Blood.....

This story is SO powerful......

One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this: "My fiancee's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! End of case!!!! "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:23

Judging is something that I really struggle with. I am no better then the next person, but sometimes find myself thinking judgmental thoughts...I am not really judgmental about a persons past sins, but am about how they parent, how they treat their husbands/wives, how they spend their money, how clean their house is, I am even judgmental about if they show a desire to follow God. Hello!!!!! I am not the perfect parent, I am not the perfect wife, I am not at all the perfect money manager......... The scary thing is, I judge others, about what I am most afraid for them to judge about me!!!! It is a vicious cycle!!! I have to change that about myself.

I know that sometimes, as humans, it is hard not to compartmentalize sin. We look at sin on different levels...... We see some sin as little, and some sin as HUGE. All the while, as the Bible says, we concentrate on the speck in our brother's eye, while have a plank in our own eye. Think about it as far as our children. Imagine if one of your children is whining and complaining over their sibling making faces at them, while at the same time, the whining child is hauling off and punching the offending child repeatedly in the arm. You'd think, "Why are you complaining about them making faces at you, when you are the one punching them???" That might be a silly analogy, but think of how God feels when we are so judgmental, but yet fail to see the sin in our own life. The blood of Jesus covers murderers, rapists, homosexuals, child molesters, terrorists, adulterers, abortionists, drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes the SAME as it covers ANY other sin. In our human minds, we thing of those sins I listed, and others, as HORRIBLE and unforgivable, which to us they are. But not to Jesus. Jesus died for the people who have done those things, KNOWING they would do those things.....He loves them, and died for them anyway. His blood covers it ALL. In God's eyes, my little white lie is a sin, and so is murder. He forgives them equally, and instantly, once we ask Him to. He doesn't hold grudges on the "worser" sins.......He forgives and forgets them all!!! Praise God that He does!! I for one, am GRATEFUL that Jesus died for my sin, and for all my sins!!!