Bulletin Articles
December 17th Message of the Week
Naked, hidden, and ashamed… THIS
How long have we hid from God’s grace? Sometimes hiding can take away years of our spirituality and lives. There is a feeling of shame, hiding, being unclean, and being naked from our sins. So often we magnify sin that we feel as if God can’t forgive us. Even in the Garden of Eden after Adam & Eve sinned, they saw themselves naked and ashamed.
Another example was the adulterous woman in John 8 when the Pharisees brought her into the temple courts to stone her. Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are they? Did no man condemn thee?” And she said, “No man, Lord.” She must have felt ashamed, broken, and hidden from God’s grace. Then Christ told her, “Nor do I, your sins are forgiven! Sin no more.”
Another powerful Scripture is during the Passover (Luke 22), when Peter replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” Then during the arrest of Jesus, Peter denied knowing Jesus, and on the third denial, Peter heard the rooster crow. Peter recalled the prediction as Jesus turned to look at him. Peter cried bitterly!
All these examples display shame and disappointment by sin and its failure. Again and again, God's grace and mercy are poured out and show us that He never fails! God knows our hearts, our love, and our desire for Him.
Let's remember the example of Adam & Eve, the adulterous woman, and Peter, the apostle. We must remember 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.”
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