Day 68: Human Nature

Reading: Proverbs 6:30-35

Consequences
Human nature can be rough to deal with. All throughout Proverbs we are warned about giving into the temptations of human nature that is bad. Today, we are deeply warned that adultery and money are a couple of the worst forms of temptation. Though all sin is equal, because the foot of the cross is level, we will learn throughout life that some sins have worse consequences than others. Though lying and murder may seem like they are not equal, they are in God's eyes. However, the consequences and the path in life you need to go down after these things can be very different. Adultery can ruin lives, marriages, trust, etc. The consequences of adultery are pretty steep. Though all sin is as equally bad as the next according to God's law, we need to remember that the consequences can vary greatly.


Reading: Mark 14:43-72

Moments of Weakness
As human beings, we can be pretty stupid at times. There isn't anyone I know that hasn't had a moment of weakness in their life. We see many of them in this reading. Judas, who betrays Jesus for money. The disciples who fled the scene when Jesus is in trouble. Peter who denies Jesus 3 times, as Jesus predicted. The people who lie about Jesus and the accusations against Him. We are all dumb sometimes, making choices that aren't always in our, or God's, best interest. Emotions can cause us to say and do dumb things. Circumstances can put us in horrible moods and make us forget our purpose here. The world itself can taint the most vulnerable heart. We need to be careful in those moments of weakness, and remember the consequences.


Reading: Leviticus 19:1-20:27

God's Laws to guide
The monotonous reading of the rules can seem repetitive and boring at times, but there is a reason God put them in the Bible. We read of the greatest 2 commandments in the New Testament, which are love The Lord with all your heart, mind and strength, and the second being love your neighbor as yourself. God doesn't want us to have to face the life consequences of our sin, and He wants us to know how to love Him and our neighbor. These lists of rules were a guideline for His people. But rules are never the way to salvation. You can't earn that. Rules are a response to salvation. Because we love God, and because His love is in us, the rules will just fall into place. When we become Christians, we will still struggle with temptation and sin, but we will know that conviction better, because God lives in us. When we truly love Him, we will strive to love our neighbors, and show Him our love too. Human nature may push back with the peer pressures and temptations of this world, but we can thrive on God.


Our tendencies are to fall into temptation and sin. That's just how it is in a fallen world such as ours. But God has made a way for us to be with Him. Though every sin is equal in His eyes, the consequences of each sin can drastically vary from one to the next. When we have God's love in us, the rules will simply fall into place. They are a response, not a way of earning God's love or salvation.