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Hounded
In
the 14th century, Robert the Bruce of Scotland was
leading his men in a battle to gain independence from
England
. Near the end of the conflict, the English wanted to
capture Bruce to keep him from the Scottish crown. So
they put his own bloodhounds on his trail.
When
the bloodhounds got close, Bruce could hear their
baying. His attendant said, "We are done for.
They are on your trail, and they will reveal your
hiding place." Bruce replied, "It's all
right." Then he headed for a stream that flowed
through the forest. He plunged in and waded upstream a
short distance. When he came out on the other bank, he
was in the depths of the forest.
Within
minutes, the hounds, tracing their master's steps,
came to the bank. They went no farther. The English
soldiers urged them on, but the trail was broken. The
stream had carried the scent away. A short time later,
the crown of
Scotland
rested on the head of Robert the Bruce. *
“ALL
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans
3:23). The
memory of our sins, prodded on by Satan, can be like
those baying dogs – hounding us with guilt and
shame. But
a stream flows, red with the blood of God's own Son.
By passing through that stream, by God’s grace
through our obedient faith, we are safe. No sin-hound
can touch us. The trail of sin is broken by the
precious blood of Christ.
“There
is a fountain filled with blood drawn from
Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their
guilty stains.”
-- William Cowper
WE
can be “plunged beneath that flood” and
have all of our “guilty stains” washed away by the
blood of Jesus when we by faith
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance
(2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and submit to baptism
(immersion) in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Then, if we continue to follow Him faithfully,
we will receive the crown of life one day (Revelation
2:10).
Don’t
be hounded by the guilt of sin any longer.
Allow Jesus to WASH away your sins through your
trusting obedience to Him.
--
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
E. Lutzer, Putting Your Past Behind You, Here's Life, 1990, p.42 as
qtd. in SermonIllustrations.com
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