Keep on Sinning?

My sophomore year of college, I ordered a book.  It's a little red book with two bookmarks, and a golden cross on the front.  It took me a long time to order it, because I kept trying to decide whether or not it was "okay" to have the Book of Common Prayer.  I don't remember how I decided, but I eventually went ahead and ordered it.  I have become rather fond of the BCP (as I now affectionately call it).  In the BCP is a prayer I like to pray (and one I feel the need to pray rather often): 

"Most merciful God, 

We confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, 

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have  not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. 

For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, 

have mercy on us and forgive us; 

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name. Amen. "

When I read this prayer, slowly, deliberately, I have to pause.  I have to stop and think about what I say and what I do.  I have to stop.  "seriously?" I think, "that was a sin?" "oh." This prayer forces me to stop and to think about my thoughts, words, and deeds.  About the holy law of God that I offend so often. 

I think it's very easy for us to remember how merciful God is.  I have learned a lot about grace lately, and it is a wonderful, beautiful thing. "By one man's obedience, many were made righteous." That is a beautiful, beautiful thing, and it is cause for rejoicing.  But I feel like I need to echo Paul's next words again, because, even though we would say we don't believe this is true, I think that we do.  

"Are we to continue in sinning so that grace may abound?" 

"Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving?" 

Of course not! We reply.  We know the answer to this question, but I think that we live as though our sin doesn't really matter to God.  At least, I do. 

Our submission to pride.  to fear.  to selfishness. to anger.  to unforgiveness. We think that those things don't really matter to God. 

But they do, and I think that until we have a healthy idea of how serious our sin is against God, we won't be able to understand how to truly forgive other people.  Why? Well, I'll get into that tomorrow, I guess.    

For now, I'm going to reflect, to try and think about what I do-- and what I don't do-- differently. Those aren't simply things that hurt me.  Though they do. oh, they do.  The sins I commit don't just hurt other people.  Though they do that also.  

My sin.  Your sin.  Is an offence against a Holy, Righteous, Majestic, Marvelous God. Don't take it lightly.  

Is this a sober way to end?  Yes.  But sometimes it's good to be serious.

Friends, consider with me the gravity of our refusal to come underneath the Lordship of Christ.