February 25: Sin

I don't know about you guys, but I seem to stumble into sin a lot. I know that everybody has sinned, and that noone (except Jesus) is perfect (Romans 3:23), but it just seems like I sin at least twice as much as any other person around. The thing about it is, I seem to sin, and sometimes to intentionally sin without even thinking about the consequences. What I need to be thinking about are the next consequences that will help you and I avoid sin the best we can.

The consequence of sin is that distances us from God. We're already apart from Him far enough it seems, we should always be wanting to get closer to God rather than distance ourselves from Him. It also creates an even bigger separation between you (and me) and God. Isaiah 59:4 says, "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. That right there should be reason enough for us to strive to life a life free from sin.

When we sin, it not only affects our relationship with God, but it also affects the relationship with others around us. I know that when I sin, I can sense kind of a shortness with my peers. Call it me getting frustrated very easily with people. I know that they don't mean anything by what they do, and it's only because I've hindered my relationship with the One who provides all happiness and patience. And that's why I lose sight of the happiness and patience that I experience with my peers.

The good news about his comes from 1 John 2:1b "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world."

So we need to always look up and see the example that was set by Christ. Live a life free from sin, because Christ has freed us and released us from the captivity that we were in when we were entangled in sin.

"Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of one's faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3 God does not Himself tempt us with sin, but he does allow us to be put through trials in order that we can be filled with righteousness. (James 1:13)

And the encouragement with this subject comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13 which basically says that God will not put us through more than we can handle, and anything we do go through He always provides us with a way to endure and to escape what we are going through.

So my prayer is that this entry has helped you, (I know it has helped me just typing this) realize the consequence of sin and what it does to our relationship with Christ. I hope this has encouraged you to live a life that you were called to live when Jesus died on the cross.