Worthy is the Lamb

Over the years have you noticed many well known ministries that have suffered spectacular failures,when the ministers themselves have been found guitly of commiting the very sins they preached so hard against?

I remember one minister who went very hard against homosexuality, only to be later found to be visiting male prostitutes himself.

Tonight as I was having dinner with Kevin and we were talking, it occured to me that these individuals were victims of shame and legalism. They couldn't face the ugliness of their lives and bring themselves to believe that God still accepted them and loved them.

I dare say that what these ministers went through mirror what many of us go through in our daily lives. The only difference between us and them is how public their lives are.

Let me explain. When we fall spectacularly into a sin that we've been working hard NOT to do, we are horrified! Horrified at how utterly ugly we are, how depraved we are. What do we do then? We're so ashamed! So we 'Reeeeeeeeeepent', not just repent.

Not really.

What we usually do is hate ourselves and then scold ourselves in our hearts. And when we've done that enough, we tell God we're sorry, and we finally allow ourselves to be forgiven only after we've purposed in our hearts NOT to do the same thing again.

When we see someone else caught in the same sin -- we are horrified! How could THEY do such a thing? We go in hard because it reminds us of our shame.

This my friend is a recipe for disaster. Because in my life when I've done that -- look away from the ugliness of my sin to cover it up with my will power in promising NOT to do it again -- I always end up doing the same sin again.

Instead of simply accepting His grace -- His full unmerited forgiveness -- I feel that 'my purposing not to sin again' or 'hating myself' can somehow earn me my forgiveness.

But God is showing me something different. He that knows us the most loves us the most.

He wants us to look at our ugliness -- all the sins and failures we have commited -- squarely, and know that He still loves us like that. That my friend is understanding that we are the righteousness of God. It is scandalous (1 Cor 1:23 -- the greek for stumbling block is skandalon, where we get the English word scandal). It is the truth.

Perhaps this is why Paul always referred to himself as the chief of all sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He faced his sins sqaurely, but in the light of God's unmerited favour and forgivenss.

Once your heart grasps that, sin falls away from your life like dead leaves.

That is why in Heaven, they all sing 'Worthy is the Lamb'. Because of the greatness of His sacrifice for us. Great because of the greatness of our sins. Notice it dosen't say Worthy is the One who did so many mighty miracles. He is the Lamb, the sacrificial Lamb that took all our sins.

And He is the Lamb that was slain from the foundations of the earth (Rev 13:8).

He knew all our days before we even live them. God lives outside of time. To us time is linear. To Him He see all time as if it was today. He knew on the cross every single sin you are about to commit even before it happens. And He forgave you and cleansed you and bore your punishment for it on the cross.

Your future sins have all been taken care of on the cross. And that's the truth.

Worthy is the Lamb.