The white stuff just keeps coming down. As it accumulates we use brooms and blowers and all shapes and sizes of shovels and plows to push it out of the way. Then the winds create new piles and drifts and we start all over again.
If we don’t move the snow at all we soon find ourselves unable to open the front door or get out of the driveway. Leave it unattended on a walkway and a few cycles of sunlight create a very icy surface. Fortunately we haven’t had so much snow to necessitate climbing on the roof to clear it off but we’ve watched the news stories of buildings collapsing from the weight.
It’s difficult to ignore all this snow.
And, just as it’s dangerous to disregard the snow, it is equally devastating to ignore sin.
Sin is anything we do, say, or think that’s displeasing to God and it’s a very uncomfortable subject. We prefer to ignore sin; pretend it doesn’t exist or even convince ourselves that we don’t have any. The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
You and I deal with sin on a daily basis; no one is without sin. Only Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, all the rest of us need to realize that blowers, shovels and plows aren’t going to succeed at pushing our sin out of the way. We can’t ignore it or else we will find our lives “high-centered” on the accumulation and unable to make progress. Deceiving ourselves into thinking the sin doesn’t matter will only result in falling flat on our faces.
Forgiveness, the cleansing of sin, is free. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” And remember: genuine repentance always results in change.
All too often we fear the immediate consequences of our sin more than the eternal cost. As this is being written, New York Representative Christopher Lee has resigned because of sin. Of course, no one calls it that, but what a terrible price to pay for an “indiscretion.”
Pastors and church leaders have a unique opportunity to model confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Don’t allow the fear of consequences keep you from full fellowship with God. It’s just not worth it. Let’s not pretend that sin is like snow; it won’t melt away when it gets warm. Sin has a tendency to accumulate to dangerous levels and many a pastor and church leader has been crushed.
Forgiveness is a free gift from God; we don’t have to do anything to earn it. Its grace; just like when someone shows up with a snow blower and clears my driveway and won’t accept any pay. All they want is a “thank you.”
Thank You, God, for forgiveness.