Psalm 103:10-12
“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
(NIV)
What makes cookies crumble? If someone could invent a cookie which did not crumble, he could become the richest person in the world! Every type of cookie crumbles. Chocolate chip, Oatmeal raisin, Sugar, peanut Butter, even No-bake Cookies – it makes no difference, every cookie crumbles! It is a cookie’s nature to crumble!
And crumbs can be a problem! The residue left by cookies when they crumble can lead to embarrassing situations. That crumb left on the edge of the mouth or on top of a shirt button or on the lap will bring to light the fact that one has had one’s hand in the cookie jar AGAIN! Let’s face it – CRUMBS HAPPEN!!!!
Someone at Keebler or Nabisco should be given the assignment of creating a CRUMBLESS cookie! But they only seem to be interested in coming up with a fat-less, low carb, Atkins and Weight Watcher approved cookie that still has taste! But even if such a cookie concoction could be produced, it would still leave crumbs! It is the nature of cookies to crumble!
No matter how sweet or bland, every cookie CRUMBLES!
No matter how sweet or bland, every person SINS!
“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...”
Romans 3:22-23 (NIV)
Just like cookies leave crumbs behind, sin leaves its mark as well. No matter how close you inspect, no matter how diligent you try to brush it off, no matter how hard you try to sweep it away, the crumbs of sin remain and bring our sin to light!
“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered
in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Luke 12:2-3 (NIV)
“...your sin will find you out.”
Numbers 32:23 (NIV)
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone could create a way for sin not to leave a mark on one’s life? Since sin is a part of the nature of every man, woman, boy, and girl, wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were no crumbs left from sin? Many things have been marketed to wipe away the crumbs sin leaves: doing good deeds, attending church, using religious language, comparing one’s self with another. Positive, but the crumbs remain.
Three Absolutes about Sin:
Sin will take you FARTHER than you planned to go!
Sin will cost you MORE than you wanted to pay!
Sin will take you LOWER than you planned to go!
Yet the Scripture says,
“He does not treat us
as our sins deserve or repay us
according to our iniquities.”
(vs 10)
How does God treat us?
“NOT... as our sins deserve!”
What does that mean? My sins deserve punishment. I ought to have to pay for every one of them. It’s all my fault!
When our cookie crumbles
and it’s all our fault, there are
two words we need to remember:
“BUT GOD”
Romans 5:8
“BUT GOD demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(NIV)
Ephesians 2:4-5
“BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),...”
(NKJ)
Psalm 103:11:12
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Three Absolutes about FORGIVENESS:
Sin will take you FATHER than you planned to go BUT forgiveness will bring you CLOSER than you expected!
Sin will cost you MORE than you wanted to pay BUT forgiveness will FREELY GIVE you more than you ever thought you could have!
Sin will take you LOWER than you planned to go BUT forgiveness will lift you HIGHER than you ever dreamed.
AND Our forgiveness is a DONE DEAL! In the Old Testament, forgiveness was PROMISED; in the New Testament, forgiveness is PROCURED by Jesus and PRONOUNCED by Him!
When Life Crashes In
The classic MG moved briskly through the afternoon traffic. The drive enjoyed the quick response of the small high-powered convertible. After driving her station wagon, this little red car was rather like taking off her boots and putting on sneakers. Driving along with the wind in her hair, she tried to look casual and at ease, but inside she was a bit tense since she didn’t often drive this car – her husband’s pride and joy.
She saw only a blur of color out of the corner of her eye. Before she could consciously consider her actions, she swerved to miss the small boy on the bicycle and veered into the side of a large gray pickup truck. The car stopped with a deafening “ker-thunk.” For a second there was the tinkle of falling glass, then all was very still for what seemed like a long time. “Hey, lady. You OK?” Strong arms lifted her from the vehicle and helped her to the curb. “I’m fine,” she said, “just let me sit here for a moment.”
All she could think was, “I’m fine now, but Jim’s going to kill me when I get home.” As she waited for the police to arrive, she recalled how excited he was when he found this car. He had wanted one ever since he was a boy. This one was a rare treasure, and he had spent countless Saturday s fixing and polishing it. He knew every bolt and spot of chrome. It wasn’t really his wrath she feared—he was actually a gentle and loving husband. But she dreaded the hurt and anguish she would see in his face when he heard the news. That, for her, would be worse than if he were to get angry and yell. “Thank God, I’m not hurt,” she thought, “but I sure am worried about telling Jim.”
Her head was bent down and she saw the highly polished boots stop at her feet, “May I see your driver’s license and insurance papers, miss?” The officer felt sorry for her. He thought, “What a great little car that was.” She walked to the car, got her purse, and grabbed the insurance papers from the glove compartment. She gave the officer her license and opened the plastic package that contained the insurance papers. To her surprise, there on top of all the documents was a white envelope with her name on it.
She opened it and began to read, “Dear Beth, If you are reading this, you have probably been in an accident. Don’t worry. I pray that you are all right, and just remember it’s you that I love. Jim.”
