Jesus is my curling partner

A few days ago, the Duncan family enjoyed a challenging game of Wii Curling. No, we did not use the cool handset to curl each other's hair. Curling is a team sport of sliding a stone toward the house. If you are still lost, it is ice shuffleboard. One person responsible for sliding the stone toward the target. It is his job to pick the speed and direction of the stone. Two other teammates then follow the stone down the floor. Their task is to squeegee the ice to insure that it is completely smooth so that nothing hinders the stone.

The next morning, our family was reading 1 John 1:5-10. In this passage, there is the truth that we are all sinners. If we say that we do not sin, then we are not only liars, but we are also calling God a liar. However, if we are honest about our sin and confess it to the Father, then he is "faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (verse 9).

As we discussed this as a family, the boys picked up on the distinction between verse 6 and verse 10. There are some that claim to be Christians and yet they continually choose to live sinful lives. That is living in darkness. They cannot see they distinction between what they proclaim and how they live.

True followers of Jesus are aware that though they seek to be holy, just as God is holy, they often fall short of their desire. Each day, we blow it and are in need of grace. Thankfully, we worship a God that has more grace that we have sin (Romans 5:20).

This is where the curling comes in. I explained to the boys that we are like the stone; we are headed to the house. Along the way, we are going to stray from the path. The Good News is that Jesus is following close by. However, unlike curling, Jesus is constantly squeegeeing behind us, cleansing the way, making it as though we have never sinned. That is what it means to be justified, it is just-if-I'd never sinned.

That is why one of my favorite Scriptures is Romans 8:1. It always reminds me how I am being preserved for eternity. That is Great News. I should share that with someone today!