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Sin is deceptive. We tell ourselves our sins are not that big of a deal. We may know we need to work on areas of our lives that are not perfect, but we justify and compare ourselves to others. “At least I am not as bad as (fill in the blank).” Peter tells us that our sinful desires are at war with our soul. Sin is something that can be swept under the rug in our life. Sin in our lives is violence against our peace and our holiness. We must take it seriously and train ourselves to practice a life of growth and victory over sin in our lives. What areas of sin have I overlooked in my life? Is there sin I am just ok with?
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“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.” – Romans 6:12
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Christians have a reputation. Many see the church as an antiquated, hateful organization that seeks to oppress people. Others see us as hopefully out of step with society. Peter urges us to live such good lives that the world will glorify God because of us. We have the responsibility and opportunity to reflect the goodness of God to a broken world. We are God’s ambassadors to the broken and his light in the darkness. This is no small job. We are ministers of the gospel everywhere we go. When we go to lunch after church, the servers know we came from church. When we drive down 27 with our Beloved sticker, people see it and it informs their idea of who we are. If we knew the world was looking at us, how would our lives change? Are there tangible things I can do to reflect the goodness of God?
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“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
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We are called to submit to authority. As hard as it may seem to submit to a president or governor that we may not agree with, there is a bigger purpose behind our submission. Verse 15 tells us that by submitting and doing good, we can silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. We cannot argue with foolishness. We cannot reason with the ignorant. We can’t explain the spiritual to those outside of the faith. We can, however, live in such a way that they see that we are different. What does it look like practically to submit to human authorities? When does our heavenly citizenship mean we must stand against evil human authority?
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“Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.” – Mark 12:17
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For Further Study:
Read Luke 5:1-25. Jesus did amazing things in his ministry. As you read this passage, ask yourself what Jesus was trying to accomplish by these miracles. How did people react?
For Prayer:
Pray for local Clermont and Lake county churches. We serve the same God and want to see the kingdom grow.