Forgiven {Week 2}: Turning from Sin in Motherhood

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:7-8

These are the Words that give life. There could be nothing more stunning that the truths of Scripture adorning our hearts and our minds, instructing the course of our lives all our days. This is my deepest prayer that our lives would reveal Jesus, the Savior who died to offer us forever life, free and full.

Our sins bind us. They constrain us to a sentence of death. Yet, by His great love and with His perfect life, Jesus died for us in our place for our sins. This is the wisdom and power of God; this is the Gospel. Jesus bled and gave His life away and rose up from the grave so that we could come near to God. Our fellowship isn’t to be distant. Our forgiveness is not a constant reminder of condemnation deserved but of overwhelming grace undeserved and given in lavish measure. The mystery of God’s will is that He was willing to crush His Son at just the right time to bring us together with God, with each other. While this study is a call to a lifestyle of repentance it is also a reminder that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..

If you are in Christ you are redeemed, a chosen people, a holy nation, a people for His own possession to declare the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Our redemption requires continual response. We use our lives to issue this resounding response to every temptation, that is we turn away hard from sin, because the One who bought us back from the dead and darkness deserves our life. Jesus is better than anything and everything we desire. Our lives should be little pictures of His all-consuming grace.

I am not writing this series because I have adequately put the sins common to wives or moms or any other calling to death, quite the contrary. I am writing this series as an opportunity to encourage, to lift our heads out of the water long enough to see that the shore is just up ahead. I am desperate for victory where Christ has promised it. I am seeking to be a clean vessel for honorable use. My thought is if your day has landed you here, you are after the very same thing. I am after Jesus and Jesus glorified in the calls He places on our lives. This week I would like us to consider motherhood and even if you’re not a mom yet, it’s not too soon to begin preparation if you pray to be one day.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21

Does anything conjure up guilt and struggle quite like motherhood? All at once it seems to be everything we ever dreamed of and yet demand more than we ever thought it possible to give. When sleepless nights compound into years and you’ve been wiping baby bottoms, cleaning baby spit up for days on end, it seems like the ocean of motherhood will never collide with the restful sands of shore. Perhaps you feel like you’re caught in a riptide in these mommy years of yours, a constant feeling of near drowning always looming over you. Maybe you’re in the season of treading water. You tire easy, but somehow you manage to keep sucking in air. You’re making it. Possibly you’ve entered the season of motherhood where your feet actually touch the bottom of the ocean floor. You realize now what you never could before, this season of mommying littles, it really doesn’t last forever. Our babies day in and day out, yeah that nursing one still so very tethered to you, will not remain so forever even though it feels like they might.

This is a gentle call back to truth. The truth that today is the day for repentance. The truth that if you don’t cling to Jesus in all things now, you probably won’t later either and, quite likely, neither will your children. This is the constant drum of Scripture calling us closer to God through obedience.

People will tell you to be gentle with yourself, be easy on yourself, because you are a young mom, an empty nester, a grandma, fill in the blank, and we are all just struggling. Go with me here. As far as I can see, the Bible never teaches that. Anywhere. Now, there is no condemnation for a saint, not an ounce, there is only lavish grace for the Christ-follower. At the exact same time, however, there is the ever present call to a greater degree of glory, of holiness and purity. God’s Word never encourages us to take it easy and relax into the sins that beset us all. Let’s comfort one another in our weaknesses and help each other out, but let us never comfort each other in our sin and stay in that place, because so many of us are living there. It is time to turn away from the sins of motherhood and depend on Jesus to do a work in us as we put ourselves in the places He always works, especially in the study of His Word, the gathering together of believers, in personal times of prayer, and the like.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another^] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Bible always tells us to put sin to death. Scripture doesn’t provide a cute quote with a pretty picture and suggest that this will lead us toward godliness. If you know me, you know I like all the pretty things and I share them too (warm smile). I’m an idealist by nature, but let me tell you what you already know, life just isn’t the sum of all our ideals. It’s hard. It’s hard to stay the course. It is hard to keep on day after day, but it is as John Piper so aptly says be killing sin or sin will be killing you.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14

There are real issues in motherhood: postpartum depression, children with significant disabilities or emotional issues, past trauma that affects the present, and so much more. For all of these issues the Word of God speaks and when the Word speaks here it encourages us to seek wise counsel. If you’re in a place where you need biblical counseling, please seek it out. The Lord made us to need each other. It is beautiful humility when we admit that this is true; we cannot do well alone. Be encouraged to get all the counsel you need. I wanted you to know that I will not be seeking to address these issues in this particular series. This series is about how to deal with sin in the various callings within our lives (this week in motherhood specifically). This study is about how to see the purposes of God at work in the places we most often find ourselves. So if you’re like me and you’ve ever found yourself in places of selfishness, anger & impatience, and the like, let’s consider together this week how we can allow the Lord to help us work out our salvation with fear and trembling as we serve in our callings as moms. Let’s turn away from our sin and live forgiven.