Missing the Mark
In one of my first Greek courses at Baylor I learned the definition of one of the words for sin, amartia. It means to miss the mark. This word paints a word picture of an archer shooting at a target. When the arrow misses the bull's eye, it misses the mark. Therefore, sin is to miss the bull's eye of God's will.
Sin is not just the terrible things we do. It is every word or action that is a shade away from God's ideal. In one way that is almost discouraging, isn't it? It means that we all sin, no matter how mature we are as Christians, because we are not perfect. This truth should not make us give up, but it should cause us to shoot right at the bull's eye of God's will. It should make us want to be even more precise in our lives. When we hit the bull's eye often, it is wonderful for us, and it is pleasing to the Lord. Of course, the only way we hit the bull's eye is by His power, so He gets the glory not us.
However, many Christians are not even trying to hit the mark. They are shooting very far from the bull's eye. They think that sinning is fun and fulfilling. They want to sin as much as possible and still go to Heaven. God can't bless that view. That is why He gave us that word for sin. His word picture compels us to seek the very center of His will and to seek perfection, even if we can't reach it. After all, if we don't aim at the bull's eye at all, we will not come anywhere close to it. I pray that we will ask God to help us hit the mark for His glory and by His power.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Chronicles 16-18 and John 7:28-53.
Sin is not just the terrible things we do. It is every word or action that is a shade away from God's ideal. In one way that is almost discouraging, isn't it? It means that we all sin, no matter how mature we are as Christians, because we are not perfect. This truth should not make us give up, but it should cause us to shoot right at the bull's eye of God's will. It should make us want to be even more precise in our lives. When we hit the bull's eye often, it is wonderful for us, and it is pleasing to the Lord. Of course, the only way we hit the bull's eye is by His power, so He gets the glory not us.
However, many Christians are not even trying to hit the mark. They are shooting very far from the bull's eye. They think that sinning is fun and fulfilling. They want to sin as much as possible and still go to Heaven. God can't bless that view. That is why He gave us that word for sin. His word picture compels us to seek the very center of His will and to seek perfection, even if we can't reach it. After all, if we don't aim at the bull's eye at all, we will not come anywhere close to it. I pray that we will ask God to help us hit the mark for His glory and by His power.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Chronicles 16-18 and John 7:28-53.