My devotional reading often begins with the widget on my Mac "Of First Importance" from firstimportance.org. Every day, this site is updated with a Gospel-centered quote, which is usually a portion from a book or either a Scripture passage with subsequent comments. I have found that even if I preach the Gospel to myself on a daily basis, I am still in need of someone else to preach the Gospel to me. I need the perspective of another brother/sister. I need them to see my life and arrange the pieces so that my attitudes and thoughts line up with Gospel realities.
The piece from today was taken from the Heidelburg Catechism, Q/A 60:
Isn't it enough that all my sins were forgiven? After all, that's my main problem -- that I have sinned and that I do sin. Hold on a second, poncho!
The problem is two-fold: (1) I have sinned ("save from wrath") (2) I am sinful ("make me pure"). I needed the atoning blood of Christ to solve this double disease, if you will. Yes, I do sin. Every day. Every hour. But the fact that I do sin is not the full extent of my disease. You see, I want to sin. Even as a Christian, there is still a propensity within me to evil.
The purpose of this post is not to introduce anything new, but rather to praise the Son of God for His death, in which He shed His precious blood to save me from wrath (because I have sinned) and to make me pure (because I am sinful).
Here is a great version of Rock of Ages. Listen. Contemplate the words. Worship Christ!
The piece from today was taken from the Heidelburg Catechism, Q/A 60:
“Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart."Immediately, in my mind, I was brought to the quotation from Rock of Ages, "Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure."
Isn't it enough that all my sins were forgiven? After all, that's my main problem -- that I have sinned and that I do sin. Hold on a second, poncho!
The problem is two-fold: (1) I have sinned ("save from wrath") (2) I am sinful ("make me pure"). I needed the atoning blood of Christ to solve this double disease, if you will. Yes, I do sin. Every day. Every hour. But the fact that I do sin is not the full extent of my disease. You see, I want to sin. Even as a Christian, there is still a propensity within me to evil.
The purpose of this post is not to introduce anything new, but rather to praise the Son of God for His death, in which He shed His precious blood to save me from wrath (because I have sinned) and to make me pure (because I am sinful).
Here is a great version of Rock of Ages. Listen. Contemplate the words. Worship Christ!