Let's talk about sin. John 9.1-7; Romans 3.23

Key Scripture:  All have sinned and fall short of God.

Sin is yucky.  Sin is controversial . . . because people want to split hairs—because we want to let ourselves off the hook.  ‘I don’t really sin—I mean, I don’t really do anything bad—just the occasional white lie so as not to hurt someone’s feelings, and sometimes I swear … but come on, doesn’t everybody?’  Did you hear the justification and rationalization?  Yeah, that is yucky right there. 

And so we see the problem at its start.  We are looking at sin from our perspective and not from God’s.  Sin is that which makes us not like God, sin is that which separates and keeps us from God.  Ultimately, it would keep us apart from God forever because he is all holy, and no unrighteous thing—that means me, that means you—could be in his presence, in his house …you know, in heaven, unless. . .

I remember when I was first married---many years ago now---I wanted to be the perfect cook to my Italian husband.  So I went downtown Oakland and shopped at an Italian market, even buying my rice in bulk.  The white rice looked so pristine when I brought it home…then, I rinsed it and dutifully soaked it a few minutes.  That’s when I noticed the tiny worms that had attached themselves to the rice.  Beyond gross! Those tiny worms made all of the rice bad.   A little sin makes us sinful… and a great illustration of me—I often look good from the outside, but God sees my actions, he sees all of me, including the tiny worms that attach themselves--undetectable to all but him.  God wants pure white rice, no worms attached.

What is sin?  The Hebrew word most closely means "missing the mark,” the  standard of holiness that is the very person of God.  Perhaps, Romans 3.23 makes this point best:   “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Sin is doing anything that violates God’s law.  Sin is knowing what I should do, and not doing it.  Sin is knowing what I should not do, and doing it anyway—violating my own conscience and God’s law! 

Jesus, help me to stop and think before I violate you today—in thought, word, or deed.  Help me to do all in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Christine

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