May 31st

 During our Q&A Sunday, I answered a series of questions I have been asked since beginning our series in Ephesians, one of those questions that I did not have time to answer is this one: As a Christian, is there any sin I can commit that is greater than the redemption Jesus died to provide for me?  My short answer is simply, No!

From everything that I read in my Bible, there is only one sin that God will not forgive and that is the sin of unbelief; this is what I believe Jesus had in mind when He said in response to the religious leaders who refused to believe who He claimed to be even in light of all the miracles He did, here is what Jesus said in response to the religious leaders: Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons and daughters of men, and whatever blasphemies they commit; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin because they were saying, He has an unclean spirit (Mark 3:2830). 

How in the world can any sin be greater than the kind of work Jesus accomplished that we read about in Ephesians 1:7-12?  The redemption Jesus made possible through the shedding of His blood on the cross has been provided, according to the riches of His [Gods] grace which He lavished on us.  Think about the promise of verses 11-12 for your life: In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.  

If this were not enough to convince you that there is no sin that is greater than the redemption Jesus died to provide, then consider Colossians 2:13-14, And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us ALL our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Paul understood this very thing, for he wrote of himself: It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost (1 Tim. 1:15).

I am looking forward to celebrating the great promises that we share as those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God this Sunday in our 9:00 and 10:30 AM worship services!  

Grace,

Pastor Keith