Thursday, October 17, 2013

Reason Not To Sin - 1 Peter 2:9 - Into the Light

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Why not sin?

Because you were called out of darkness into His light. Have you known the darkness of sin? Maybe it left you feeling trapped or imprisoned. Maybe crushed and cast aside like highway litter. When sin rules our lives it can feel like we're at the bottom of a pit where the light can't reach. Habits are impossible to break, attitudes hopeless to change. Joy in the Lord impossible to manufacture.

There is hope, however. Lazarus should never have seen the light of day again. He was dead and entombed. But Jesus called him out of darkness into light. 1 Peter 2:9 is saying you are already in the light. "For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness," says 1 Thess. 5:5. "At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). Have you known the light of true fellowship with Jesus? Our sins cloud our way, but to walk in the light begins with bringing our sins to Jesus (1 John 1:7,9).

After a week of clouds and rain, when you've had enough of depressing weather, how welcome is the sun peeking through the clouds? How much more the full brightness of a cloudless day! That is God's love for you! He came into your darkness and said, "I'll take care of this. You go free; You're forgiven." And He became your sins and died in your place once for all.

You, however, must keep coming into the light before Him when you're dirty. You don't have to cleanse yourself, though, because God promised if you confess your sins, He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness!

No comments: