of rehabilitation, and then attempts to rebuild their ministry. Google can help you find countless additional examples of leaders who have gone through this process. To me, there’s always an element of concern that surrounds these reappearances: Will anyone ever trust these leaders again? Should they?

I believe in mankind’s limitless capacity for sin, and in the limitless power of God’s forgiveness and grace. However, just as it takes time for one to become ensconced in sin, it takes time to break free from it. And the people who are hurt by someone else’s sin often need time to forgive as well. When I’m wronged, I always attempt to forgive people quickly with words, but it often takes my heart a bit longer to catch up to that commitment. I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment. I can only imagine the difficult issues one would have to work through after a trusted pastor’s fall from grace.

Haggard’s fall and return will not be the last story like it, so rather than debate the merits of his particular circumstance I’d rather use it as a way to give context to a discussion on the restoration process. It’s unfortunate, but many of us have trusted (or will trust) a leader who has gone through a moral failing of some kind. The Bible doesn’t give us an outline of how to restore a leader, although 1 Timothy 3 outlines the qualifications overseers and deacons should have before they start their ministry, which seems to give us a good overview of where a leader should be before they return to ministry.

How do you think the restoration process should happen? Should there be an imposed timeframe in which the leader is considered “barred” from ministry? What steps should they have to go through in order to be considered fit for ministry? And how should the hurting people left in their wake handle the situation?