Wednesday, May 26, 2010

"As We Confess..." Part 6

Having followed their unbelief and disobedience to God by the self effort of attempting to cover their own sin, Adam and Eve proceeded to shift the blame for their failure to others.

"Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (Genesis 3:11-13).

Our original ancestors would have been quite comfortable in our generation. Even among professing Christians, excuses for sin and blame-shifting rather than full acceptance of personal responsibility are now often the response to Biblically-defined waywardness. This is a grave detour from Truth, because the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses not excuses, but sin. God's inviolable Word has not changed, and the primary cause for every and all sin remains the fleshly refusal to respond to His light. Certainly different people have varying degrees of exposure to the Word of God, but the revelation of His Person and truth nevertheless fill the world to the degree that all are "without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

Agreeing with God when we sin means that we take full responsibility for our unbelief and disobedience. Eve and the serpent, as it were, are not the reason we turn aside despite the negative influence that others can be to us. As Nathan unequivocally declared to David in exposing the king's sin with Bathsheba: "Thou art the man!" (II Samuel 12:7). This is always the Holy Spirit's word to us in confronting our iniquities, and to the degree we respond by taking full responsibility, we will experience full pardon, forgiveness, and cleansing. Again, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses sin, not excuses, and it does so to the wonderful degree expressed through the prophet Isaiah...

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)

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