Rainbows and Celebrations

"The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5

Any clue when this verse was written?  Feels like it could apply today to me (and no I don't mean today in terms of the recent vote by the Supreme Court.  That would be too simple really.  I mean today as in the time in which we find ourselves living).  This verse was actually said right before God sent the flood to destroy all mankind (except for Noah who walked with God and was considered righteous and his family).

I love rainbows and the fact that after the flood, God placed a rainbow in the sky to signify his covenant to Noah and to all people that he would never again destroy mankind by flood.  When I look at rainbows I think of the sins which made God sorry He had created man and I think of new life that Jesus brings.  I don't think of celebrating homosexuality no matter what our white house or a Facebook application says.

So what do you celebrate?  

Pride, jealousy, hatred, lust, anger, idolatry, envy, adultery, fornication, murder, lies, greed, homosexuality, gluttony, the love of anything above God - all sins. While it's easy to look at one of these and make it the hot bed topic of the day (especially if we see it present in someone else's life), the truth is that in God's eyes we were all guilty and all in desperate need of grace. Jesus came, died and rose to conquer death and provide a way for us to receive forgiveness for our sins and be reconciled to a perfect, sinless God. Not just for the sins that happen to be the most popular ones to our culture at the present time but for all of them. He wants to pour out grace overflowing into all of our lives.

So what are you guilty of? What sin do you celebrate in your own life or in the life of another? Do you laugh when your coworker describes his affair or do you go along with it when someone asks you to lie for them? Would you do just about anything to have that extra money in your bank account or to get ahead at work?   Do you watch smut on TV and laugh at and envy those who will do nearly anything or anybody to get noticed? If you are one that celebrates someone else's sin is it because you truly think that sin is not really a sin or is it because you are too afraid to go against the masses?  

So what do you celebrate?

"Abortion is a woman's choice. It's not really a baby until it's born."

"I don't have enough money to give to starving children around the world but let's meet at Starbucks for a latte later to pray for others to give."

"Yes we're divorcing. We grew apart and just don't love each other anymore."

"I go to church when I don't have something else going on and if I like the pastor and the music is my style."

"Everyone lies on their taxes"

"All men look at porn. It's natural."

"He doesn't treat me the way I deserve to be treated. That's why I had the affair."

"Living with my boyfriend or girlfriend is the best way to find out whether we should get married or not."

"I've always been this way. I can't change"

“The reason why I will kill you is you are infidels…we must establish Islam in this country"

Sin is never to be celebrated.  We are called to fall at the feet of our creator and to confess our sins to Him and to receive the grace and mercy He so willingly wants to pour out on us. He wants to help us find life and a life that is abundantly lived.  Do you want to find life?

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.…" Revelation 20:11, 12