Romans 6:1-2 (NLT)
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
“Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because GOD is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.” (page 70)
Despite being known for soccer when it comes to athletic fanaticism, I’m also a closet baseball fan. I’m not fond of watching it on television but I enjoy attending games in person, lingering in the ambiance of all that is…baseball. The converging smells of freshly hewn grass, hot dogs, and eight dollar beer somehow blend together in sweet seamlessness. The sounds of cracking bats, obnoxious vendors, and muffled conversations. The dramatic dancing duel between pitcher and hitter. The tension of the bases being loaded with a 3-2 count with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth. Like soccer, an elaborate chess match. One glaring blemish preventing me from falling head over heels in love with baseball, however, is the continued use of steroids and the ugly scandals which ensue as a result. Now I realize that every sport (even my beloved soccer) has athletes who cheat by using illegal performance enhancing drugs. But its seems epidemic in baseball. What gets me is that many of the best ballplayers use these substances then lie profusely about it when asked. Then, even though their infractions are proven and well documented, they still vehemently deny the issue.
It reminds me of the lukewarm issue from Crazy Love today. These guys who finally admit their mistake (some still don’t) usually do so to avoid a more devastating penalty. One player in the news yesterday was the MVP a couple of years ago. He’d got off on a charge last year by a technicality and got busted once again this year. This is an example of someone who obviously didn't stop their “sinning“ and was only apologetic after being caught. Despite having to serve a 65 game suspension, I dare say he would do the same thing if he could get away with it. The thought of being a famous ball player instead of a common one is too much for some to handle. The life of sin, in other words, has more to offer them than a clean existence.
Sounds remarkably like us does it not? Sure, we all hate when we get caught and must suffer the consequences of our sin. But do we hate the sin itself? Are we so disgusted by our behavior that we confess it and change? Or are we only sorry when GOD sends down the punishing consequences for our actions?
It's my prayer that you and I recognize our sin problem and deal with it openly, honestly, and truly apologetically.
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 70 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
