Something Holy Spirit has been revealing to me of late is that it is a fine line that we walk in regards to sin and salvation. Not so much the desire or urge to sin, but rather how we feel after we've sinned, years down the road.
Many Christians who have lost their virginity are striving for a way to feel better about their choices. I have encountered this so often of late that it is almost like reruns on television. Today, though, I thought about it differently, if only slightly.
The last few months, I have attempted to teach on the truth that we are not called to be okay with our pasts or even to accept our pasts or feel good about our pasts. Sin is sin. Sin is deadly. We should not feel good about it. We should not be okay with it. Sin is rebellion against God and is an unholy act of selfish indulgence. That's what it is.
Rather than trying to soothe our damaged souls with catch phrases and minimizing the sin, we are to look at it and say, "Yes. I was the worst of all sinners. I am unworthy of the grace and love that Christ has granted me daily. You can judge me by my past, if you wish. Jesus has forgiven my past and made me into a new creation. That is who I was, not who I am."
We should be able to look at our past with a firm eye and know that we sinned and darkened our lives with our actions. Only when Jesus came into our lives and brought light and redemption and forgiveness did we change. The only thing we did was call out in response to His pursuit and accept the forgiveness He offered. So, by that measure, should we feel good about our pasts? Nope. Should we feel condemned by them? Nope. There is no condemnation in Christ.
Realize this, though. Should you walk away from Christ, all the penalties of your sin return. Just as serious. Just as deadly. Just as dark. Just as rebellious. Just as unholy. This is something that Christians today choose to minimalize with their words in order to feel better about who they were.
We are not called to feel better about who we were.
It's a fine line and most find themselves on either one extreme side or the other. One side is the bashing, hateful abuse that is pushed by others, the worthless doctrine, the valueless person doctrine, the picketing funerals and name calling and judging doctrine. Even if someone lost their virginity in their teens, have served God for thirty some years, they still feel the lashing when someone casts their stones at them. This is wrong. We all know this. Yet some still preach this way, some still hear these things, and some believe it.
The other extreme is love, love, love with no consequences. This is the minimalizing sin doctrine, the 'no sin is truly that bad' doctrine, the exception to the rule changed to the rule doctrine. Rahab was a prostitute and was used by God. Yes, yes she was. But she was an exception, not a rule. So, on this side of the line, preachers teach that you can do anything and be fine and that you are accepted with unrepentant sin and you can live however you want because you are under grace. This is dangerous beyond measure.
The truth of the matter is this: no, your past of sin and rebellion does not disqualify you or make you worthless or valueless in the family and kingdom of God, yet you did lose something that can never be redeemed or regained. Sin has consequences, no matter what. Yes, you are a new creation. Yes, the Lord loves you and does not value one person over another. Yes, you still have a purpose and God still has an amazing plan for your life. Yet, your sin has cost you something and that is just the way it is.
There are things that a virgin will experience and be blessed with for waiting for their wedding day that no one who didn't wait can experience. It's the truth.
There are things that a person never addicted to drugs or alcohol will experience and be blessed with that no one who was addicted in drugs or alcohol can experience.
This is the nature of sin. Sin alters us and changes us and, even redeemed as we are, we cannot become a virgin again. We just can't. It isn't possible. And any glorification of our sins, calling ourselves 'born again virgins' and the like, is just a way to bring others to a place where they feel it is okay to fornicate because really, if you could go back and get it all back like it never happened, then what is the point in saving yourself in the first place?
It is a fine line. You are either walking that line or you are on either extreme. Where do you fall?
Many Christians who have lost their virginity are striving for a way to feel better about their choices. I have encountered this so often of late that it is almost like reruns on television. Today, though, I thought about it differently, if only slightly.
The last few months, I have attempted to teach on the truth that we are not called to be okay with our pasts or even to accept our pasts or feel good about our pasts. Sin is sin. Sin is deadly. We should not feel good about it. We should not be okay with it. Sin is rebellion against God and is an unholy act of selfish indulgence. That's what it is.
Rather than trying to soothe our damaged souls with catch phrases and minimizing the sin, we are to look at it and say, "Yes. I was the worst of all sinners. I am unworthy of the grace and love that Christ has granted me daily. You can judge me by my past, if you wish. Jesus has forgiven my past and made me into a new creation. That is who I was, not who I am."
We should be able to look at our past with a firm eye and know that we sinned and darkened our lives with our actions. Only when Jesus came into our lives and brought light and redemption and forgiveness did we change. The only thing we did was call out in response to His pursuit and accept the forgiveness He offered. So, by that measure, should we feel good about our pasts? Nope. Should we feel condemned by them? Nope. There is no condemnation in Christ.
Realize this, though. Should you walk away from Christ, all the penalties of your sin return. Just as serious. Just as deadly. Just as dark. Just as rebellious. Just as unholy. This is something that Christians today choose to minimalize with their words in order to feel better about who they were.
We are not called to feel better about who we were.
It's a fine line and most find themselves on either one extreme side or the other. One side is the bashing, hateful abuse that is pushed by others, the worthless doctrine, the valueless person doctrine, the picketing funerals and name calling and judging doctrine. Even if someone lost their virginity in their teens, have served God for thirty some years, they still feel the lashing when someone casts their stones at them. This is wrong. We all know this. Yet some still preach this way, some still hear these things, and some believe it.
The other extreme is love, love, love with no consequences. This is the minimalizing sin doctrine, the 'no sin is truly that bad' doctrine, the exception to the rule changed to the rule doctrine. Rahab was a prostitute and was used by God. Yes, yes she was. But she was an exception, not a rule. So, on this side of the line, preachers teach that you can do anything and be fine and that you are accepted with unrepentant sin and you can live however you want because you are under grace. This is dangerous beyond measure.
The truth of the matter is this: no, your past of sin and rebellion does not disqualify you or make you worthless or valueless in the family and kingdom of God, yet you did lose something that can never be redeemed or regained. Sin has consequences, no matter what. Yes, you are a new creation. Yes, the Lord loves you and does not value one person over another. Yes, you still have a purpose and God still has an amazing plan for your life. Yet, your sin has cost you something and that is just the way it is.
There are things that a virgin will experience and be blessed with for waiting for their wedding day that no one who didn't wait can experience. It's the truth.
There are things that a person never addicted to drugs or alcohol will experience and be blessed with that no one who was addicted in drugs or alcohol can experience.
This is the nature of sin. Sin alters us and changes us and, even redeemed as we are, we cannot become a virgin again. We just can't. It isn't possible. And any glorification of our sins, calling ourselves 'born again virgins' and the like, is just a way to bring others to a place where they feel it is okay to fornicate because really, if you could go back and get it all back like it never happened, then what is the point in saving yourself in the first place?
It is a fine line. You are either walking that line or you are on either extreme. Where do you fall?