Praise The Lord...praise the Lord, oh my soul.

Don't you love the good news after the bad news? I know I do and as I work through the book, Respectable Sins, I agree with the author, Jerry Bridges, that the bad news is really bad.

The bad news is that we are all sinners...and sin is a malignancy of the soul...a serious malignancy that spreads...so that it affects our whole being. Sometimes it spreads as a silent cancer, invading our soul and bodies without us even being aware that it is there. Sometimes it wreaks havoc on every aspect of our life, because we see the destruction of it each and every day. And, if we are an unbelievers, the truth is that every ounce of us is sinful and we are headed down an eternal road of destruction. We may see it or we may not. It doesn't really matter...it is still there. When left on our own, we will always choose sin. When left to figure out life by ourself, it will always be without hope. Without God intervening in our life, we will be without hope, left in the utter ugliness of our sin, hating what is good and living in what is self glorifying and evil. Some of you may think that you are not so bad...you are kind, a good parent, loving to others...but you have never acknowledged your sinful state. Yes, we are capable of doing some good things, but don't allow that to justify in your mind the state of your soul. Being good does not save. It could be that the unknown malignancy is growing...you need to accept this truth. But, even believers need to see the sin that is there.

Jerry Bridges says this to believers about sin:

Even though our hearts have been renewed, even though we have been freed from the absolute dominion of sin, even though God's spirit dwells within our bodies, this principle of sin still lurks within us and wages war against our souls. It is the failure to recognize the awful reality of this truth that provides the fertile soil in which our "respectable" or acceptable sins grow and flourish.

He goes on to say:

...When we see how really bad the bad news is, we'll be in a better position to appreciate how really good the good news is.

I am ready for the good news, aren't you? Bring It!

In chapter 4 of this book, entitled *The Remedy For Sin*, we see the hope for all of us.

John Newton, who was a cruel, evil man before his conversion, said later as a Christian:

I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior.

Our hope: The gospel of Christ. Now, some people think this gospel is to be peached and taught to those who do no know about the Lord and are unsaved only...and that once we are saved the gospel is not applicable to us anymore, except to share with other who are not saved. But,all of us are still practicing sinners. There is still present sin in our hearts that needs to be addressed!

3 things the gospel does for us:

1)As a remedy for our sin, the gospel plows the ground of our hearts so that we can see our sin. We need to face the fact that sin does dwell within us...and being self righteous does nothing except keep us from seeing that. Remember 1 John 1:8..."If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"....But, to be able to admit this sinfulness, we need to have assurance of forgiveness which the gospel offers us so freely.

2)Not only does the gospel prepare me to face my sin, it also frees me up to do so. Facing our sins causes what? Guilt. We tend to ignore sinfulness at times, to avoid the guilt that comes along with it. I think that is why so many are afraid,in a sense, to admit their own sinfulness--they don't know what to do with the guilt they feel once they acknowledge it is there. It is easier to just ignore it or justify it in some way in our minds. But, how dangerous that is...so we have to come back to the gospel. God can forgive us because Christ took upon Himself all of our sins.

Jerry Brides says:

Why does God not count my sins against me? Because He has already charged it to Christ. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, All we like sheep have gone astray; each one turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."Isaiah 53:6)

3)The gospel motivates and energizes me to deal with my sin...it is not enough to just see it and face it, we must also deal with it. How? By putting it to death.(Romans 8:13) How do we do this and how do we deal with the guilt? We go back to the gospel and see that God does not hold our sins against us, as believers, and we have been forgiven. God is not against me...He helps me and goes through this battle with me. He is for me. Isn't that wonderful news? But, we have a responsibility to stop sinning and live the way God's Word says to. We are not doing it alone, God's Holy Spirit helps us.

We must be preaching the gospel to ourselves each day. Here are some verses to help us do that:

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned—every one—to his own way;and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.

Romans 4:7-8 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 130:3-4 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,that you may be feared.

I like the hope these verses give. I am the type person that does feel the guilt and shame...sometimes I doubt that the Lord can and does forgive me. I tend to doubt whether or not I am a true believer at times...But, praise be to God that he offers us so much help and comfort through His Word. We are not left alone in this world...there is hope for us.