Editors’ note: 

From our core team of volunteers to each of you, may God bless you with a hope-filled and deeply meaningful Easter. 

This is the third in our Easter week 2022 quiet time series. Whether you choose to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection according to the Catholic or Orthodox tradition, or in some other way mark the miracle as a disciple of Jesus, we hope you’ll take time to enjoy this short series of personal devotionals as a special seasonal gift from us to you. Prepared by our own Sharon Gauthier — elder’s wife, women’s minister in the Chicago church of Christ ( https://www.chicagochurch.org) —we pray that these devotionals enhance your Easter week with lasting joy in Christ, whatever you may be facing, wherever you are in the world.  

In Remembrance of Sin

Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 53:5, 1 John 1:5-10, 1 Peter 5:8-9

Why should we remember sin?  Isn’t sin something we should try to forget and put behind us? Yes, we are called to turn away from sin. However, if we don’t reflect and remember the ugly consequences of sin and the costly price for our freedom from it, then we might gradually return to it.

When we remember sin, we remember that it is something we should stay far away from.  Not that we sit around and think about all the things we have done wrong.  No, God puts those things behind us.  But shouldn’t we remember the dangers of sin and be alert to the ploys of Satan to draw us back into sin’s grasp?

Without remembering the peril of sin, it can begin to seem less menacing over time.  It reminds me of the lions at our local zoo.  The roar of the lions can be heard for miles around and it can be considered a special treat if you happen to be at the zoo and hear this impressive sound.  I’ve been there when the ferocious roar has reverberated through the air.  Zoo guests (including myself) literally will run toward the lions’ habitat to witness this spectacle up close.  We gather as near as we can get to ooh and ahh over the beauty and majesty of these creatures.  However, I can’t help but wonder how I would feel if I heard that same sound in the wild.

A friend shared the story of camping in Botswana and the terror he faced when a lion entered their camp.  Luckily, he was with a guide who understood the dangers and knew the proper strategies to keep them safe.  But it makes me reflect on my attitude toward sin.  Do I see it as something harmless and kept safely away from me like the lions at the zoo?  Is sin something that I creep close to in curiosity, but assume it cannot touch me?  Or, do I see the possibility of sin as a danger that I should actively avoid?

When I first began earnestly seeking God and learning from the Bible what it means to follow Him, two of the many sins most evident in my life were selfishness and envy.  Competitiveness drove me.  In so many areas of my life, I thought that if I weren’t the “best” at something, then that meant I was the worst.  Whether at school or work, I felt threatened any time someone else’s success eclipsed mine.  The Bible opened my eyes to see how this sin hurts me and my relationships with others.  Praise God that He rescued me from this destructive mindset.  Yet today, even after many years of following Jesus and repenting of that sin and others, I sometimes forget the utter ugliness of my sinful nature.  I neglect to sound the alarm when I’m tempted to envy or seek recognition.  I forget how damaging it was to live in that pitiful state.  I forget what it cost Jesus for my freedom.

In Isaiah 53, the prophecy of Jesus’ sacrifice notes that He was “crushed” and “pierced.”  Why?  Because of my sin.  Jesus paid an incredible price to save me from sin's grip.  Without His death on the cross, I would be without hope.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)

This Easter season, may we take a moment to reflect on the horror of sin and may we rejoice that we have a Savior who has rescued us.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Think of specific sins you have struggled with recently or in the past.  In what ways has that sin harmed you or others?

2. In Psalm 51:3, David writes, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” How do you think one can balance an acknowledgement of sin, yet keep joy as a follower of Jesus?

3. From what specific sins has Jesus rescued you?  If you are a disciple of Jesus, reflect on where your life might be if you had not repented (turned away from sin) and been forgiven of your sins through baptism into Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Spend time in praise to God for saving you from that life of sin.