No Perfect Runs Part 4

 No perfect runs (part 4)


1 John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

I attempted to talk my son-in-law Andy into bracket racing. He asked the usual questions “what is it?”  “How do you do it?”

“Well Andy, do a perfect burnout, stage perfectly, react perfectly, shift perfectly, run dead on, and never drop a spot of fluid on the track.  Do these eight or nine times an event and go to the winner’s circle.   C’mon Andy, you really need to try bracket racing”.  

Yeah right. 

Provided our friends and family even understand the vocabulary, how many of them would drop all other pursuits, invest their time and treasure, and surrender themselves to the bracket racing life.  I think we can safely say zero.  

None of us would describe bracket racing this way and of course I didn’t either.  Sure, we pursue the perfect run (holders and spot-droppers notwithstanding) but our best efforts, best preparations, best wishes mostly fall short.  And though we don’t like to admit it, we fall short of perfect living … even after we are saved. 

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  As Christians, we pursue the sinless run, and we should. But we find that despite our best efforts, best preparations, best wishes we fall short far more than we succeed.  Aren’t you thankful for Jesus?   Aren’t you thankful for forgiveness?

Let’s be careful how we present Christianity.  Remember to use vocabulary others can understand.  And most importantly, be truthful. We strive for the perfect run but let’s share our universal need of continual forgiveness.  

Race On

Dean 

Am I a sinner? Do I need saving?



Popular posts from this blog

No Perfect Runs - Introduction

Image
  No Perfect Runs (Introduction)  Welcome Race Fans!  Our first series together entitled “No perfect Runs”, introduces us to the truth that no one is perfect.  I think that most people would have no problem agreeing with that assessment.  However, there are ramifications that must be dealt with related to this uncomfortable fact.   This series will deal with those ramifications and the solution to them.  As you read, please stay with me to the end.  In each devotional, I try to be very honest and straightforward about topics such as sin, death, heaven, and hell.  Believe me, I want only to introduce you to good news.  However, to understand the good news we must deal with the bad news first.   Hang in there with me.  The good news will always be just a paragraph away.  If you are interested in further study, I have scattered some additional links throughout the series.   Let’s get our race started! Dean
Read more

No Perfect Runs Part 1

Image
  No Perfect Run (part 1) Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God If bracket racing required perfect runs, I doubt many would stay in it long.  Trip zip, dead zero is impressive, but thankfully you can get to the winner’s circle without it.    Not so with Heaven.  Did you know Heaven requires perfection?  “ And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth” (Revelation 21:27).  That’s a problem because we all sin (Romans 3:23). No one can make perfect runs all time, no one can live sinlessly all the time.  And it’s not just the “big” sins … a single lie, loss of temper, glance of lust disqualifies us from heaven forever.  Whether you miss the tree by a thou or take the stripe dead one, close to perfect is NOT perfect.   It gets worse, and I must be straightforward here.  To miss heaven, means to spend forever in torment.  The wages of sin is...
Read more

Heat those Tires Part 1

Image
  Heat Those Tires 1 Mark 9:24 - And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Do you remember the days of the funny car dry hop?  What a great show!  Eventually, the practice made its way to the sportsman series when the technology was not as it is today.  Before multiple compound tires, computerized clutch assessment, and the variety of surface prep materials, drivers did not always trust the burnout to make the tires stick.  The dry hop gave that extra bit of assurance.  The issue was doubt.  We know now that the dry hop can actually take heat out of the tires and make them less adhesive.  The doubt about the traction was actually leading to loss of traction. And loss of traction makes for a joyless pass and frustrating race.  Doubt  will cause loss of traction in our Christian race as well. It is very common for new believers to have doubts after their salvation ex...
Read more