Scripture
Our verse for today comes from John 15:22, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”
Background
It is undeniable that some of God’s greatest graces He offers through our spouse and children. The love and belonging, the joy and delight, that come with these closest of relationships surely reflect the indescribable bond and unity that the trinity has shared for eternity. But in our human reflections of that most sacred of unions, God shows His grace in a way that He does not with His Son and the Spirit. For God places our precious families around us, not just for a lifetime of love and companionship, but for so much more. Through these gifts from heaven, my sin, that comfortable blanket I have carried with me all these years, is brought to light. My will, that which would be mine and only mine, is forced to stand trial before the likes of my wife and children, her extended family and mine, and those who join with them. Were I to go it alone, I may never know how selfish and conceited I am. Were I unchecked by those living with me, my every whim would be justified and I, the king, would bow before no one. But God is gracious in that He does not abandon us to ourselves. Even the single adult came from family or has a friend whom God can use to convict and correct. And though we might ponder the notion of a life lived without the subordination of our desires, time, and preferences, the truth is that God’s way is a life lived for and unto others.
Application
We were not intended to rule our own hearts or reign over our own kingdoms. And by God’s grace, the sin that would go undetected or be defended if challenged is able to be brought to light for the cleansing that He can provide. No, our loved ones do not cause us to sin, even though we’d like to blame them sometimes. But they are an instrument of God’s by which He sanctifies us into the image of His Son. That process can be difficult, to be sure, and guilt would abound if allowed. But God offers the forgiveness He has provided, and its power draws us all closer as a family.
Charge
As we seek Him today, thank God for revealing to you what you are not. And cry out to Him to be all He is in and through you.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
