This past week, I have been reminded over and over again of the ‘thread of sin, seamlessly woven in’ to this world. Things that are good… but not All-The-Way-Good. Seemingly harmless, but off none the less. We know this by our justifications. A friend shared this CS Lewis quote with me this week: 

That is to say, I do not succeed in keeping the Law of Nature very well, and the moment anyone tells me I am not keeping it, there starts up in my mind a string of excuses as long as your arm.  The question at the moment is not whether they are good excuses.  The point is that they are one more proof of how deeply, whether we like it or not, we believe in the Law of Nature.  … The truth is, we believe in decency so much – we feel the Rule of Law pressing on us so – that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it, and consequently we try to shift the responsibility. For you notice that it is only for our bad behaviour that we find all these explanations. It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves. 

These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in. -CS Lewis

We know. Deep down, we know because we were created by a Creator of pure Love and we were created in His image. This truth is full of beauty!

So what do we do? Here lies the rub. I truly believe obedience to Good, with no concession, is what unlocks the door – this is the key – the declaration of and living out of Jesus Christ being our Lord and Master. We stand firm in Good! This does not mean we have to judge everyone – actually quite the opposite – love others – live Truth- Live Good -and stand firm! 

Paul writes to Titus: I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone.

And if we don’t stand firm – if we don’t obey? We miss out. This isn’t a shaming statement. When we obey Good, we are set free from evil… from the lies. 

Andrew Murray wrote: All the sin in earth and hell could not harm me if it were not present in my heart. 

Jesus came to set the prisoners free. He walked this earth a Pure, Undeceived Man – to show us, give us, and awaken us into Life. 

What have we done today because Jesus asked us? Not because we think it is good or we think we should, but because we are His. This is a humbling question. Or perhaps we haven’t even bothered asking yet… it’s never too late.