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I felt it was time to take a look at God's perspective on sin, so for the next two or three weeks we will be talking about this topic. I pray you are both blessed and challenged by what He has led us to share. Shalom! (See Sin: Failure or Opportunity? , Our Greatest Strength , and True Grace for the rest of this series.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assumptions on Sin The Lord has been challenging me on many things these past few months, but the topic of late has been my assumptions about sin. He has begun to teach me many things and His word is coming alive in new ways about this misunderstood topic. Please pray that my mind would continue to be renewed as He reveals His Truth. It began when He gave me the thought, Is it that God’s holiness cannot look upon sin, or is it that in my sin I cannot stand to look upon His Holiness? I have looked at this in light of Genesis 1-3 and realized that God did not turn His back upon mankind after he fell; it was man who hid from God! It's almost like God gave man a chance to explain himself (or seek forgiveness). Only after that did God send them away from the Garden. He let the natural consequence of man's choice (sin) become their punishment. I see the same thing again and again in Scripture. God longs to save His people, but they refuse. Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2 NKJV) Has my sin caused Him to turn His back on me, or in my sin do I refuse to turn to God because I wallow in pride instead of choosing humility? I have begun to see that this thread runs throughout Scripture. God treats us according to the way we insist on relating to Him and allows the natural consequences, yet He still pursues us and offers Himself — and restoration — to any who will humble self. (See Mark 6:5 and James 4:10) The response of the sin pattern in our lives is to be ashamed and hide! I see this evidenced in my own life when I refuse to turn to Him because I expected better of myself and feel unworthy and ashamed. I fall into pride, then unbelief, then sin. I see that I am exposed (naked) and I am ashamed, so I hide. Seeing the contrast between my exposure and His clothing of righteousness and holiness makes me ashamed! Thanks be to God for Christ’s willingness to meet us in our pride and to make a way for us if we will only believe it and receive it! A friend and I were teaching in Brazil a couple years ago and he gave me this thought: When we have been away from true friends, we don't lament the time apart; we just pick up where we left off as though we had never been apart. Praise God that Jesus is our friend! Let’s just pick up where we left off. Amen. |
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