Callin' a Spade a Spade

Day 5: Callin' a Spade a Spade

​Scripture Focus: Genesis 3:12c, 13c

"...and I ate... and I ate."

Additional Reading: 2 Samuel 12:13, Psalm 32:3-5

Cowboy Wisdom: Finally, both Adam and Eve admitted they ate the fruit, but they never called it what it was—flat-out disobedience to God's clear command. They used fancy words to make their sin sound smaller than it was.

We do the same thing. Instead of sayin' "I lied," we say "I stretched the truth." Instead of "I stole," we say "I borrowed without askin'." Instead of "I cheated," we say "I took a shortcut." Instead of "I got drunk," we say "I had a few too many."

But there ain't no healin' in pretty words. There's only healin' in honest confession. When King David got caught in his sin, he didn't dance around it or make excuses. He looked the prophet Nathan square in the eye and said, "I have sinned against the Lord." And you know what happened? Nathan immediately replied, "The Lord also has taken away your sin."

Until we call sin what it is, we can't experience the forgiveness and freedom God offers. Fancy words keep us trapped in shame because they prevent us from fully acknowledging what we need forgiveness for.

Jesus is the only person in history who never tried to pass the buck. Instead, He took the blame for our sins on that cross. He offers to trade our guilt for His grace, our rottenness for His righteousness. But we gotta be willing to own our sins before we can hand 'em over to Him.

A straight-shootin' cowboy calls a spade a spade and takes his medicine like a man.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What fancy words do you use to make your sins sound smaller than they are?
2. How might your experience of God's forgiveness get deeper if you confessed your sins more honestly and specifically?
3. What sin have you been carryin' around that needs to be confessed and handed over to Jesus?
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Prayer Focus: God, give me the courage to call my sins by their right names without sugarcoatin' or minimizing them. Thank You, Jesus, for takin' the blame for my sins on that cross. Help me live in the freedom that comes from honest confession and complete forgiveness.