My heart is heavy today. I’ve been thinking about sin, and what it truly means in my life. My pastor once used an illustration of a newborn baby to describe it. This newborn was beautiful, loved by his parents and family, wrapped in a delicate soft blanket. He had ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes, perfect little ears and the sweetest little button nose. He was visibly a picture perfect baby. And, yet, you know how he described him? He said this newborn baby was a “little bundle of sin.” How many of us think of babies that way?
Yet, it is true. That little baby will grow up and sin. It’s innate. He can’t help it. We are all sinners. Every one of us! We all fall short of God’s glorious law. Whether it is bitterness, anger, selfishness, gossip, impatience, or criticism you struggle with, these are all sin. I struggle with many of these in my own life. However, I am thankful that God has whispered kindly to deal with these and repent in my life. Maybe you need this reminder today, too.
The definitions of sin according to merriam-webster.com are the following:
1a : an offense against religious or moral law
b : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible
c : an often serious shortcoming
2a : transgression of the law of God
b : a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God
This last one is the one that speaks most to me. “A state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.” Ouch. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be apart from the love and forgiveness of Lord. I want to live my life hand in hand with the Lord of the Universe who created me in my mother’s womb, knows the number of hairs on my head, loves me enough to die on a cross he did not deserve, and made me for his purposes.
In 2Corinthians 5:17-19 there is good news for us all!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. NIV
(Feel free to look up this verse in other translations. This NIV specifically mentions sin, so I thought it appropriate here..)
The Good News is that God forgives us our sins! God sent his one and only Son to bear our sins so that we could bear His righteousness! It was the ultimate switch in positions. God treated Jesus as if he had committed believers’ sins, and treats us believers as if we did only the righteous deeds of his sinless Son, Jesus. How does that even make sense? Why would He do that for us?? Because of his lovingkindness! Because we are his chosen ones! Because He is glorified through us in our lives! We are forgiven and reconciled with the Father and Creator of the Universe. Thanks to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!
Here’s the deal though. Salvation is a gift from God, but we do have to repent of our sins. Romans 6:23 says:
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Many verses ask us to repent of our sins.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. (Acts 3:19)
Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. (Matthew 3:8)
So watch what you do! “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3)
You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you. (Proverbs 28:13)
My favorite verse is from Jesus himself.
From that time Jesus began to preach his message: “Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” (Matthew 4:17)In conclusion, my hope for you today is that you know and believe that it is never too late to come to God. Confess your sins before him and he will meet you right where you are. You don’t have to be perfect first. You don’t have to fix yourself until you think you are good enough to come to him. God wants us just as we are, broken messes and sinners. We are his children and nothing makes him happier than to have us desire to be reconciled to him. Believe and trust him with your whole heart and gift him your life to use for his glory!