The sinful nature that lives inside all us has reared it’s ugly head too many times in my life. There are things I’ve done that have been extremely hurtful, completely selfish, and totally unacceptable. I wish I could go back and change these things, but unfortunately, I cannot. And like the convicted prisoner “Red” in The Shawshank Redemption, I must live with the choices I’ve made and come to the realization that I’ll never be “rehabilitated” in society’s terms.
Disclaimer: There is profane language in the following clip.
Rehabilitated implies that I’ve overcome my sin on my own and won’t make the same mistakes again. Rehabilitated implies that the sinful nature that lives inside me won’t rear it’s ugly head again and I won’t wrong anyone in the future. Rehabilitated implies I’m as close to perfect as I can get and have reached my potential as a human.
“Rehabilitated” is a lie.
I’ll never be able to defeat the sinful nature that lives inside me. It’s always there and will never stop leading me astray. In fact, if it were just up to me, I’d be a slave to my sinful nature throughout my life and would always succumb to its demands:
Go ahead and indulge in the sins of this world, for it won’t really hurt anyone if you only do it this one time.
Go ahead and sin, for did God not create these things for your enjoyment? Besides, won’t He always forgive you once it’s over anyways?
Go ahead and live for yourself. You’re clearly more important than all these people and deserve better.
How am I to overcome these thoughts?
Thanks be to God that He loves us too much to leave us the way we are, and refuses to stop cleansing and “rehabilitating” us no matter how sinful we become.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”–Mathew 11: 28-30
-BH
Brady Hammond 