Sin? So What - Martin Wiles

Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Numbers 21:7 NLT

He was a guy who lived just down the road—but he prided himself on being the local small-town bad boy. And everyone knew it. He vandalized an old historical home which the town endeared. He sodomized his six-year-old cousin. Drugs befriended him. When a young adult, he beat an elderly woman to death in her mobile home to get her Social Security check. Of him, a neighbor said, “He is the only person I have ever met who is evil in its purest form.”

Evil is real, and the actions of others prove its presence. The Bible calls it sin, and this sin separates us from a loving God, ruins our lives, brings spiritual death, and in the end—if not forgiven by God—leads to eternal separation from God.

I’ve never gone to the depths of sin that the above person did, but I have done my share of sinning—things I regret but cannot undo. So had God’s Old Testament people. God had preserved them through Egyptian slavery and through forty years of living in the wilderness, yet they loved to complain and disobey. God sent poisonous snakes to punish them. They had two choices: repent or die.

But we often like to delve into other choices. We can deny it. There’s no such thing as sin. What I’m doing isn’t sin. It’s hurting no one but me. Sin is an old-fashioned idea people once believed in before science and education taught us better.

We can get angry and blame God for the circumstances. That’s what led us to sin. It’s not our fault.

We can accept our sinful actions—but then bargain with God. If He’ll take away the painful circumstances, then we’ll do better. Shape up. Fly right.

We can allow depression to ruin our lives. We know it comes from our sinful lifestyle, yet we refuse to do anything about it. So we take medicine to mask the real problem.

Or, we can do what the Israelites did—and what God wants us to do: repent and confess our sin. Choosing that route leads to forgiveness, peace, and fulfillment. It puts us back on good terms with God so we can experience the fullness of His love.

Don’t let sinful actions ruin your existence. Confess and enjoy life as God intended.

Prayer: Father, when we sin against You, give us the courage to confess and repent.

Tweetable: What's your opinion of sin? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.