Sent to the Principal

I'm just sitting here minding my own business this morning when the phone begins to ring. I glance down at the receiver and it says M Community School. The thought that immediately runs across my mind is, "What did he do..."

I pick up the phone and hear the voice of a man identifying himself as the Vice Principal. He says, "I have someone here who need to talk with you. Jonathan, tell your mom what you did."

After a few moments on the phone with Jonathan, the VP was once again on the line laying out for me what would happen next. Jonathan had shown poor judgment..., and it now was judgment time.

As I sit here tonight typing my mind wanders to the many, many times in my life when I too have shown poor judgment. Did I know what was right? Absolutely. Did I still choose to do what was wrong? You betcha. The Apostle Paul had this same struggle and spoke about it this way:

Know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:18-20

But there is good news! I do not have to live a defeated life. Yes the struggle with my sinful nature is still there. But through Christ Jesus, victory is mine!

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

And the news just keeps on getting better!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, Romans 8:1-3

I have been set free. Free from the guilt of the law. Free from the grip of sin and death. Because of Jesus, I am free to live a life of victory over the desires of the flesh. It's by His power and in His strength that the enemy is defeated. No more guilt. No more shame.

Jonathan is a 13 year old boy and still has much to learn. His struggle between the flesh and the Spirit is no different than mine. For we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I am so grateful to know that like me, Jonathan's sins are forgiven and tomorrow is a brand new day of promise and victory.