The Barrier of Sin
<< Aren't I already going to Heaven?Forgiveness through Jesus >>What is sin?
Sin is anything we do, think, or say that is against God’s will, or that we fail to do that God expects us to do. (Example of a thought: Jesus said that a man sins if he looks at a woman lustfully. Example of a failure: we ought to help the poor, and forgive those who sin against us, but we don’t.)
What things come between us and God?
Things such as wrong use of time, some TV programs, some Computer games, stealing, murder, private phone calls at work. Taking a sickie when you’re not sick. Current movies, even TV advertisements, feature living together, stealing, homosexuality, lies. These are teaching us and our children life principles that are wrong.
These are all temptations, and they will come our way. If we do these, we cheat ourselves, we will have no peace in our lives. We feel bad until we have sorted it out. The best solution is to just don’t do it, or find a way to avoid temptation.
Do Christians sin?
Yes they certainly do! We expect Christians to be loving and kind, and it is a shock to find such non-Christian behaviour in churches. So, we must be more godly, and extend grace and mercy rather than judgment to others.
It is Christian to deal with and fix the faults in ourselves, not in others. The only person we can change is ourselves.
Is my sin just my own business?
Our sin affects others. It is never just personal. There is the Bible example of Akan - his sin cost 36 lives. Man has rationalised and explained sin away. But we have made a mess of the world that we were given to rule.
God uses us to help other people who are now where we used to be in sin. Even our sin will work for good. God uses our bad experiences to help other people. God does not instigate wickedness, but he uses our wickedness to carry out his purposes.
Original sin - what is it?
It is in our nature to muck up. Kids know instinctively how to do wrong, but have to be taught how to do right. Mankind is polluted. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, well, we would have, and would have fouled up the world ourselves. This is original sin. Indeed, it could be said that it doesn’t matter whether we are born in sin or not, because we soon do sin anyway. We can’t claim perfection because we’re not (1 John 1:7), so by definition we are sinful.
As an analogy, we would drink a glass of pure water, but if poison was added we would not drink it. Although we could not see the poison, and the water appears fine, we know it is tainted by its past history. Or if a parent is jailed as a criminal, the parent’s children live under that stigma. Even though it is not their fault, they live under the consequences. So we are under the consequences of past sin.
How do I get free of sin?
When we do sin, the secret is to confess. Once we’ve sinned, we need to know that we can get right with God. We do this by stating the truth. Use steps such as these:
- I say yes, I did this.
- I agree with God that I have sinned.
- I tell God that I’m sorry.
- I repent, which means that I turn away from my sin.
- I ask God to forgive me.
The Bible says that you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). The awesome truth is that if we do this, God will and does surely forgive us 100% instantly! (Heb 8:12 - For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.)
When we confess, we feel good, and we know absolutely that we are forgiven. Every time we fully confess, we are PERFECT in God’s eyes! We are only a confession away from being perfect!
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