Excuses
Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-13
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I came across a list of the most popular excuses drivers make when they are caught speeding. Here are some examples: “I didn’t do anything dangerous”; “My wife seems to be having a baby”; “Everybody is doing it”; “I thought I was still driving in Canada” (where the speed limit is posted in kilometers per hour, not miles per hour). Some of these excuses may seem believable, while others sound as if the offender isn’t even trying to give a good reason. A note accompanying the list says that none of the excuses will work because the police have heard them many times before. The best thing to do, it says, is just to admit you are speeding, and sometimes you can catch a break.
We make excuses because we do not want to take on responsibilities or face consequences. Similarly, afraid of punishment, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent after they disobeyed God’s command. By doing so, their relationship with God changed completely. The formerly close relationship of walking with God changed into one of hiding and deceiving (Isaiah 59:2).
Whether dealing with God or with people, the best and only way to live is to come clean and not hide behind excuses, no matter how carefully crafted they are. Excuses don’t fool anyone. Have you asked God for forgiveness today?
“Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Jimmy Tai-On Lin
Rev. Jimmy Lin is the Chinese ministry leader of The Back to God Hour. With his staff in Palos Heights and Hong Kong, Rev. Lin has ministered to over 1.3 billion Chinese-speaking people around the world for 16 years through radio, literature, CD/DVD, Internet, and text message. His wife, Doris, is one of the translators of Today into the Chinese language, which now has a circulation of more than 45,000 copies.
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