October 8, 2003

Just Visiting

Today I was driving and flipping through the stations on the radio. I do not have a CD player (not even a tape deck!) in my car, so I am usually at the mercy of whatever the radio stations are playing. I finally settled on an oldies station, and listened to the end of some vapid love ballad from the 60's.

After the song, a station promotion spot came on that caught my attention. The announcer for the oldies station said, "We don't live in the past, we just visit...a lot!"

I chuckled, and then realized that this was the attitude of many Christians toward sin in their life. "We don't live in sin, we just visit...a lot." I would contend that most believers exist in in continuum of sinning, confessing, having victory, and then sinning again. They keep short accounts with God, but post an exhorbitant amount of transactions.

I do not advocate the view that Christians can achieve sinless perfection here on earth. However, it seems to me that believers must never become content with the above mention cycle. The Bible clearly states that in Christ, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have the power to overcome temptation. Sure we will fall, but that is to be the exception and not the rule, and never to be accepted as "part of life."

This line of thinking has forced me to evaluate my own life. I am not living in sin, but are there sins that I visit...a lot? This is one kind of "visitation" that I...we as believers...must avoid at all costs.

Posted by Andrew on October 8, 2003 11:06 PM.