Tag Archives: sin

“’In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”  (Ephesians 4:26-27, NIV)

There are some things in life that ought to provoke us to anger.  However, remaining in a perpetual state of anger — even over situations that ought to make us angry — is a bad thing.

For the disciple of Jesus, anger has an expiration date: Sundown.

Deprive the devil of his foothold by turning your anger into a productive plan for good.  Pray to God for wisdom in how to address the situation in question.  Pray for those whose actions have offended your sense of fairness.  Give to God — by sundown — any residual anger in your heart.

Carrying anger past bedtime often means a sleepless night.  Bottling-up anger past its expiration allows it to fester into resentment, and to ferment into rage.

Better to rise to fight at dawn with a rested body; a clear mind; and a renewed spirit.   – Luther

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“’Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.'”  (John 9:3, NIV)

As difficult as it may be to face the fact that God allows his creatures to suffer hardship and pain; it would be infinitely more difficult if it were true that God was indifferent to human hardship and pain.

We may not always know the reason why we or others must suffer; and today’s scripture cautions us against drawing conclusions about the reasons behind suffering.  However, we may be confident in knowing that God both cares and is engaged.

The disciple of Jesus has the added benefit of knowing that “all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

Do not be discouraged when you encounter hardship or pain — whether in your life of in the life of others.  Remain faithful in all that God has given you to do, and you will experience both grace and peace.   – Luther

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“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23, NKJV)

Perhaps the only state worse than wrong doing is wrong being.

We need to guard against becoming comfortable with a lifestyle that is contrary to God’s will and way.  This is what the Bible calls “sin.”

Oswald Chambers eloquently describes the peril of a conscience that is no longer troubled by wrong-doing: “One of the penalties of sin is our acceptance of it.  It is not only God who punishes for sin, but sin establishes itself in the sinner and takes its toll.  No struggling or praying will enable you to stop doing certain things, and the penalty of sin is that you gradually get used to it, until you finally come to the place where you no longer even realize that it is sin.”

Stay close to God through obedience to His scriptures, and through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, and gathering with other members of the family of God for worship and fellowship.  If you persist in these things, you will develop a heart that is sensitive to what pleases God — and what does not.  This is the sure path to life, peace, and joy.  – Luther

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