I often thought, ‘Ah! This is what I should do,’ or ‘I should get rid of my sinful nature,’ after listening to a sermon or watching an educational video. Within a few days, however, I would soon find myself leading the same lifestyle as before and feel a great deal of shame. Yet I would justify my action, thinking that I’m at least keeping worship services. But I came back to my senses when I read this verse:
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 Jn 3:4)
I thought that lawlessness referred only to not keeping God’s commands such as the Passover or the Sabbath day. I thought I was irrelevant to Jesus’ word, “You who practice lawlessness, away from Me!” because I kept God’s commands. However, it was my wrong idea. Not fixing what I must fix was also a sin and lawlessness.
Thinking that I could be one of those who practice lawlessness, to whom Jesus said, “Away from Me,” made my hair stand on end. It may not be easy to fix everything at once, but I will make steady efforts to please God.