by Zach Roll

Just one city?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link. 

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
1 Timothy 1:15 English Standard Version

Las Vegas’s infamous nickname, “Sin City”, is worn by the city as a badge of honor and pride. It is nicknamed so because it is a city that caters to the desires of the flesh. It is where one can indulge in activities that elsewhere are illegal, frowned upon, or rejected due to their non-family friendly atmosphere.

Even though other cities might not have that title bestowed upon them, every city is “sin city.” The whole world is “sin city,” because all of us are broken, sinful, human beings. Sometimes, as Christians, we have a tendency to shy away from the dark places in our world, so that certain influences would not penetrate our lives. There’s only one problem:

“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance…”
Luke 5:32 English Standard Version

We are all sinners, and Christ came to save all of us. So we should not boast in ourselves when we look at the evils of this world. We could not save ourselves from it, nor are we any better than the unbeliever. Our merit is not in ourselves, but rather in what Christ has bestowed upon us…his own merit. Christ went out into the world and dined with sinners without being influenced by them, but rather influencing them.

How can we shine the light of Christ in the darkness when we try and keep that light safe from the darkness? Furthermore, how can we expect society, and unbelievers, to act in accordance with the Word of God if they don’t believe that the Bible is the Word of God in the first place? We are not better off than these people. They need the Gospel just as much as we do.

Christ came to save sinners. As such, it is not right for us to hide, and isolate, ourselves from a sinful world since we ourselves are redeemed sinners.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO