Whenever we choose to sin, cave into temptation, get led astray by friend or foe, or fail to do the good we know we should do, we enthrone another god in the temple of the True God. Whenever anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ takes first place in our hearts, we replace the Lord of Life with a cheap, transitory, impotent, ineffectual, deceptive, and destructive imitation. I'd rather not acknowledge that I ever do that. But I do. We all do. Even if for a moment. That's why we need a Savior.
And that Savior has come. His name is Jesus. He died for our sins. He rose for our justification. In him we have the promise of eternal salvation and life forevermore.
That's why we can always talk about "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him" with hope and anticipation and joy. Yes! We must talk that.
