Passed Over - Martin Wiles

In honor of the LORD your God, always celebrate the Passover at the proper time in early spring. Deuteronomy 16:1 NLT

Having a team captain choose team members can be a frightening occurrence. There’s always the chance of being passed over. And I was. Often.

Sports were never my thing. I suppose my build fought against my involvement. While I loved attending games and watching sporting events on television, I never played a single one from first grade through graduation. Neighborhood games and PE classes were my only connection—and I hated both. Neighborhood friends never picked me first. Neither did the team captains. I was too skinny . . .  too shy. So, I settled for being passed over until the very last.

Being passed over can damage a young person’s emotions. Feelings of inadequacy surface quickly and often. These feelings affected more than my involvement in sports. They transferred over into academic life and relationships. As a teen, they upset my dating habits. Not until I became a young adult did my self-perspective change.

For the Israelites living in Egyptian slavery, being passed over was a good thing. It meant the death angel that traveled through the land and killed the Egyptians’ oldest children, along with the firstborn of all their animals, would pass over their homes. He would see the blood they had smattered on the doorframe and keep moving.

I didn’t enjoy being passed over by the popular girls or the team captains, but I am glad God passed over me when it came time to deal with my sins. Focusing on God’s love is easy; realizing there is a holy wrath side of His nature is more difficult—yet biblical.

We are born with sinful natures, but we are also responsible to God. Since God is holy, He can’t associate with sin. Sin makes us unworthy to serve on His team. Yet He is willing to pass over that if we do our part. For the Israelites in Egypt, it meant sacrificing an animal and spreading its blood on their doorframes. For us, it entails accepting what God allowed His Son to do on Calvary’s cross—pay our sin debt.

Knowing what Christ did isn’t enough. We have to incorporate Him into our lives. Being on the team doesn’t automatically happen.

Has God passed over your sin because you are in Christ?

Father, I thank You that in Christ You will pass over my sins. I am no longer under condemnation. 

Tweetable: Have you been passed over? 

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