I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

I just had a dream. It was a short dream. I dreamt that I was in a classroom. Everyone was quiet and ready to listen to me. I simply said, “Today, I want to talk to you about how important it is to treat people better than they deserve to be treated.” Immediately and all at once they all began to make excuses and talk to one another about why they couldn’t do it. “You don’t know what this person did to me” and many more reasons were vehemently blurted out. I was trying to get the class back in order, but they would listen to me no more.

Then I woke up.

The dream was so real. I thought and thought about what it meant. My mind went back to so many church services that I went to as a teenager. I remember sermons on “the rules:” lying, adultery, sexual immorality, not cussing, and certainly heard my share of sermons on backsliding. It reminded me of a song by Ty England called “Backslider’s prayer” that came on country radio. Every time it would come on, I’d say, “That’s me!” I’d say that because no matter how hard I tried or how many times I said I was going to stop my favorite sins, and no matter how many times I went to an altar . . . I just couldn’t do it. I always found a reason or an excuse to do the exact opposite of what I knew God wanted me to do. I gravitated towards living life my way on life’s highway.

In real life, I’ve talked to so many teenagers about following the Lord, doing right, and turning from the way they are living. Most of them are brutally honest about it all, which I respect greatly. They pretty much tell me flat out that nobody has, and nobody will follow the rules that they know deep down in their heart are right. I remember thinking the same thing as a teenager, I just didn’t have the guts to say it out loud like they do.

So what do we do?

We preach Christ!

The beauty of an honest answer from a sinner is that they know they are separated from God. Many are willing to admit their sin. At this point, a conversation can be had about how that sin will keep a soul out of heaven for all eternity. God is not going to allow stinkiness and filth into His house any more than we’d allow someone into ours who is covered in mud and been sprayed by a skunk. That person has a date with a water hose before entering any of our homes. The person loaded down with sins must repent. Jesus will always hear from heaven, always forgive their sin, and slowly but surely restore their soul.

Lately, I have been very much aware of my own sins when they rise to the surface. For years, I’d just quickly ask for forgiveness and try to put them out of my mind. Recently, I’ve been holding on to those sinful thoughts on purpose. While holding onto them, I quote Galatians 2:20 and I picture myself being crucified on a cross next to my Lord. I’m dying a slow and painful death, but I’m forcing my sin suffer with me. As I die, the sin which I obviously will not let go of is dying with me. When that sin pops up later, I simply say in my heart, “that sin is dead, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

We don’t need a world full of people trying harder to do right.

We need a world full of people who have been crucified with Christ, and now He is living through them.

Lord, thank You so much for re-igniting in my spirit just how desperately we all need Jesus in our lives. Help each and every person reading this to truly be the light that shines in the darkness. Help us to never look down our noses on anyone. We must all realize that we were great sinners in need of a great savior. Help us to live our lives in such a way that we make You attractive. Give us the boldness we need to speak Your Name to a lost and dying world. May others see our good deeds and glorify You, our Father in heaven. Amen.