The house didn’t look too bad on the outside! Sure, it had some problems, but over all, it didn’t look much worse than others we had looked at. However, as soon as we walked in the door, we discovered multiple problems. The old wood floor was full of cracks, splinters, and torn up boards. The source of heat was a wood stove that was so full of cracks and splits, it was a wonder it didn’t just crumple into a pile of rotten iron. The kitchen counters were made of plywood on 2×4’s nailed into the wall. The walls were full of holes and the bathrooms had the aroma of death in them. All this for just $1,200 a month!
If we are honest, this is what our lives are like though aren’t they? We try to keep up the outside so it doesn’t look too bad. But inside there are problems everywhere. For example, if we get angry with our spouse, it isn’t enough to just stop being angry and clean up that “outside act”. The truth is the problem isn’t just the outward display of anger, but the reason behind the anger! As we begin looking at that issue, we discover a heart that desperately wants what it wants. We find a heart that wants to not only be it’s own lord, but its own savior. Consider Psalm 130, “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” The reality is we are far more sinful than we realize and if the Lord should lay before us every sin that resides in our heart, we could never stand before Him. In fact, we would cry out and beg for Him to stop showing us every sin!
However, as we read on in Psalm 130, “But there is forgiveness with You.” Still later in Psalm 130, we read, “For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.” Note that there isn’t just forgiveness, but abundant redemption! Contemplate that for a moment: Abundant Redemption. How is there abundant redemption? It is because of an infinite Savior. It is through Jesus taking our sins to the grave and then rising up again on the third day, cleansing us from our sins and destroying the power of death. This weekend, as we celebrate Easter and remember Christ’s work on the Cross, let us also remember that the result is abundant redemption!