The Ugly Brown Shoes

There is a truth that is unfolding before me: God is holy, and He requires holiness of us. For years, I never saw this truth. I became a Christian at age eleven and through the years I have been in church, but I never really considered the issue of holiness. I thought I was okay since I was not committing “big sins.†I had categorized stealing and murder as big sins, while I labeled telling lies, gossiping, and evil imaginations as small sins.

But James 2:10-11 says that the One who commands us not to commit adultery is the same God who commands us not to commit murder. That means if a person avoids one sin and commits another, that person is a sinner. This Scripture opened my eyes to see that all sin is a big deal to God. Whenever I do something that God forbids me to do, I am sinning against Him. I now realize that the things I considered small sins defile a person just as much as those I termed big sins.

By definition, sin is opposite to God’s goodness. Sin hurts everything it touches and points to the brokenness that invaded God’s good creation when humans rebelled against God. But because God loves us, He sent Jesus to put an end to sin, to forgive us, and to heal our brokenness. Jesus—the only human who could be holy—died and rose again for us. If we have put our trust in Jesus, He has forgiven our sins, and He also empowers us to live holy lives, set apart for God’s good purposes.

On my own, I cannot be holy. Yet Jesus Christ is my holiness, and He has made me right with God (1 Corinthians 1:30). If I am to walk forward in holiness, as Jesus calls me to do, I must rely on His strength to resist sin. And when I fail, I can come to the Lord for forgiveness, and He will continue to help me turn away from sin. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Are there some sins in the secrecy of your life that you’ve thought God overlooks? God promises Christians full forgiveness through Jesus, and He also promises to help us turn away from sin. Who are trusted Christians in your life who could remind you of God’s love and forgiveness and also encourage you to resist the temptation to sin?

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Rom.13.12-Rom.13.14|Col.3.12-Col.3.17|Heb.12.1-Heb.12.3