Words from the Heart

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh.

Romans 8:3 NIV

In The Likeness of Flesh

Canadian actor, writer and director Zaib Shaikh, whose parents immigrated from Pakistan, writes about what a Canadian looks like. He says this: “The fact that I was born in Toronto makes me a Canadian. When I look in the mirror, I see a Canadian. The fact that I am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The fact that I am a Team Canada fan. The fact that I proudly look at the Canadian Flag whenever it comes into my view and take a moment to thank God that I was born in Canada.

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We simply can’t keep the law. I’m guessing that every single one of us has, at one time or another, driven at least one kilometre faster than the speed limit. That’s a pretty painless example, but the principle is the same. Our Creator is a holy God, pure in His nature, as well as just and loving. Millenia ago, as He was revealing Himself to His people Israel, He set down ten practical laws that, if lived by, would represent His nature to a sin-filled world. The challenge for the people of Israel was the same one we face daily – the sin nature that pollutes the heart of every human being. We simply can’t keep the law. Which is where Jesus steps in. Romans 8:3 says, “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh.” By His death on the Cross, Jesus became the offering for our sin that destroys that sin nature.

These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley