Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defines sin as: (1) an offense against religious or moral law; an
action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible (it's a sin to waste
food); an often serious shortcoming (fault); (2) transgression of the law of
God.
For believers, definition No. 2 covers
it all. Any thought or action that falls short of God’s will breaks GOD’s law
and is sin (1 John 3:4.) Because GOD
is perfect and we are not we are going to be guilty of some offense against GOD
at some time. “For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We will sin because we
are sinners.
However, too many believers are complacent in how we think of
sin. If we are not involved in “gross” sin of the Ten Commandments – adultery,
theft, murder, idol worship etc., we are content to go about our daily lives feeling
pretty good about ourselves and our godliness.
But it is the little foxes that ruin the vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15)…
Our comfort level with behaviors that break GOD’s
law outright should concern us. It has become commonplace to dismiss them with
excuses like, “Oh, that’s just the way I am/they are;” “It’s the way we/ they
were raised;” “Don’t let it bother you, he/she is really a nice person;” “It
really doesn’t mean anything.” We have all heard some variation, or said them.
We sweetly label these behaviors as “faults“, “character flaws” or, as the late Christian
author Jerry Bridges calls them in a work of the same title, respectable sins. But we deceive
ourselves and support others in self-deception when we do not acknowledge as
sin chronic negative behaviors like…
tardiness, impatience, irritability,
short-temper, anxiety (PC term, “stress,”) selfishness, fault-finding,
stinginess, overspending, resentment, religious arrogance, pride, “little white
lies,” flirtatious with the opposite sex, talkativeness…
…to name a few.
Granted, there are no “Thou shalt not” commandments in
Scripture associated with any of the “character flaws” listed here but it is safe
to say that any action that hurts others or have a negative impact is not
an act of love, and is contrary to JESUS’ new commandment to His followers,
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so
you must love one another.” John 13:34.
Since our GOD and Father is Himself LOVE, He does not leave
us to figure it out on our own. He tells us explicitly in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 what true Christian love looks like:
Love
is patient (not impatient), love is kind (not stingy). Love does
not envy (not resentful, a spend-thrift), is not boastful (not
talkative), is not conceited (not
proud and self-righteous),
does not act improperly (not
flirtatious with someone else’s spouse), is not selfish, is not provoked (not irritable and short-tempered), and does
not keep a record of wrongs (hold grudges). Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth (tell little white lies). It bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (not
stressed and anxious).
Any child of GOD can admit to at least one, or two (I can) but we don't take them seriously enough to do anything about it. But we must; since none of these actions are loving, all offend GOD
and and all grieve the Holy Spirit.
All are actions that fall short of God’s will
for us.
We pay a high spiritual price for those little sins.
To be continued….
Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our Holy and Righteous Father, to YOU belong
all honor and glory! We acknowledge YOU as the Creator and Designer
of our lives. We confess our sinfulness that excuse our actions by our own standards instead of accepting totally YOUR Sovereignty and righteousness.
We thank YOU for being faithful to forgive us and
for showing us such amazing LOVE by sending YOUR only SON to redeem us. Strengthen us daily to lay aside every sin that so easily trips us up and cost us our peace in YOU. We pray and
ask all things in JESUS NAME. Amen.
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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