Hans Sangtoki Bible Reading: Jeremiah 14:1-11
“Thus says the LORD concerning this people: “They have loved to wander thus; they have not restrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not accept them; now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins” (Jeremiah 14:10).
A lot of the time, we live our Christian life with the mindset of antinomianism. This is when we think that because of grace, there is no more need for obedience. This is better understood with an example. Say you just told a lie. An antinomianist would say, “yeah its sin, but God has already forgiven my sins and God is love. He’ll definitely forgive and accept me back.”
Such a view is destructive to our faith, and it humiliates God’s saving grace. When we reason in such a way, we do not take sin to be what it really is. Sin is rebellion against the Holy God, and it deserves eternal punishment. Sin goes against every nature of God. There is nothing good in sin, and if we commit it, that makes nothing good in us. Sin makes us opposed to God and makes us pure evil.
Take a look at God’s judgement to Judah. God sends a drought which causes famine. It’s a pretty bad one because “even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass” and “the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no vegetation.” Can you imagine these few starving animals?
On behalf of Judah, Jeremiah prays what appears to be a very godly prayer. “Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name’s sake”. How we must also have this attitude of heart!. When we have sinned, we should be humble before the Lord, begging for His mercy.
However, the reality of sin is far deeper than a person’s humility. God says, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offerings and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence” (Jeremiah 14:11-12).
This is a reality check for all of us. What does our sin really deserve? What have we actually done when we decide to sin? Whenever we sin, we earn ourselves a place in hell. Sin is evil, and we so often do not realise it.
If sin is such, then what is God’s grace? What does it mean for Christ to die and cleanse our sins, for God the Father to love us before the world was created and for the Holy Spirit to regenerate our hearts and continue to work in us up to this day? How we ought to live in fear and trembling before His love every day. Let us pray to have a heart and a life that lives before this understanding constantly.
Lord, please help me understand my sin and also the grace that You have given me. Forgive me because I often think it’s okay to sin. Forgive me for humiliating Your grace, Your infinitely wise and precious grace which You have given to me. I do not deserve Your grace. Please work in me so that my life can reflect the glory of Your grace. Have mercy on me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Hans Sangtoki (18) is the coordinator of RE Generation Z. He has a passion for serving his generation and sharing hope in Christ. He also has an interest in classical music and dreams of conducting an orchestra one day.