2.21.2011

Do you hate sin like you hate pimples? Part 1

You know what bugs me? When finally, that nasty pimple is gone from my face, just to wake up the next morning with a brand spankin' new and nasty one! Aren't pimples just so gross and annoying to have to deal with?

I was thinking about it recently and I discovered that pimples and our sin have a lot in common.
Though you may not physically SEE your sin like a pimple, sin's description at the core, is quite similar. Think about it. What are pimples? They are spots that are unclean, clogged (doesn't that just make your gag-reflex go off?). What is sin? Spots in our lives that are unclean and where we are perhaps spiritually "clogged" . 

Does your sin bug you as much as pimples do? Enjoying and lathering up in your sin is like saying you enjoy pimples! Ew!
According to God's word, we are called to hate evil things, or sin. Check it out!:

"Let those who love the LORD hate evil,"
Psalm 97:10a

"Hate evil, love good;"
Amos 5:15ab

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;"
Proverbs 8:13a

Are there some "unclean" and "clogged" parts in your life that you've been forgetting to "scrub" with spiritual "cleansers" such as reading God's word, praying, or fellow shipping with others?

My challenge to you: Take a good and long hard look at your heart, where are there parts that are in need of a cleansing? Spend some time with God and ask Him to reveal where these spots are.

This post isn't over yet! Check back in a couple days for Part 2! 

Click here for Part 2! 

10 comments:

  1. Rachel, I love your blog. Seriously, it is full of your heart for God! =D
    This was a great metaphor! Gross, and yes I cringed, but now every time I will look in the mirror, I will remember this, and be more grossed out by my sin then my face! Thanks Rachel, can't wait for part 2!

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  2. Awe, thanks Heather! You're such a sweetheart!
    Haha yes, I know.. it is slightly err, ewwie, for lack of a better word haha! But it's so true!! Glad that it helped you!!
    :)
    And thank YOU!

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  3. Hello Rachel, I just saw that you have begun following my blog and I want to thank you for that. Your analogy in this post was very interesting. Sometimes I think we feel that what is on the outside is of more value than what is on the inside.

    Thanks again for dropping by my blog. Come by again anytime!

    ~Elizabeth J.

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  4. Oh you're welcome. :)

    I'm glad you enjoyed my slightly gross analogy! And yes, I certainly will stop by again soon! :)

    Rach

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  5. Pimples are a natural part of life, much as sin is. We are only fooling ourselves to think we can be rid of both.

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  6. @Anonymous
    Very true! (Though some do have a better complexion than others... ;))

    My post was not intended to be taken as that we can be rid of sin (or pimples). We are, by nature, sinful people. Nevertheless, that is not to say we cannot take steps and be proactive to help eliminate sin (or pimples) and work towards refinement. And of course, all credit is given to God for the strength and endurance to succeed in this!

    Thanks for the comment and a great point.

    Rachel

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  7. Pimples are a natural part of life, much as sin is. We cannot be completely rid of both, though we try and fail, we must. In the end, learn to accept what cannot be changed and only then can you learn to accept yourself.

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  8. @Anonymous

    I ask you, what is the Gospel? While I do agree sin is natural and it is the curse given by the choices of Adam and Eve, it is not true that nothing can be done about it.

    The reason Jesus died on the cross was for our sins, so that we could know Him and be set free from them. They keep us in bondage to our flesh, but through redemption we can begin a process of restoration which is finished when we die and are made completely new.

    Accepting oneself is accepting self as a sinner; however, in a relationship with Jesus where sin is no longer your master, instead He is. Yes, we still sin and yes, we still can mess up majorly (King David is a perfect example), but we don't have to continue down that road.

    To think that I am stuck with sin and have no choice but to deal with it to me sounds depressing and omit of anything joyful. That is not the life that God wants us to live, or a feeling that He wants us to live by.

    I feel sad when I read your comment, because I am getting the message that you feel like we are sinful and that's all there is to it. But that isn't true! God has so much more for us! The goal as a Christian is to be less like our sinful self and to be made more like Christ.

    God provides a way out of temptation...
    Matthew 26:41
    "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

    1 Corinthians 10:13
    "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

    We have been made new and our purpose is not to let sin reign still, but to be made more like Christ through God's redeeming work...
    Ephesians 4:22-24
    "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

    God will complete the work He has begun in us...
    Philippians 1:6
    "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;"

    There are so many good verses - I hope you are encouraged!

    Rachel

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  9. Hey, I'm sorry. I re read my comment and it sounded kinda douchey. You seem like a nice person who thinks things through. My short message (only intended 1 by the way but didn't see it up so I retyped it) wasn't meant to offend, its just hard to explain things properly in a message the length of a tweet.

    So, you're right about our sins being something we can change, it's just people worry about these things so much that we start getting ourselves depressed that we don't do the right thing, or we analyze too much what it is.

    Really though, it is usually something we all understand, it is taught to us through religion, school, parents or friends and we understand why those things are important. We will act according to how we're taught and how we think.

    We want to be better people naturally. I'm saying to let it run free! Let your good nature shine to others around you. The less you worry about yourself the better. For most of us, I know we are good people. We make mistakes once in a while but that shouldn't bring us down.

    Don't feel sad for me, I have let myself be free to the whims of life. Whether it's going out on a Saturday night, continuing to work on my career, being good to my pets or just lazing around. Happy, sad, indifferent, jealous, giving, loving, hating and everything in between are all emotions of life given to us. We must feel them all because it's who we are. So next time you feel like you're not doing good enough or you feel unhappy about something, worry, chill, grieve, act unnaturally happy, cry, laugh, sleep, whatever you do, that's what you're meant to be doing. Happiness isn't the answer, it's just one of many emotions that we feel everyday. We've been sold an idea that there might be true everlasting happiness, but I have found sometng else and that is...

    Peace...

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  10. @Anonymous

    Aw! It's okay. :) No need to apologize! Emotion and tone can be really hard to determine on the internet. I thought you may have accidentally posted twice... no biggie! And don't worry, you didn't offend either! I completely understand where you're coming from and you made a great point.

    I read through what you said several times and I do completely agree with you. I know it for a fact because I've struggled with all those things too! I think you're right about people wanting to be better, yet it's our sinful nature that is always fighting that and in turn is why we're normally 'bad' people or whatever you'd like to call it.

    I've been really encouraged by your comment and thoughtfulness though! I do think Christians often feel like they need to have it all together or that they shouldn't mess up since they're saved. But truthfully, we are still humans afterall!! :)

    I think while on Earth, we will always feel some discontentment and no lasting happiness because this place is messed up. But I think that's another reason why we look forward to Heaven and after we die, because then we WILL experience everlasting happiness, because all will be made right and perfect.

    I've been blessed by your comments - Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. :) I hope you've been blessed as well!

    Rachel

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