Sunday Morning Coffee: What Do You Fear?

Because of something I wrote yesterday, I’ve been thinking about this: What do I fear?

Well, I’m deathly afraid of snakes. They are my worst nightmare. It’s not as bad as it used to be. I can actually look at a picture of a snake now, but I definitely don’t seek them out.

I used to be afraid of the dark, and of being in the house alone overnight. Doesn’t bother me at all now. No monsters under the bed. Some dust bunnies, maybe, but no monsters.

I’ve talked with a few people who fear losing their salvation. They are afraid that if they sin, and don’t get it forgiven right away, they could die and go to hell even though they’ve accepted Jesus and believe in Him with all their hearts. So I’ve been thinking about that.

I was always taught that Jesus died to save us from sin. That is clarified by understanding that He died for the sin nature with which we are all born. His death and resurrection does not automatically save every person who ever lived. Our part is that we need to acknowledge our sin, repent of the nature that causes us to sin, and believe in His death and resurrection as our only way to heaven. When we do that, He gives us the gift of eternal life. The best part is that He said, in John 3:16, that whoever believes in Him shall NOT perish, but have everlasting life. Later, in John 10, He say that He holds us in the palm of His hand, and nothing or no one can take us out of His hand. Not even when we sin.

I like to compare it to a parent/child relationship. Once you have given birth, that child is always yours. Period. The child may, later in life, turn his back on you, tell you he hates you, that he never wants to see you again. That’s very sad, but it does not change the fact that he is your child.

Once you become God’s child, nothing can change that relationship. If you choose to follow a sinful path, your relationship with Him may no longer be close. You won’t experience the joy and blessing of being in tune with Him, in the same way that rebellion against your parents will change the relationship. But you are still His child. Period.

Here’s the thing. No one–not a single person–is able to live a sinless life. We may not be living in what we refer to as deep sin, or open sin. But there are sins of the heart that no one knows about but you–and the Lord. Being proud of living without sin is, in itself, sin.

I Peter 1:16 says, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Some people take that as a present imperative command. However, in the original language, the verb tense is comparable to our English present progressive tense. It would be better translated as “Be ye becoming holy,” which is still an imperative, but it is a process, not a single event in which anyone is suddenly completely holy and free of the sin nature. It is a process in which we are becoming more like Jesus as we study His Word, pray, and learn to love Him more deeply every day.

Only when we get to heaven will we be able to enjoy having a nature without sin. We will be like Him.

I can’t wait!