All of us, of course are sinners. I have a list of habitual sins that I commit on a regular basis. Sin is not necessarily what you DO on occasion but is anything or anyone or habit that stands in way of right relationship of yourself and God or in way of right relationship between yourself and your neighbor. One of my colleagues called his addiction to his blackberry a form of sin. I know my own sins -- things that our society might say are OK -- I regularly covet my neighbor's Mac. My goodness I want a Mac Pro! It's almost idolatrous how much I love my Mac,Book too. I sin by commission; I sin by omission. I do things that separate me from real communion with God and neighbot; I don't do the things that God has required of me.
And I suffer the consequences of my sin. My sin, thanks be to God is forgiven and is as distant from me as the East is from the West. To God, it is as if it never was. However, I suffer the bad effects of my sin. And for that I am truly sorry. Things are broken that should never be broken. I do not live in integrity with the person God called me to be. And yet, through God's grace, all will be well. All will be well and all manner of things will be well.
All things, indeed, work together for the glory of God; all things, the bad the good, the dark the light, the sin and the forgiveness, my human nature and God's grace and love; all things will work together; all things will be woven together to form a thing of beauty. This I wholeheartedly believe. I believe this with my head, my heart and all the way into my inner being -- my guts.
Romans 8: 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death....
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (KJV for comfort today)
May this creation that is called the internet, that is currently groaning and undergoing pain at this very moment remember that hope that Christ gives us; that the Spirit help us with our infirmities of body, mind and spirit and bring us to wholeness and health.
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
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