In Isaiah 59:2 I read, “It is your evil that has separated you from your God. Your sins cause him to turn away from you, so he does not hear you.” (NCV)
Today, most cultures don’t think sin is ugly. In fact, many people think sin is fun! Consider the media. TV shows, social media memes, and movies use sin for humor.
This is Satan’s strategy: to get us to laugh at the same things that put Jesus on the cross. Satan disguises sin to make it look attractive, desirable, and fun. Rarely in the media do we see the consequences of sin.
To know how ugly sin really is and the damage it does, look at Jesus bleeding on the cross. Jesus’ suffering shows me just how much it takes to pay for my sins. The cross shows the damage sin does.
Sin has all sorts of consequences in my life! Here are just a few of them.
Sin alienates me from God. Why? Because God is holy, and I am not. Sin creates conflict and puts distance between me and God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “It is your evil that has separated you from your God. Your sins cause him to turn away from you, so he does not hear you” (NCV). Sin always leaves estrangement in its wake, even between me and God.
Sin causes enormous amounts of stress in my life. One of the greatest sources of stress is unrecognized and unresolved guilt. King David said, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (Psalm 38:4 NIV). Holding on to sin takes an emotional toll. When I break God’s laws, it leads to worry, fear, guilt, and insecurity. I wouldn’t experience this if I always did things God’s way. But I don’t, and I can’t. This is the reality of sin.
Sin condemns me. When I violate God’s laws, there’s always a penalty, in both self-condemnation and judgment from a righteous God. Psalm 7:11 says, “God is a righteous judge and always condemns the wicked” (GNT).
I may think my biggest problem is a relationship conflict, health issue, or trouble finding a job. But the reality is, my biggest problem is that I’m at war with God.
That’s why I get frustrated! That’s why I don’t sleep well. That’s why I’m stressed out. I wasn’t made to live out of harmony with my Creator, who loves you. He made me, and he sent his Son to die for me. He wants me to be in harmony with him.
Repent of my sin today, and every day, so that I can be at peace with God.
In summary, my evil separates me from God. My sins cause him to turn away and not hear me. Most don’t think sin is ugly. In fact, they think it's fun! Consider the media, it uses sin for humor. This is Satan’s strategy: to get me to laugh at the same things that put Jesus on the cross. Satan disguises sin to make it look attractive, desirable, and fun. Rarely in the media do I see the consequences of sin. To know how ugly sin really is and the damage it does, look at Jesus bleeding on the cross. Jesus’ suffering shows me just how much it takes to pay for my sins. Sin has all sorts of consequences in my life! Sin alienates me from God. Because God is holy, and I am not. Sin creates conflict and puts distance between me and God. Sin always leaves estrangement in its wake, even between me and God. Sin causes enormous amounts of stress in my life. One of the greatest sources of stress is unrecognized and unresolved guilt. Holding on to sin takes an emotional toll. When I break God’s laws, it leads to worry, fear, guilt, and insecurity. I wouldn’t experience this if I always did things God’s way. Sin condemns me. When I violate God’s laws, there’s always a penalty, in both self-condemnation and judgment from a righteous God. My biggest problem is that I’m at war with God. That’s why I get frustrated, don’t sleep well and become stressed out. I wasn’t made to live out of harmony with my Creator, who loves me. He made me, and he sent his Son to die for me. He wants me to be in harmony with him. Repent of my sin today, and every day, so that I can be at peace with God.
Sin cuts me off from God. It forms a wall isolating him from me. God wants me to live with him forever, but he cannot take me into his holy presence unless my sin is removed. I need to confess daily my sin to God and allow him to remove it.
Father, thank you for this reminder and I ask that with the help of the Holy Spirit in my life that I can confess my sins daily to you and keep a wall from forming. I also ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, my training for a future job role and learning a small group. I ask these things through you Son Jesus’ name, amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment