Sin

For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God- Romans 3:23

Sin... What is it??? What are its effects? What qualifies as sin? 

Essentially, sin is rebellion against God. Rebellion against the King. Rebellion against the Creator of the universe. Rebellion against our Father. Sin is a term derived from archery that means “missing the mark.” It is anything that is against God’s nature or even just short of it. It is imperfection. Sin is either commission or omission. You can commit sin by doing something or even not doing something. We are to do what God would do, if we don’t follow His will, or if we rebel against His commands, this is sin. Sin has dangerous consequences. It separates us from the King. It prevents us from having the intimate relationship that we were meant to have. It labels us as rebels, imperfect. It is our willing decision to rebel against the King, committing high treason, and worthy of the death penalty. We fully qualify for an eternal death penalty. We all at some point have sinned, whether we stole a pack of gum when we were a kid, or we killed someone, or we cheated on homework, or we lied to someone. We all have sinned. We all are imperfect. We all suffer sins consequences. Because of sin, there is disease, there is physical death, there is suffering, there is a debt that all men pay. Because of sin, we are not going to heaven. Because of sin there was a chasm between God and man. Because of our blatant rebellion against God, we needed redemption, we needed a savior. But WE DID NOT DESERVE A SAVIOR!!! We did not deserve grace so that we could be saved. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”-Romans 5:8... God, Himself, becoming a sacrifice for a rebellious, selfish, heinous, wicked, fallen people. The King giving Himself to pay the debt of the treasonous rebel. What an amazing love!!! I don’t know how you can look at this and not be changed completely! This love is something that we do not deserve, did not earn, or anything, we deserved wrath yet receive love and grave. We can have hope, freedom, purpose, direction, love, grace, mercy, satisfaction, peace, and so much more if we just turn to God. I have so often found my actions reflecting a belief that I somehow deserved this sacrifice. My life does not change when thinking about His sacrifice. Why? This should completely change my life. I should not be the same. I should be permanently impacted in every way just as if I had been hit with a freight train. I should continually seek to distance myself from sin. I should abandon my addictions and never go back. I should seek to be more and more like my Father and know Him intimately. Better than I know anyone or anything. I should seek Him with all I am, and all I will be. I should live in His will. I need to have the prayer of “God, I need to be like you, I am sorry for my rebellion, and I turn from it. But make me your masterpiece. Make me the person you want me to be. Use me God. Here I am, unworthy of being used, but willing to go wherever you send me.” 

A while ago, I wrote a message called “One Master,” I ask that after you read this message, you look at that message. These two go hand-in-hand. You have one life, 2 options, but can serve only one master with your life. 

So often I hear Christians saying that they cannot stop sinning, they cannot escape their addictions, they love their sin! I have to wonder to myself, how can you claim to love sin, but also claim to love God and serve Him? I propose that we often spend more time sinning than we do with God. If this is the case, then who do you really truly serve? I have been here many many times in my life. Trent Shirk spoke at Woodcrest last year delivering a message that asked us, “if we say we are Christians, how can we go days or weeks, or even months without touching our Bible or spending real time crying out to God, but we can’t even go one day without sin.” Truly dwell on this family.... It’s time to realize how serious sin is... Its time to be a people that do not live for sin, but live full-heartedly and fully devoted to our King and not to sin. You can only serve one master.... Who will it be?

Family, sin destroys you. Why do we love it? Let God change you and form you into the masterpiece He desires you to be.

Blessings.