Saturday, August 26, 2006

The Real Problem With Sin

I think about sin a lot. What the Bible says about it. Why we find it so easy to fall into it. Why some things are harder to put down than others.

I know God's admonitions against sin. In Romans 6:12, Paul says "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." So we shouldn't allow sin to reign in our lives.

And I know that God felt so strongly about sin, that when Paul spoke about fornication, he advised us to flee. Literally, to run away from sin before it could overtake us.

So I can gather from these and other verses that God feels pretty strongly about our sin. And that we should not allow sin to rule us. Or dominate our lives.

But you know what I've discovered the real problem is with sin? That it separates us from God.

I know, I know - you've heard it all before, but it doesn't seem to have much impact in your lives. But what does separation from God really mean?

We can't hear from God.

We are further from God's protection.

We can't experience intimacy with God (comforting, consolation, worship or fellowship).

We cannot hear His guidance, His warnings or get clear direction for our lives.

And why would you want that?

Our relationship with God was intended to be a close-knit, mutually beneficial, supportive relationship. And sin separates us from the Only One who can meet our deep-seated needs for love, companionship, communion and belonging.

It's not so much the harm we do to ourselves when we sin that is so detrimental to us, but the harm we do to our relationship with the One who really loves us.

Think about it.

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