Daily Devotional
Do You Take Sin Seriously?
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
January 12, 2024
Ponder This
As the body of Christ, we’re in it together. What affects you affects me. And you cannot say, “What I do is nobody else’s business.” Not in the covenant relationship of a church. When one member suffers, every member suffers; when a part of my body is sick, the rest of my body feels it. I cannot isolate any member of my body and say, “Well, that doesn’t really make any difference to me.” The Church is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I beg you, please, if there’s immorality in your heart and your life, get right or get out! Don’t hurt the body of Christ. Don’t sing in the choir. Don’t play in the orchestra. Don’t sit on the platform. Don’t preach from the pulpit if you are willfully ignoring sin.
You say, “Pastor, are you telling me that I can’t come here for help if I have a problem?” Yes, that’s what we’re for. We are a society of sinners who finally realized it and have banded ourselves together to do something about it. Church is the only organization I know of in which you have to profess to be bad before you can join. But what I’m saying is this: if you think that your sin is a minor sin, something you intend to practice. If you’ve not come for help and encouragement, and if you do not have a repentant spirit, then you’re in the wrong place. You have sinned against the Church, and the Bible says, “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him,” because you’ve defiled something that is pure and holy.
- What are some sin habits you have let slide in your life?
- What would it look like to take our sins seriously in the Church?
Practice This
Pray and confess your sin to God. Repent and turn away from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
