Carol McClain

@carol_mcclain

You can renew your life: leave the mistakes behind and live in joy.

I have a friend who is a genuinely good person. Unfortunately, long ago, she gave up on God. She’s now an atheist.

Why?

When she was younger, a minister hammered into her, non-stop, that she was a sinner.

We know plenty of humans who like to beat us over the head with the fact we are awful sinners. We also know plenty of self-righteous people who believe they do no real wrong.

Both groups are skewed. They miss a very important fact. God loves us even when we are heinous. We are sinners–all of us: Democrats/Republicans/Dahmer/Me/Mother Teresa.

Whoa. Wait. The saintly Mother Teresa?

Yep.

To renew our lives, all we have to do is admit we’ve sinned. Then accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and live a new life defined by the promise of Psalm 103: 4-5:

Ps. 103: 4-5 (God-the Creator of the universe) redeems your life from the pit …  crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; … satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. (emphasis mine).

Jesus knows we’re simply dust–not deity. He understands our frailty.

If we accept him, he surrounds us with 

1. Loving-kindness– tender and benevolent affection : favoring mercy.
   1. 1. How freeing, how divine to know the God of all creation loves us. Gives us mercy!
2. Compassion– spiritual consciousness of the personal tragedy of another or others and selfless tenderness directed toward it.
   1. 1. God of all perfection and glory understands our tragedy. He showed his selfless tenderness by his death on the cross.
3. Good things–Merriam Webster (the definitions above) has no definition for this. Neither do we.
   1. 1. Good things. What are they? Not necessarily riches, waterfront homes, fame–but they’re the things that really matter. People who love us. A wide variety of food. Pets and clothes and weather that makes you want to dance in a meadow.

Yes. We are sinners. Sin means we cannot be in the presence of a holy God–just as you can’t wade in a pig pen and then attend a wedding without changing. God is so gracious, he surrounds us with love, compassion and good things.

The answer to the title of this blog: How to renew your life:

Admit you are a sinner. Give your life to Christ.

Romans 6:4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Yesterday’s Poison

Three people wallow in the sin of unforgiveness. Some from heinous acts done against them. Some from misunderstanding. How do they find redemption?