Something to Remember when Tempted

And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

Mark 15:24-37

God the Father sent His willing Son to die on the cross. Crucifixion was the cruelest and most agonizing method of execution in the Roman Empire. Those that were crucified were the lowest of the low and worst of the worst. Such a penalty was typically reserved only for the worst of criminals and most despised of men: traitors, murderers, and the like. And yet this is the death that the Son of God suffered.

He went to the crucifixion willingly, choosing not to free Himself from it (Matthew 26:53). He made the sacrifice, bearing our sins in His body, that we might have forgiveness of sins and salvation (I Peter 2:24).

And while it is good for us to reflect on the love that God has for us, and that was shown for us in this way (John 3:16), it is important that we remember that must have that same love for Him (I John 4:7-21). This love, we see is faithful obedience to what the Lord requires. And after all, He does not require so very much of us. He requires no great heroics or mighty deeds. He simply asks us to humbly serve. And yet, so often, we fail in our love towards God and sin.

And each time we sin, that is why Christ died. Each sin, no matter how small it may seem to us, made the sacrifice made by the Son of God necessary.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6

The next time you consider sinning and then repenting afterwards, think of this. The next time you think, “Well, I don't sin often, so...” you should consider this. The next time you are faced with temptation, remember that choosing sin is what made the crucifixion necessary. And that each time you sin, you are, in essence, saying to God that the sacrifice made by His Son doesn't matter to you. Each time you sin, you are basically telling God that you don't care about the death of His Son. Each sin is a rejection of God's love, and the love of His Son, Jesus.

Suddenly repentance, and walking according to God's will, seems like a pretty good idea, doesn't it?