This week I saw a status on facebook that brought me to tears.  I am not going to share with you what the status said because I don’t want to put that particular person on blast.  I was not saddened because the status was one of grief; it was a status of celebration.  Not just any celebration, but a celebration of sin.  Celebrate sin? (What are you talking about Monica?) Because we have grown accustom to the ways of the world, we do not often realize it.  We are overjoyed because it’s Friday, so we tell everyone we cannot wait to “get high”.  Or we can’t wait to see a particular person to have sex.  These are all statuses that people share (which I still cannot believe we broadcast) with facebook friends.  But on the other day, the status I read grieved me because this person knows God’s word. See some people who celebrate their sins on facebook do not know any better. Perhaps they were not raised in church; they do not know the goodness of Jesus.  Some do not understand the significance of Jesus’ death—he died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day just for them.  But then there are others, despite what they KNOW, choose to live a lifestyle of sin!  It boggles my mind, how we are so quick to share openly that we are “IN A RELATIONSHIP” but we hide the fact that we are in DIRECT relationship with CHRIST (but that is another meditation for another Friday)

Every day we justify our sins using Romans 3:23.  We have it in our pockets ready to pull it out like we do our ATM card.  We think that Romans 3:23 covers us and is our VIP pass to SIN! We wear it around our necks and then when Sunday comes, we take it off before we leave home and walk into God’s house.  We stand in the pulpit, preach to the people, sing in the choir, usher, sing on the praise team, lead praise and worship, direct the choir, and carry the pastor’s bible. Sadly,  if people only knew that in our private lives we are living in MESS!   But family, we need to get it together. 

Romans 3: 22- 24 Message Bible

And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

When Paul wrote this letter to the Roman Church, his purpose was to tell them about God’s plan of salvation and righteousness for all mankind, Jews and Gentiles.  So he was letting the Roman Church know that there was no difference among them as it relates to sin, because we all have sinned, but God’s gift to us is restoration from our MESS! (Lord Cleanse and Restore us on today). 

So why do we use the above scripture as a VIP Pass? “We all sin, so don’t judge me” “My sin is no different than anyone else’s” “When I am done I will ask God to forgive me”  These are all things that “so-called Christians” say, but the New King James Version of Romans 3:23 says, For all have sin and FALL short of the glory of God. How many of you have fallen or tripped before? I mean literally, outside, up or down a staircase, in a ditch, while running? Well did you PLAN it? I am sure you did not! So when Paul says we have all fallen short, he wasn’t talking about you using your VIP PASS!

 Paul’s purpose was to let the Roman Church know we may be different, but what makes us the same is that we have all sinned and are incapable of living God’s will for us.  But because Jesus shed his BLOOD, we are pulled out of the mess! I hear God saying Romans 3:23 show that I PULLED you OUT of your MESS! So if you are STILL living in YOUR MESS, this does not justify it!

 People of God it is time to take CONTROL over our sinful nature.  Bishop Moales would say, “The Battle is the Lord, but the VICTORY is MINE!” Give your sins to God and let him fight against the enemy.  So many people have difficulty letting go of their sinfulness, why? Because it has become your LIFESTYLE! But I hear God on today saying, “I DIED SO YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO LIVE THIS LIFESTYLE OF SLAVERY TO SIN!”

 The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV):

 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

 (Speak GOD!) Listen people, it is time out for using your VIP Pass! Because God has shown us in 1 Corinthians that he does not allow you to be tempted us so much that we have to give in? But in ALL our Temptations there is a way of ESCAPE! So there is a way out of this LIFESTYLE you are living.  I don’t know what your lifestyle is… it could be a lifestyle of Drug Addiction (alcohol and marijuana included), it could be a lifestyle of fornication (prostitution, stripping, adultery, pornography included), it could be a lifestyle of homosexuality, it could be a lifestyle of overeating, it could be a lifestyle of wasteful spending, it could be a lifestyle anger, crime, jealousy, envy.  Whatever your LIFESTYLE is God will provide a way out! So won’t you take off your VIP PASS! Let God fight this battle and you just get ready for the Victory!

 Let’s Pray!

Lord, we come to you thanking you for your PURE gift of salvation.  Thank you for loving us enough that you died on Calvary for our sins.  You knew long before we were born that we would be here in 2010, needing your blood to cleanse us! God you are so AWESOME! God on today, I give you control over my lifestyle.  Because I know that I am incapable of living in your grace without you! We speak that God’s anointing destroys every YOKE in our life and that our soul, spirit, and body now function in order under your divine will! We establish divine parameters, boundaries, and borders for those people who do not want us to live in you divine will.  We come against the enemy and remind him that God is fighting my battle, and in the end I am going to win! We let the enemy know that we are not waiting to celebrate our victory but we are going to celebrate it right now.  We pray for those who do not know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.  And Father, we ask that you bring them closer to you on today; that they have a desire to know Christ that will not stop until they are in full relationship with Him! We intercede on behalf of those who do not want to change their lifestyles and we cast down, we pull down vain imaginations and strongholds right now in the name of Jesus.  We speak healing and deliverance for everyone who reads this meditation on today.  We come against any and every block that would stop someone from reading this meditation on today.  And we pray that ALL who need to know God will find their way to reading this on today.  Lord we Love you! We Adore you! We worship of you! You are our Jehovah Tsidkenu! And Lord we ask that you wipe our slates clean! In Jesus Name! AMEN!

Family, we need to get right in this season! I love you all and want us ALL to live for Christ!

Taking off my VIP Pass,