Sin | Laurie Coombs

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{Lessons Learned} Consequences: We Reap What We Sow

Posted on: April 4th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

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I have had to take responsibly, have been humbled by the selfishness of what I did and have to live with the consequences every day. – Anthony (January 3, 2011) Sin wrecks havoc on our lives. Ultimately, every sin has a consequence. And since we don’t live completely unto ourselves, there’s a ripple effect produced by our sin that cannot be retracted. [Tweet that] Every action has a reaction, and this is true with sin as well. Even when we do finally receive grace to come before God and receive His mercy and forgiveness, the effects of our sin remain while living in this fallen world. Now, I’m not saying God doesn’t redeem our sin and ultimately use it for good and for His glory; He does (see Romans 2:28). And when forgiven by God, He remembers our sins no longer. We are washed clean and will not suffer consequence after…

How Jesus is the Fulfillment of God’s Love

Posted on: April 1st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 No doubt about it. We are loved. Truly loved, despite all our shortcomings. The Feinberg Challenge Over the last 40 days of Lent, leading up to Easter, I joined Margaret Feinberg (along with thousands of other Christ followers), in her 40-Day Bible Reading Challenge. Together we read through the Bible. Yep. The whole thing. Honestly, it was crazy, but it was amazing at the same time! Beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, we read an average of 30 chapters a day (though I’m a day behind, so I’ll be finishing up today). When first presented with all this craziness, I was intrigued, but I didn’t think I could do it. After all, I have children who need their mommy and a husband who needs his wife, but God…

{Lessons Learned} Repentance Can Be a Process

Posted on: March 28th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

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When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. – Martin Luther, The 95 Theses In one of my letters to Anthony, I wrote, “I simply believe that we all need to take full responsibility for our actions and blame-shifting isn’t representative of that! Until we come to this point of taking full responsibility for our actions, I don’t believe we can come to a place of true repentance.” I still believe this to be true. But I now know that repentance can take time. Though God is certainly able to bring us to repentance quickly, it seems to me that repentance is, oftentimes, a process. [Tweet that] This was certainly the case with Anthony, and I’ve found this to be true both in my life and in the lives of other Christians as well. Repentance Now, I…

{Lessons Learned} Why We Need to Stop Comparing Ourselves

Posted on: March 21st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

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Jesus said to him, “…what is that to you? You follow me!” – John 21:22 We cannot accurately judge our sins or behaviors by comparing ourselves to others. [Tweet that] And when we do so, our assessment of ourselves, our sins, and the consequence of those sins will, most assuredly, be skewed. I addressed this issue with Anthony as we were working toward forgiveness. I wrote, …one more thought that I have has to do with comparing ourselves to others. I think this is dangerous, yet I believe we all do it to a certain extent…. …we, as Christians, are not to judge ourselves based upon those around us. Many of us look around and consciously or unconsciously compare ourselves to others in the world. We look around and see that there are people out there who have done x or committed y, then we look to ourselves and say, “well,…

{Lessons Learned} No Sin is Justifiable: How Anthony Stopped Justifying Murder

Posted on: March 18th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 7 Comments

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Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27 There is always a reason behind the sins we commit. There is a reason I sometimes lose it and yell at my kids. There is a reason I find myself rooting through my pantry, looking for something to fill me (though I’m not hungry), when I should be going to Jesus to be filled instead. And there was a reason I stood in condemnation of Anthony, the man who murdered my dad, unable to forgive him for a decade. Honestly, there are times when the reasons behind our sins seem legitimate. Sometimes our kids need to be disciplined. Sometimes we need to be filled. Sometimes we have been wronged. The feelings we feel are legitimate. Sometimes, for example, we should be angry about the sins and…

{Lessons Learned} Judge Not – There, But for the Grace of God, Go I

Posted on: March 14th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 9 Comments

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven…” – Luke 6:37 A 16th century English church Reformer named John Bradford allegedly said, “There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford,” as he watched executioners lead his fellow prisoners to their deaths. Bradford, who had been imprisoned in the Tower of London for his Protestant faith by Queen Mary I of England, was later burned at the stake, dying a martyr’s death. It is said that, “Before the fire was lit, [Bradford] begged forgiveness of any he had wronged, and offered forgiveness to those who had wronged him. He subsequently turned to his fellow and said, ‘Be of good comfort brother; for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night!’” (Wikipedia). What an amazing man of God! Forgiveness was the last sentiment Bradford felt, not judgement. How easy it would have been for him to…

{Lessons Learned} We Are No Better Than Repentant Murderers

Posted on: March 11th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 8 Comments

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…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23 You are no better than him, I felt the Lord say to me. I was taken by surprise. Stunned, really. I had just gotten another letter from Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. I was angry and was contemplating what Anthony wrote, while crying out to God, How could he? How could he think that? Why doesn’t he see the truth? Who does he think he is? Then came the rebuke, You are no better than him. I fell silent and was put in my place, instantly. All my judgement, all my condemnation came to an immediate and abrupt stop, and I knew––I am no better than the man who murdered my own dad. [Tweet that] It was a difficult truth to swallow. Truths like these don’t usually sit well. Perhaps it’s because we’re listening to the world,…

Joy in the Presence of God

Posted on: February 21st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

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…you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you… – Isaiah 43:4 Yesterday, I took my younger daughter, Avery, to school. She goes to Kindergarten in the afternoon. Ella, my older daughter (who’s in first grade), has recess at the time I drop Avery off. After taking Avery to school, I got in my car and began to drive home along the street bordering the school’s playground. Whenever I drive by during recess, I scan the playground for Ella. Sometimes I find her playing with her friends, sometimes I don’t. But yesterday, as I drove slowly, I saw her sitting right on the other side of the fence, playing in the dirt with a friend. I rolled my passenger window down. “Ella!” I shouted. She looked, popped up from where she sat, and began running along the fence, joy upon her face, trying to keep up with my car. There were cars behind me, so I couldn’t…

Are You the Prostitute or the Pharisee?

Posted on: November 29th, 2012 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

I’m reading several books right now. I do that. In fact, oftentimes I read four to five books at a time. Admittedly this isn’t the best way to go about reading, but it works for me––most of the time. Anyway, I think Jesus has been trying to get my attention. The story of the sinful woman being forgiven by Jesus found in Luke 7 was presented in two different books I’m reading within days of each other. Both accounts painted the scene with vivid color. Flesh was given to these individuals as they came alive before my eyes. The authors explored the tension held in the room, the feelings of those in attendance, and all of the cultural intricacies at play––all drawn from biblical and historical sources. Here’s this woman. This prostitute. She sees Jesus, dining with a Pharisee. Overtaken by emotion, she enters into the room and approaches Jesus,…

{Love Your Enemy} Overcome Evil With Good

Posted on: October 16th, 2012 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:17-21 Overcome evil with good. As I prayed about how to apply this scripture, I realized that God calls us to treat every person––regardless of who they are and what they’ve done––with dignity and kindness. This included Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. It became increasingly clear that if I…