For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we wrap up this year, there are many opportunities for reflection. We can recall the moments we were hurt, the moments we were happy, the moments we were stressed, and the moments we enjoyed the most. Many of us don’t want to reflect on the year and think about our sin. Yet there have been countless times this year we have lied, cheated, been selfish, been stingy, been blasphemous, and so on. Even as followers of Christ, we have messed up along the way, and the weight of that sin cannot be forgotten. This passage reminds us that no matter how we feel about our sins, they are costly. They cost us life; they bring us death. We may try to justify our sin, thinking, “It’s not really hurting anyone.” But that could not be further from the truth. Sin harms others, and it certainly harms us.
God has come not just to give us a free pass but to deal with the infection of sin in our hearts and restore us completely to life with Him. His gracious gift to us is that He hasn’t run away from our sin or tried to overlook it like we try to. He is ready and able to deal with it completely. He can handle all the sin and hurt that you carry. He is ready to take your most broken pieces and give you His most gracious gift of eternal life. Will you trust Him?
- Where have you struggled with sin this year? How have you responded? How is God calling you to respond?
- What are some things that make it hard to confess your sin to God? What are some things that make it hard to accept God’s gift of eternal life?
- Spend time in prayer confessing your sin to God and remembering His grace in your life.
