When you refuse to confront your sins and deal with them, you become a well-marked target for the enemy. And by looking at someone else and saying, ‘I would never do that,’ you fail to build a safeguard against it. ‘If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT). You never thought you could get that angry, or have an affair, or lie to your boss, or cheat in your finances. And because you never thought you could, you did nothing to protect yourself against it. As sure as fish swim and birds fly, your sinful nature will lead you astray unless you deal with it decisively and scripturally. Paul wrote, ‘As they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God …[he] gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done’ (Romans 1:28 NIV 2011 Edition). The worst thing God could do is to give you over to your own carnal impulses and say, ‘Have it your way!’ It’s amazing how we compare our sins with other people’s sins, and conclude ours aren’t as bad. The Bible says, ‘All have sinned, and come short’ (Romans 3:23 KJV). If you try to jump over a deep chasm, it doesn’t matter if you miss the other side by one foot or one hundred feet, you fall just as far and land just as hard. But there’s good news: ‘He was manifested to take away our sins.’ Today Jesus will forgive your sins, declare you righteous, and give you strength if you come to Him with a repentant heart and receive His mercy and grace.
Numbers 17-18, Mark 7:1-16
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