Sin, Love and Mercy...

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." -John 14:15

"But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God's love is perfected. That's how we know we are in Christ." -1 John 2:5

What does it mean to obey God's commands for us? What is it that God commands us to do? The Ten Commandments are laid out for us in Exodus 20:1-17.

1. You shall have no other gods before me. 

2. You shall not make for yourself any graven images.

3. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain. 

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. 

5. Honor thy mother and father. 

6. You shall not commit murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet. 

We are all sinners. We have all broken God's commandments. We talked back to our parents as children, we work on Sundays, we wish we had that cool thing that our friend just bought. Some of us have committed adultery, some of us have committed murder. God does not hold any sin in a "worse" position than the rest. They are all God's word, and are all to be obeyed. 

As humans we have socially weighted each sin. We cannot imagine that telling a lie could equal murder, but both are sins against our Father as both mean we disobeyed Him. We will all have to answer for them, and I for one to not look forward to that day. It saddens me to know that I have been weak and allowed myself to stray from the path that God has set before me. Although His mercies are great, I try to lessen the amount He may graciously bestow. ;o)

In addition to the Ten Commandments, God also commands that we read His Word, the Bible. He tells us to witness to others, and to pray for them. One of my greatest joys was hearing my seven-year-old son witness to a girl in his first grade class. She told him that she didn't have a father. He replied, "Of course you do! Don't you know about God?" He then proceeded to tell her! I was so proud, and I'm sure God was, too. 

Jesus said,  "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -Matthew 19:14

God knows our hearts. He knows, when we ask for His forgiveness, if we are sincere or not. He also knew that we were going to sin before we even did it. That's a pretty heavy concept for me. He KNOWS what I am thinking; all the ugly thoughts, all the hate I've held for people who have hurt me in my life, all the wrong I have done... and yet He loves me in spite of it all. AMAZING!

"For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "-Jeremiah 29:11

I work hard to be a good person, to be a proper example for my children, to be kind to others. Some days it's hard, and some people make it even harder. I do my best to make decisions based on my sense of right and wrong, my beliefs and my own experiences. You cannot "earn" your way into Heaven's Gates. That toll has already been paid. Being a good person is the right thing to do, and we are also commanded by God to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31).

Several times I have heard the phrase, "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle". It's true! You never know what a person is going through, maybe right before your eyes. The pain a person buries in their heart can manifest in many ways. How we choose to deal with it is up to us. God's desire is for us to give it to Him, pray for guidance and let Him carry our burden's weight. We are to fall back on our faith, finding comfort in knowing that God has it all under control. Satan wants us to question God's devotion to us as His children and His love for us. He puts doubt in our hearts and longs for us to sin. We are tempted just as sure as we are human, but if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, if you have recognized God as the Almighty, you are forgiven, and you will be saved. 

I know that I have fallen short of God's glory, and I am saved only by his grace and mercy. It's a wonderful feeling, one that I find myself taking for granted all too often! I am a mess, and God knows it! But He loves me, unconditionally, mercifully, without ceasing. 

 Rely on God. Put your faith in Him as your Lord and Savior and rest your weary head at his feet. We are not perfect, nor does God expect us to be. He knew we would sin, that's why he sent his Son to die for us. 

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." -Ephesians 2:4-5