The Banner of Christ in Salvation

"There is a banner which flies higher than our sins; it is the banner of Christ in salvation." -Jamie Crampton

This quote has continued to encourage me for the three months or so since Jamie said it in his first sermon. I don't know about how you see your sin, but every single day I see mine flying way above my head, out of my reach.

Before I came to know the Lord, I still saw my sin like that to some extent, (I really couldn't help seeing it so, having been raised under sound preaching, hearing the Bible read every day, and even living in the house with the preacher himself,) but contrary to all the teaching which told me I couldn't fix myself, I tried really, really hard to reach up to my sin flying above the clouds and do something about it. I didn't like it. I knew it made me less lovable, less pleasant to be around, but mostly I knew it was just the outpouring of my self-centered, un-Godly heart, and I sure didn't want to admit that my heart was wicked. But it was, and as I saw more and more what a contrast my black heart was to the pure loveliness of Christ, God helped me to give up straining myself to fix my billowing sin. By His grace I put my trust in our Mediator, who daily stands before the throne of God, making intersession for His brothers and sisters.

But even though I am now converted and eating daily at my Lord's table, I discover that my sin hasn't disappeared. Not only has it not vanished down a rabbit hole, never to show its ugly face again, it still billows above my head every day. This is heart-breaking for the believer, because now you see that sin more clearly than ever before, and you have seen, and do see, lovely Christ as your holy Saviour, and you know it was your sin, that same sin flying up in the air, saying "Look at me! Look at me!" that caused him to die on the cross.

It would be easy to despair at this point. There have been oh-so-many times when I've wanted to give up and say "what's the use? My sin is still there; it's still big."

And so it is. But as Jamie reminded me, there is something which flies even higher than my sin. The glorious banner of my Saviour, His work on the cross for His people, His salvation, it soars above the heights of our sins.

When I am at my weakest, He is my strength. When I turn again and again to self and the world for satisfaction, He takes me and helps me run to the cross again.

Oh, the beauties of our Lord and Master! What kindness, what grace is found in Him. Stronger than the mighty ocean, deeper than the deepest sea, greater than the greatest mountain, His love hath conquered and shall conquer.