This past weekend I had the privilege of being one of the speakers at a Women’s Conference. My topic was Bible 101. No it was not on facts like there are 66 books in the Bible and Paul, who was Saul; his job before writing most of the New Testament was to persecute Christians.
Actually it was on the fact that if we believe the Bible is true and I do. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
That we will believe Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in His own image.
And if we are looking in the mirror and we don’t see His image; then the question becomes do you know what His image is supposed to look like?
Philippians 2:5-6a
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God….
We do have a book full of what it means to look in the mirror and ask ourselves the question “do we look like the image of God”?
So what does this have to do with Jesus is Felony Friendly.
Romans 5:6 says
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Then Romans 5:8 says
But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
A sin is defined as a an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. The synonyms are words like misdemeanor, crime, offense, wrong doing, etc.
God loved us in our sinful nature so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for us.
John 3:16-17
For this is how God loved the world: He g ave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
God woo’d us from our own jail cell. The jail cell of our sinful nature Galatians 5: 19-21
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these
The challenge becomes when you are labeled by society as a “once a sinner always a sinner” it is easier to stay or re-offend than it is to change or be transformed.
Romans 12:2 says
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
To be transformed means learning a new way, and how many of us if we are honest “re-offend”? We especially in the early states of learning to be transformed “re-offend” when all we have in our life is the world. We have no one there to disciple us, to teach us, to emulate?
Do you know someone that is trying to change and not “re-offend? I know that the pat Christian answer is read your Bible, pray, go to church, but my prayer today is that you will not give that answer to someone but instead do what the Bible says today in Matthew 28: 18-20
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
But as you train and teach remember yourself that in 1 Timothy 4:12b-13
Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.