God sent Jesus to forgive everyone, even Christians

We don’t live in a perfect world. That is why we need a savior.

As I write this devotion, I am in Portland for the district convention that happens once every three years for the churches in our denomination. At these conventions, which every one of our congregations is supposed to attend, churches gather together to renew their shared commitment to the mission and ministry of our Lord. Congregations at convention also act on resolutions, like a legislature that meets once every three years, in order to better focus the direction of ministry.

While I don’t know of any better way for church bodies to make decisions, I am not always sure a convention is the best way either.

In my devotions this Thursday morning, one of my readings came from Ecclesiastes 3, where God moved Solomon to write in Ecclesiastes 3:16, “Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.”

Imagine! King Solomon himself is surprised to find wickedness even in places that make decisions, places like government. And Solomon was king! Selfishness and disagreement can ever rear their ugly heads in places of decision like church conventions.

But disagreement within the church and meetings to settle matters are not new. We don’t live in a perfect world. That is why we need a savior. Such disagreement is the whole background of Acts 15, where the early church had a heated meeting in Jerusalem to decide if Gentiles had to become circumcised Jews before they could become Christian. I share this because, even respecting the faith and commitment of others attending the convention with me this week, from experience I expect this convention to display some obvious differences of opinions for the direction we take in doing the work of our Lord Jesus.

Thankfully, God sent Jesus to forgive everyone, even Christians when we act in ways that we may think are right but are actually selfish or wrong. Even in the church, maybe especially in the church, God’s people need the forgiveness of God. The church of God is built not on our righteousness, but on the righteousness of Jesus, on the merciful sacrificial death of our Lord and on his resurrection victory. We don’t live in a perfect world. We are all sinful. That is why we need a savior.

I really appreciated the prayer in my devotion for today. This prayer, written by Maria Hare, who helped me to pray, “Have mercy on me, poor and needy as I am, and subdue in me all that is perverse and wayward in my heart. So fill me with Thy pure and heavenly love, that all my narrowness and selfishness may be done away with in the wideness of Thy love. Amen.”

We don’t live in a perfect world. That is why we need a savior. Lord Jesus, we pray that you would even bless your church, that we may accomplish your will as we act to focus and work together as your people to share the wideness of your forgiving and saving love. Amen.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer. Contact him at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

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