Not If, But When

June 20, 2016, By: Jimmy Scruggs

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. 1 John 1: 8-10 (TLB)
Is God up there keeping score of all my sins, or is he forgiving me over and over for them? I think the latter is true. Until I accepted that God is a loving God and doesn’t expect perfection from me, I continued to condemn myself by insisting I be perfect. Truth is, God knows I am not, and Jesus is proof of that. Why cover ourselves in shame when God doesn’t? He knows full well that we are going to sin, and yet when we confess our sins to him we are forgiven. But are we healed? God’s word in the book of James tells us to be healed, we need to confess our sins to another and pray for each other. That is the hard part. If we believe in what Jesus said—love God and love people—then it makes complete spiritual sense to be in relationship with both. I tried confessing my sins to God but kept them a secret from others. I was forgiven, but I was living proof that you’re as sick as your secrets. The caveat in all this is to choose wisely who you share your secrets with. A daily review/inventory is one of the best ways to stay current; missing the mark (sin) isn’t about if, it’s about when. If we isolate in that sin, we get sicker; it’s like trying to breath without oxygen—it will suffocate you. All of us have some area in our life that keeps cropping up, and we get upset that it’s still present. I am reminded that we are on the road to recovery; we won’t reach the final destination until we see Jesus in heaven. Until then, just as Apostle Paul carried a thorn in his side, so too will we; progress not perfection, humility is not superiority. To learn more about breaking out of isolation and making amends, check out Celebrate Recovery, God’s promises are being fulfilled every day.
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. James 5:16-18 (MSG)
Love God, love people, Jesus first! Dana Cramer

Celebrate Recovery/Crossroads Church Calendar June 20-26, 2016

Friday, June 24: Celebration Night
  • 6 pm: Our Hospitality Team is preparing a wonderful meal for you this Friday. Please join us for dinner and fellowship.
  • 7 pm: Join us for an hour of Worship and birthday celebrations.
  • 8 pm: Open Share Groups.
  • 9 pm: Solid Rock Café
Tuesday Nights: We have an open share group meeting for men from 6:30-7:30 pm in room 140. Notice: A new men’s mixed issue 12-step group is starting July 11, 2016. Please sign up on Friday nights or respond to [email protected]. Questions? For more information, contact [email protected], or call the church office at 970-203-9201.