Sometimes we forget what things are about.
Take Lent for instance. There is nothing in the Bible about this time before Easter. Jesus did not practice it. Why do some practice it? Why do we do the ashes and give things up for seven weeks?
Well, the short answer is sin. Yep, I said it, sin is the reason we do Lent, Easter and even Christmas.
You see, during Lent, we are reminded of why Christ came to Earth at Christmas.
We are also looking forward to what Christ did on the cross. Then, we look even further forward to what God did in the tomb on Easter. Finally, we look to the end to see what God is going to do for those who believe.
But, the first thing we have to come to grips with is that word sin. Society is at the point where it has watered down the word sin and changed it to politically correct terms like “bad decisions or poor decision-making skills.”
Sinners are now victims. We have taken the root cause of sin, our egos, and replaced it with blaming society. We have made excuses for sin and in some cases even elevated sinners to hero status.
The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 32:1, “Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered.”
The problem is, if we don’t see ourselves as sinners, how can we be forgiven?
We stopped acknowledging sin as the major problem in humanity, and we have rewarded those who sin. Wrong has become right, right is wrong, and those who seek a life away from sin are condemned.
The truth is this — everyone is a sinner. This is why Christ came to Earth and died on the cross.
Lent is here to remind us of those sins that Christ paid for. But, if we don’t own up to the sins we have committed, then Christ has done all for naught.
We cannot have Easter if we do not admit we are sinners and in need of redemption. We cannot have Easter or even Christmas if we do not seek forgiveness.
Sin can be overcome. The way to deal with a problem is to admit we have one. Sin is that problem.
God is a loving God that wants us to live. Sin only leads to death. God wants us to enjoy what he has given us. Sin only corrupts the gift. God wants us to be with him; sin only separates us from him. To overcome sin, we need to turn to Jesus.
I’m not saying that church will save you from sin. Even the pastors sin.
What I am saying is it is a means of grace. The more you learn about Jesus, the deeper your relationship grows. The more you are involved in missions, the more you help others turn away from sin and turn to Christ. The more you worship, the more you are in God’s presence, and the more you pray, the more you connect with God.
Jesus alone can save you from your sins. The church is there to provide the means to live in that grace.
Rev. Kent Wilfong is the pastor at the United Methodist Church, Doniphan/Neelyville.