The Fringe 2009

Sin

Jesus has cast our sin as far as the east is from the west. He has forgiven it all, paid the penalty for it all. But we still need to deal with it day to day. How do we do this? From God's point of view, we are no longer sinners, but saints. From our point of view though, we still sin. So what do we do with that? We come to God in prayer daily and confess. By confess, I mean agree with God that you have sinned, thank God that He has already forgiven you and ask and trust God to change your wrong attitude and actions. "Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' -- and You forgave the guilt of my sin" (Psalm 32:5) "....as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12) Is this all we need to understand and apply? Or is anything that is beyond this trying to do it ourselves and seeking to earn our salvation? Of course we must strive to do the will of God and live by His law, but ultimately when (not if) we fail, He is faithful to forgive and has paid for us. No need for sacrifice or offering! And by His grace and work, bit by bit, as we grow in fellowship with Him, we will grow in holiness and depart more and more from our sinful ways.

Eagerly Awaiting For Him

Eagerly awaiting the street artist's finale...

This summer, Index organised a weekly Bible study for the students and young folk who have stayed around in Edinburgh. Turns out,t here were quite a few of us. Turns out too that it was possibly the best thing we have ever done. Turns out this was God-inspired idea. Turns out, God was going to use this. Why did we (or why did I at least) not expect it to be as amazing as it has been? It's quality time set aside each week to dig deep into God's word and wait for Him to speak to us, to teach us and to give us His wisdom. It was time for Proverbs 2 to take place. (My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.) This past week, we finished up Chapter 9. The last words of the chapter are "eagerly waiting for Him." One thing I have found is that through the weeks, the points of application have become scarcer. But these four words were the application this week. This is our life, what we are to do with it. Eagerly await Him. Waiting for God. Christine pointed this out, and the turn of phrase she used reminded me of the play Waiting for Godot. Our lives are to be spent and in fact are spent waiting for God. Everyone, whether they know it or not, are waiting for God. We are waiting for Christ's return. Because life (ours or someone else's) will continue until then. But here the difference between that existentialist play and how we are to live our lives is in the word 'eager'. Eager means "marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest". And here's the challenge. Do we really live our lives awaiting Christ's return eagerly? And if this eagerness is going on in our minds, and if we are praying for Christ's return with eager anticipation, are we living it? I know I go through so many days and forget this eagerness I have. I do not act as though I am eagerly waiting on Him. But I want to!! And here he is!!

This Lion... Aslan.

'Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how many skins have I got to take off?... So I scratched away for the third time and got off the third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good. 'Then the Lion said, You will have to let me undress you... 'The very first tear he made was so deep I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I had ever felt...And there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker and darker, and more knobbly looking than the others had been... 'After a bit the Lion took me out and dressed me...in new clothes--the same I've got on now as a matter of fact.' C.S. Lewis The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader' (chapter 27)