The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

— Jeremiah 17:9

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might

— 2 Thessalonians 1:9

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

— Proverbs 14:12

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

— Galatians 6:7-8

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

— 2 Corinthians 5:21

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

–1 Peter 2:24

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

Failure to understand the corrosive damage sin inflicts on our minds and in our world renders us unable to interpret much of what goes on within and around us. To believe we are basically good, or perhaps just a little flawed, minimizes what our painfully corrupted thoughts reveal. To judge ourselves on a sliding scale of comparison to others ignores the true standard God requires – absolute perfection. The pervasiveness of sin is a reality we dare not dismiss.

Sin’s damage/destruction is real and severe, but God’s response is clear – God delights to redeem all that sin has corrupted. God did not abandon us to our rebellious state. He intervened in a way that unquestionably demonstrates His grace and love. God made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus took the punishment for every single sin of every single person who looks to Him for salvation. Believers can confidently know their sins are forgiven. One day they will escape this fallen world and the sin that continuously fights for their allegiance.