Sin

Continuing my considerations in the aftermath of a moral failure of a pastor friend let me look at the second in my list: SIN.

As I spent time on the phone with my friend God kept bring scriptures to my mind:

1 Samual 16:4 "... The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Romans 3:23 " for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

In this God clearly spoke to me with a vision of black and white.  You're eyes are either on God or they are not.  I shared with my friend that when I was living in India, and beginning to see my ministry to Muslim students take off, I had a motorcycle accident that left me unable to walk for 10 months.  During that time of recovery I spent many hours with God - reading his word, praying, writing worship songs.  I am not saying God caused me to have the accident so I would be forced to spend time with him.  However the accident did come at a time when my eyes were off the Lord.  My focus was on the ministry and not on my God.  You could say my ministry had become my God.  It is a danger we all face throughout our lives - other things, even the Lord's work - becoming the focus rather than the Lord himself.  This is sin.

My friend had a moral failure because he took his eyes off the Lord and became preoccupied with the church.  Repentant, he is now spending great time with God.

The black and white is simply that:  Your eyes are either on God or they're not.  For God sin is sin.  Whether your sin is a moral failure or cutting  corners as you work God just sees it as sin.  "Man looks at the outward appearance"  and says this sin is worse/greater/more henious than that.  But "the LORD looks at the heart"  and what is the truth of our hearts?  "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

The question is never whether one sin worse than another, rather the question we need to ask ourselves is, "Am I repentant sinner?"  The promise is clear: " For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:23)  Why through Christ Jesus?  Because "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts 10:43)

Don't fall into the trap of looking at the outward appearance.  Sin is sin.  Given the right circumstances and situation I am just as likely to sin as the next person.

Blogged with the Flock Browser