What is sin? Sin is a sensitive subject. It exposes the dark side of humanity and it’s not a subject people want to talk about freely, unless of course it’s not about them.
Whether sin is committed in some outward conduct, or by the inner state of a person’s soul; whether by commission or omission, sin simply stated is an offense against our Holy, righteous, personal, moral and just God.
We can hide our sins from others, but God created us with a conscience, so even if no one but else knows, the truth is that we know. Humans have an inner sense of right and wrong. Why? God put it there.
God gave us free will to choose
He also gave man a free will, to make choices. Sin is intrinsically vile. If you were making an omelet and every egg you put in was good, it would be ruined if you pout in a rotten one.
The free will that God gave us was quickly tested in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), when Eve took the fruit and ate it, then gave some to Adam. God had instructed them not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil. But the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve and tricked her into breaking God’s law.
God did not create sin, but our free will allows us to make choices. Adam and Eve chose to turn away from God. God does not force Himself on us. By disobeying the law, Adam and Eve became enemies of God. They chose to believe the lies of the serpent against the truth of the Creator. Their actions broke the bond. Sin entered the world and the consequences were drastic.
Understanding our own sin is critical
Sin is something we really don’t want to have to deal with. But coming to grips with our own sins is the key to restoring a right relationship with God. The Apostle Paul left nothing to the imagination in the Book of Romans. In Chapter 3, verse 23 he writes,
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Three chapters later in verse 23 he completes the thought when he warns,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus restores us and forgives ours sins
Sin leads to death, but Jesus Christ is there to offer salvation. It’s serious business. Those who have not accepted the gift, or have not heard the good news, are like walking dead. Their body is alive, but their spirit is dead.
Jesus offers living water, forgiveness and salvation for those to accept Him and accept the gift. There is a second death, however, when people take their last breath not accepting, or outright rejecting God’s gift.
There is nowhere to go, no reprieve. The second death means an eternal separation from God in a dark and painful place. Over and over God offers His mercy. Over and over, by His grace we are allowed to go about our business, all the while God extends His hand to us. Sin will be forever defeated if only a person turns to God, ask forgiveness and accepts Christ as Lord and Savior.
God does not allow sin in His presence
Sin is ugly and God does not allow sin in His presence. Our sins are covered if we accept Christ as our Lord. Jesus bled and died on the cross to pay the penalty for all sins, past present and future. That great act of love demands action on our part.
But some will continue to reject God, not believing that the consequences of rejecting the leading of God’s Holy Spirit will lead to that second death. In a sense, God does not condemn anyone. They condemn themselves.
Knowing that man is sinful and cannot save himself, God the Father offered His only Son to come to earth and pay the penalty for all of our sin. It’s “Amazing Grace” God doesn’t lie. His judgments are perfect.
We fall into the ditch with no way out. God extends a hand to get us out. Rejecting His grace and compassion is, to be blunt, just extraordinarily foolish. God does want to forgive us of our sins, big and small. There is only one sin which will not be forgiven.
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. (Matthew 12:31)
God dearly loves you!
The Good News is you are dearly loved by God, sins and all. He calls out to you right now to accept His gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. The ugliness of sin is washed clean. You are set free.
You are then offered the opportunity to walk with Jesus, learn His lessons and most importantly, help others to accept God’s saving grace. It’s free. You and I don’t deserve salvation, we can’t pay the penalty, so we stand there, empty handed with no defense.
The deep, deep love of Jesus is our ticket to heaven. Just as sin is ugly, not accepting God’s love and gift is worse. Don’t chose to reject God. Let Him love you.