"Awakened to Our Sinfulness"

(Part 3 of 3)

“Did that which is good then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.”

                                                                                                            Romans 7:13

Do you recognize sin as sin? Do you see sin as utterly sinful? The law came to awaken us to the deceitfulness and destructive nature of sin. Yet, many people still do not recognize sin as sin! Although God’s commandment tells us that lying is a sin. There will be those who will want to qualify sin and give it degrees of severity. A half-truth is sinful, but not as sinful as an outright lie. A white-lie is sinful, but not as sinful as withholding information. By doing this we attempt to soften the severity of sin. Sin separates us from God! Period! It isn’t the quantity or the quality of the sin that separates us, it is simply sin:

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

                                                                                                            Isaiah 59:2

Sin has become troublesome to us, but not “utterly sinful”. When we cannot seem to get a handle on our sin we simply label it as a disease or disorder. Gluttony isn’t a sin anymore, it’s an eating disorder. Alcoholism isn’t a sin in our culture, it’s a disease now. This is done in an effort to take the sting out of our disobedience. However, God is not fooled!  You might convince yourself, your neighbors or even society that your sinful pursuits are the cause of some disease or disorder, but God is unwavering in His position that sin (all sin) is utterly sinful. And that sin will keep you eternally separated from Him.

At some point we are going to have to address the sin issues in our lives. As God pulls back the curtain we are going to have to make some life choices that will not be easy to make. The consequence of ignoring this truth is eternal separation from God.  

Confess your sins to God! Repent (that means turn away and stop doing it)! Invite Jesus into your heart and life. He will forgive you and empower you to live a life of righteousness.

1 John 3:9 states:

 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

 You cannot continue in sin and call yourself born of God! It is time to awaken to your sinfulness, recognize sin as utterly sinful and repent!

 

Pastor Scott Burr

http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/