Good morning and happy Saturday. Can you believe that it is September 30th? Nine months of the year are now gone. Time to start thinking about plans for Thanksgiving and making a Christmas list. Then New Year’s will come, and we will start all over again like hamsters on a wheel.
The other day I was enjoying one of my favorite snacks. I like to take almonds, grapes and raisins and mix them together. It tastes good and it probably healthier than a bag of chips, a Snickers bar and a bottle of Dr. Pepper. As I sat there feasting on my delightful snack food, I finished pondering the complexities of the world in which we live, so I mindlessly read the back of the almond package. For whatever reason, I thought it was a bit amusing. Across the top in large letters, the package boasted, “Whole Natural Almonds.” Therefore, it made sense when it listed the ingredients as Almonds. However, after that it said, “Contains Almonds.” I personally thought that part was rather obvious. If your only listed ingredient is almonds, then it makes logical sense that it contains almonds. But then it gets kind of funny. It says, “May contain traces of milk, eggs, Brazil nuts, cashews, coconut, hazelnut, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame.” I love that phrase, “may contain.” I know that they are just covering their backside, but it makes it sound like they aren’t quite sure what might end up in the package of whole, natural almonds. Since I am not allergic to any of those ingredients that it may or may not contain, it didn’t bother me too much. I am just glad it doesn’t say that it may contain traces of broken glass, dead bugs and animal droppings. Somethings are better left unsaid.
As I thought about this and the extraneous ingredients that my whole natural almonds might contain, I thought about the Christian life. Even though we are called upon to be whole-hearted followers of Jesus, just think of the additional things that we often allow in our lives. Can you imagine having to publish a disclosure statement? Christian: follower of Jesus. May contain a variety of sins too numerous to list. I had a friend a long time ago that had a shirt that said, “I love Jesus, but I cuss a little.” If you had to be truthful, what would your shirt say? I love Jesus, but I lie a little. I love Jesus but I love money too. I love Jesus but I don’t like people. I love Jesus but I am sexually immoral. I love Jesus but am filled with anger. Obviously, the list could go on and on. Just think if you wore a shirt that had a full disclosure on it? Might need to get an XXL.
Fortunately for us, we don’t have to walk around with our sins listed for everyone to see. Furthermore, 1 John 1:9 tells us that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Amen to that. One thing that we need to do in our Christian walk is to seek to become more like Jesus and less of a sinner than we once were. We will never become sinless in a practical sense, but we should certainly sin less as we grow in our faith.
In the book of Galatians, chapter 5 contrasts the works of the flesh versus that of the Spirit. In verses 19 through 21, it lists the sins that need to be overcome through faith in Jesus and the work of the Spirt. Verses 22 and the first of 23 list the characteristics that we should have as followers of Jesus. I guess a helpful exercise would be to say, “I am a Christian, which of the following items am I also allowing my life to contain?”
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.
Something to think about.
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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