1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Parents receive notice of a school activity and asked to sign a permission slip. Considerate parents would look at the activity, see that it has value and sign the permission slip.

It was the parent’s authorization to “skip school”. It was not parent’s intention that the child should also skip the event and play hooky.

My first wife would lie and then look at me and say, “It is okay. The Lord has already forgiven me.” The Cross of Christ is not a permission slip to sin. We do not properly understand the work of the Cross if that is how we act.

The Cross removed sin as the barrier in our relationship with God. This relationship is ours to maintain and control. God has done all that is required to ensure a healthy relationship. We on the other hand stain that relationship when we willfully sin.

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

What does it say about your relationship with God when you abuse the privilege of permission? It says nothing about God’s love towards us, but it screams insincerity on our part.

1 Corinthians 6:12a All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:

To me this means that sin is a roadblock in relationship and I cannot move on without removing it. God did His part at the Cross. Now it is up to me to find a way to stop placing sin in my own way towards a loving relationship with God.

Romans 5:20b Common English Bible (CEB) …where sin increased, grace multiplied even more.

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

I remember a movie about a race horse that just hated to lose. Any time a horse would come up alongside of him, this horse would put it into another gear. He ran out front and stayed there. The only race he ever lost was where the trainer put blinders on him and the horse could not see an opponent coming along beside him.

Have we ever put blinders on and didn’t see sin coming? If I am going to be honest with myself, if I were to choose blinders, then I knew sin would come. But our trainer doesn’t put blinders on us. He does just the opposite, He points out the dangers.

When I recently saw this verse, I knew that sin is always in pursuit, trying to catch us and trip us up. God’s grace is that extra gear which allows us to pull ahead, out of harms way. The only way we could be caught is if we stop running the race.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Run like someone else’s life depended on it, you who believe are safe in Christ.