(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
So far we have looked at Lent as “road repair” and as “corrected vision”.
As a Christian, I do not believe in coincidences. Coincidences are like Bigfoot and unicorns, fun to talk about, but they don’t exist in the real world. On Friday March 11th, I wrote the following in this space: “As soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery. Nothing life threatening; I have a tear in a muscle that the surgeon is going to, Lord willing, repair. Left unattended, this tear would get worse, longer, wider, and making the surrounding tissue, and me as a whole, weaker.” Today, as we go back to look at this topic for the week, as soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery, again. Again, nothing life threatening; I have a skin cancer, a basal cell carcinoma, on the back of my neck and am undergoing Mohs procedure to have it removed.
I have appreciated all your emails, cards, visits, and prayers and covet them for this as well, but that’s not why I’m mentioning it. God is working all things together for good as He promises He will do. Cancer, left untreated, will ruin the body. It cannot be treated with a cream or an ointment. It must be irradiated or cut out.
Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:30
Sin is like cancer, left untreated, will ruin the body. It cannot be treated with a cream or an ointment. It must be cut out. “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15
Unlike cancer treatment, the treatment for sin will always work, and though it might be tough, the treatment won’t make you sick.
Sin = damage.
Righteousness = repair.
The righteousness of Christ enabled Him to be the One that is the eternal cure for sin, for the sin of the world. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” Romans 6: 9-10
His righteousness is also our cure.
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11
Have no doubt, sin has attacked your person, as Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. “All”. We cannot ignore that.
How has sin hurt you? This season of Lent let us each look for that damage, and look to God for repair.
Until tomorrow, God willing, Pastor Jim
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