Liturgy: “Let Us Encourage Each Other Towards Holiness”
As we enter the Lenten season, let us encourage each other towards holiness and towards a somber reflection of what our sin has caused.
What is the King’s Liturgy? King’s Liturgy defines our experience together as a Christian community. It outlines the rhythms we celebrate with the Church at large: Scripture readings, Sabbath habits, and celebration of Holy Days and historical events.
This Week’s Lectionary Readings
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11
Psalm 32
This week’s liturgy is contributed by Dr. Jared Pincin, Associate Professor of Economics:
Sin. How often do you consider your sin? If you are like me, you probably spend more time ignoring your own sin, making excuses for the sins you commit, and yet being concerned about how the sins of others affect you. Derived from the Greek word hamartano, sin means to miss the mark, as in a bullseye, and to miss the reward. So what we often say? Who can hit the mark 100% of the time and who can win every time?
Holding such a cavalier attitude towards sin leads to two problems. First, we underestimate how corrosive sin is. Consider Genesis chapters 2 and 3. In chapter 2, creation was unsullied, and sin had not entered the world. Creation was in harmony with its Creator. In chapter 3, Adam and Eve willfully chose to sin, and everything became cursed. Work, was once joyous, became burdensome. Relationships, once harmonious, became strained. Life, once unending, lead to death. Psalm 32 describes how the body and spirit wastes away because of sin.
Second, when we do not fully grasp the gravity of our sin, we fail to fully appreciate salvation. Our sin brings the wrath of God upon us and leads to death. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross saves us from the wrath of a holy God, a God who will not have sin in His presence. Cheapening sin cheapens the extraordinary act of propitiation. Jesus took our sin and bore the wrath of God to save us, give us a new life, and give God the glory He richly deserves. Praise be to God that Jesus overcame temptation (Matthew 4) and succeeded where Adam did not (Romans 5).
As we enter the Lenten season, let us encourage each other towards holiness and towards a somber reflection of what our sin has caused. Let us also rejoice that we have a God who loves us so much that he bore the penalty of our sin.