Do You See Sin as God Sees Sin?
We would like to think we are on the same page as God when it comes to all issues, particularly the really big and important stuff, but I fear that we often do not see things quite the way that He does. There is no area in which this is more true than where our sin is concerned. We commonly judge ourselves in light of how we compare with other people all the while failing to judge ourselves in light of God’s Word.
We often get upset when we consider the moral decay and chaos so rampant in the world in which we live, however we are not so quick to get upset about the sin in our own lives. Ironically, the things we can do little about alarm us, while issues within our control often get brushed over and forgotten about. The fact that sins we commit are harming our relationship with God should upset us greatly! It has been said, “God wants us to grieve over the sin that separates us from Him. To grieve means to suffer, to sorrow, to weep, to wail, to sob, to howl.” (Sudi Kate Gliebe in an article entitled: Do we view sin as God views sin?)
Recently, in my quiet time, I have been reading through Ezekiel. In chapters 8-9 we see Ezekiel’s visionary journey as God shows him what he terms “detestable things” that Israel was doing. He shows him idolatry and wickedness. He shows him the sinful deeds of darkness. Ezekiel’s part in this was to see the sin for what it was and to be broken to his very core. There was no time, place, or cause for “weighing” the sin or assessing the sin. It was what it was! Sin is defined by God, whether it be Israel of old, America today, or our own personal lives! Sin is what God says that it is!
In our modern world we have found a multitude of ways to become comfortable with our sins. Whether it be psychologists telling us that we do what we do because of trauma sustained at some point in our life, low self-esteem, poverty, stress, or the bad deeds of others, we tend to find an excuse. Sin is a serious problem. I don’t think we know just how serious!
God is calling us to repent. God is calling us to be set apart and to be totally committed to Him. The Psalmist wrote in 101:3, his prayer asking God “to set before our eyes, no vile thing.” When we “remember” God it is easy to “forget” sin. But, when we “remember” sin, it is much easier to “forget” God. May we be willing to repent of our sin and hereby return to our first love! When God sees His people truly repenting, then the flood gates are open for Him to bless. Often we are missing out on His blessing as individuals and as churches because our lives are full of sin of which we have never really repented. When we are finally willing to come to God and lay it all on the line, we are getting close to seeing God pour out His blessings!
In Christ,
Pastor Allen Raynor