When my middle kiddo was two, he decided one day to cover his entire body with green marker, to be like the Hulk of course. Permanent green marker. The look on his face when I saw him for the first time covered in green scribbles was stone face cold though. He knew he did something wrong and it was literally written all over his face. Cute as this was to me, it was still something that he ought not to do, and his little heart knew it.
Kids are so good at this… living out their hearts. They are great at making
Just as Grayson tried to be something different with a little green marker, sin, our purposely wrong choice, also changes us into something that God does not intend us to be. For little Grayson it was the Hulk that day, for us it can be so much more with much bigger consequences.
Somewhere along the way, our childlike heart changes about sin doesn’t it? Instead of immediate regret, we begin to rationalize it, to use it, to make it smaller than it really is and eventually some sin we just become numb to. The thing is, our hearts still feel it. Our souls were not made to hold on to the heaviness of sin without changing who we are. Sin steals the possibility of living a free life and instead it rules over you.
We give rules to our children to keep them safe, to help them thrive and to become so much better than they are. Somewhere along we somehow change this definition of rules to become a punishment to our freedom. People don’t like being told what to do. The fact is though, it is the exact opposite.
Living a life guided by God’s law gives us freedom like no other. A life where sin does not control you, but the law of the Lord sets you free. A man from the Bible named David describes God’s law as this…
“Refreshing to the soul.”
“Giving Joy to the Heart.”
“Giving light to the eyes.”
“By keeping the law of the Lord, there is great reward.”
He goes on to say, “Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant from willful sins that they may not rule over me. Then I will be blameless.” (Psalms 19)
Blameless and Free.
There are forces in this world that want you to think that sin is okay. Like it is just a little green marker on skin that just will wash off. Jesus tells us though that sin, no matter how big or how small, only causes death and destruction.
Jesus promises us though that his law is good and righteous and gives a life of eternal freedom. He promises that to you and to me. It’s not out of reach. You just need to know Jesus and that he overcame all of the sins you are facing so you too can be free.
My little Hulk didn’t have to stay the Hulk. Grayson’s marker did wash off. His momma forgave him, and all was right with his little heart again. That sounds simple, and it is, but know that Jesus will forgive you too and your heart does not have to be chained again.
