What is sin? Is 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Our iniquities seem to be the problem, because they come between God and us. But, what is the sin of our iniquities? God provided Adam and Eve with all they needed, including the truth of how to live in harmony with God’s plan. However, they chose to follow Satan’s way, instead of God’s way and they felt guilty, which caused them to hide from God, Gen 3:8-9, “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” This story has been repeated throughout the ages, as we have chosen to go our own way, instead of God’s perfect way, Ps 18:30, “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” God is always there, as He was for Adam and Eve. He came to be with them and found them hiding, how many of us are hiding from God?
So, sin is anything that causes us to separate ourselves from God. God has planted His truth in our hearts and minds, Heb 10:16, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;” Which means we do know when we sin and thus, we feel the guilt of defying Him and His way. Once we feel the guilt we must make a decision. We can acknowledge our sin, apologize when appropriate and repent, or we can deny God and separate ourselves from Him and His way. Today we see large parts of our community choosing to separate themselves from Him. It breaks my heart, as it breaks God’s heart, Jn 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Jesus was not weeping for Lazarus, He was weeping for all of us who still do not believe after all He has done. It is our lack of belief that causes us to separate ourselves from Him, Heb 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
God never changes, Heb 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” His love for us never changes, Rom 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God will always love us and it is only our sin that separates us from Him. Our actions, not His, our choices, not His, that separate us from His love. We place the stumbling blocks that keep us from Him, Eze 14:7, “For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:” God’s love for us never changes. He is always ready to give us His truth and therefore, it is our love for Him that will decide our eternal fate, Tit 3:11, “Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” Yes, if we are condemned, we will have no one to blame but ourselves, for our own choices will have condemned us.
As we journey through this life we can be transformed by the Word of God and if we choose to follow His plan one day we will abide in His love, 1 Jn 3:6, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” We can stop sinning, with God’s help, because His way is perfect and His thoughts are better than ours, Is 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Once we choose to abide in His love, we become new creatures, 2 Cor 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Jesus will finish our transformation when He returns and we will be changed, 2 Cor 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
He has given us His Word so we might study, learn His way and become perfect, 2 Tim 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” He earnestly desires to utter these words to us, Matt 25:23, “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
Comments, opposing opinions and suggestions for future topics are all welcome at bill@reasoningwithgod.com.