I feel that I left a bit undone in my last message, so I'd like to 'touch it up' some..... I left an important question unanswered- "So how do we deal with all of this, both individually, and as the Body of Christ, in a practical, day to day manner?", referring to the problem of 'indwelling sin'. The problem is that we still see sin as something that we 'go out and do'. That's why it's so easy to 'see sin' in others. You see, some sins are more difficult to 'keep under wraps', as it were, than others, and we tend to take advantage of other believers whos sins seem more visible than our own. We also tend to define sin to our own advantage- you know,
"Well, I may gossip a bit, but at least I don't go out and drink, like sister so and so does". Or, "you mean Bill is a Christian? Are you kidding? He's such a jerk!" (Shades of the self-righteous Pharasee in Luke 18). We also like to 'grade' sins, with our own not being quite as bad as others', but while we grade SINS, we cannot grade SIN, can we? And why not? Because we've got everything turned around.

As Billy Graham once said it, "We're not sinners because we sin, we sin because we're sinners." The Church has got to understand that sin is not simply something that we do. Rather, sin is a condition that we're all born into- "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)..."For God has concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all" (Romans 11:32).

Now, we claim to know this truth, but if we would really let it sink deep into our soul, we'd be much less inclined to pounce on others for THEIR sins, wouldn't we? Only when we can see that we are all in the same boat in terms of the sin issue, can we truly be instruments of healing in the Lord's hands.

Let's simply agree with God and realize that we are all sinners, that He nonetheless loves all of us very deeply, and has a glorious plan for each of our lives, if we would but believe Him. Our spiritual insecurities will vanish when we look at ourselves as God sees us, we will be willing to go where He leads us, and we'll encourage other Christians to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to be all that THEY were called to be as well. No jealousy here- We'll want all that God has for our own life, not someone else's! Churchianity will become a thing of the past- replaced by genuine agape love that only comes from our Holy God, and true Christianity will be evident to all who observe us, because we'll be REAL. The world of lost sinners will see a people who truly love their Lord, and will actually seek US out for answers to life that they know only a child of God has....

My prayer is that we will all desire to be HIS completely, and that we, as a body, would love one another. We can then go out and love the lost into the Kingdom. That, beloved, is what God has called all of us to.... 1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God".

Jim Ewing