And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11, ESV
Outside of Christ, we all are condemned because none of us are fit to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Paul states this by listing off many common offenses that, superficially, we may be able to exclude ourselves from the list, but, in reality, in the judgment of our Lord, we would be found guilty in the eyes of God. The idolatrous nature of humanity is such that our hearts easily fall into idolatry. One could argue that it is not being done out of malice, but that does not matter when put under the law of the Lord. We are meant to be set apart, but the things of this world seep into our day-to-day lives. Yet, we have hope. Our hope is in Christ, the justification we receive through His sacrifice, and our trust in the promise He has given us all. We are not condemned for our shortcomings and failures because He took it all for us. We don’t have to fear the eternal punishment we deserve because He has taken it. He has given us the Holy Spirit and has transformed our lives as He brought us from the darkness of our past into His glorious light as the waters of Baptism wash over us and cleanse us completely in our daily walk of faith with Christ our Lord.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.