What is sin? It’s basically doing anything that would negatively affect our relationship with God. A good way of looking at it is like our relationship with our spouse. If we do things we shouldn’t do, especially if we don’t truly ask for forgiveness and try hard not to do it again, it will hurt the marriage. Our relationship with God works the same way.
Have you ever had a child that you saw doing something nice for someone else and it melted your heart? God is our father. He’s like a parent so his heart melts too when he sees us doing good things for others. It improves our relationship with him.
Most people have a good conscience and know intuitively what’s right and wrong, so if we’re feeling guilty about something we do, then we’re committing a sin; it’s pretty much common sense, we don’t need a preacher to explain it. We wouldn’t be pleasing God but instead showing him disrespect.
Some people say drinking alcohol is a sin but in my opinion it becomes a sin if it negatively influences our actions. Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine at the wedding. For some people, drinking can be a sin, for others, it isn’t. Jesus said in so many words that it isn’t what we take in (digest), it’s what happens afterwards. Does alcohol make us mean to other people? Does it make us more likely to cheat on our spouse? Does it endanger people through driving while intoxicated? If it does these things to someone then they shouldn't drink because their actions wouldn't please God.
Anyhow, sin isn’t a complicated subject. Most adults know when they’re doing something wrong. Little kids start lying almost as soon as they can speak, and they know it’s wrong without being told it is; it’s an innate sense. As soon as we have conscious awareness of doing something wrong and experience some level of guilt, it’s a sin and negatively impacts our relationship with God.
The good news is that we have no one in our lives more forgiving of our actions than him. This is if we ask him for forgiveness and truly attempt to stop committing the sin (repent). Asking him for forgiveness yet repeating the bad behavior time and time again shows we don’t care about hurting him and aren't really committed to doing the right thing.
When we have someone in our lives who really hurts us because they did something bad and they ask us for forgiveness, we'll probably give it but if the same person does it time and time again, we might forgive the person because it's the Christian thing to do, but we won't forget what they did. It will always eat at us a bit and the relationship will never be the same. I think that many people believe that because God is a loving God that we can disappoint him over and over again and not suffer any repercussions but this doesn't make sense to me because God is a just God.
This is why there's a heaven and a hell. We'll possibly suffer consequences from our bad behavior in our personal lives but I also believe that although we might get into heaven, that it won't be just an easy cruise through the pearly gates. What the punishment would be, I don't have a clue. But once again anyone who is a Christian might want to think about what a "just," God means. I can tell you that if I have to stand there with angels and God watching a video of things I said and did on earth, that it would be horrific punishment in itself. I'd be so embarrassed and ashamed. Maybe this is what God does to justly address our rebellious behavior in letting him down again and again over the same issue. I don't know. I don't know about you but I have a lot of questions when I get to heaven.
None of us are perfect. We’re all sinners as written in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” Our job is quite easy: Have a conscience and when we screw up, ask for forgiveness and mean it. Mean it enough to change our behavior. We should commit to trying to do better and not let God down. Once again, pretty simple.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” – Mark 12:30
Have you ever had a child that you saw doing something nice for someone else and it melted your heart? God is our father. He’s like a parent so his heart melts too when he sees us doing good things for others. It improves our relationship with him.
Most people have a good conscience and know intuitively what’s right and wrong, so if we’re feeling guilty about something we do, then we’re committing a sin; it’s pretty much common sense, we don’t need a preacher to explain it. We wouldn’t be pleasing God but instead showing him disrespect.
Some people say drinking alcohol is a sin but in my opinion it becomes a sin if it negatively influences our actions. Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine at the wedding. For some people, drinking can be a sin, for others, it isn’t. Jesus said in so many words that it isn’t what we take in (digest), it’s what happens afterwards. Does alcohol make us mean to other people? Does it make us more likely to cheat on our spouse? Does it endanger people through driving while intoxicated? If it does these things to someone then they shouldn't drink because their actions wouldn't please God.
Anyhow, sin isn’t a complicated subject. Most adults know when they’re doing something wrong. Little kids start lying almost as soon as they can speak, and they know it’s wrong without being told it is; it’s an innate sense. As soon as we have conscious awareness of doing something wrong and experience some level of guilt, it’s a sin and negatively impacts our relationship with God.
The good news is that we have no one in our lives more forgiving of our actions than him. This is if we ask him for forgiveness and truly attempt to stop committing the sin (repent). Asking him for forgiveness yet repeating the bad behavior time and time again shows we don’t care about hurting him and aren't really committed to doing the right thing.
When we have someone in our lives who really hurts us because they did something bad and they ask us for forgiveness, we'll probably give it but if the same person does it time and time again, we might forgive the person because it's the Christian thing to do, but we won't forget what they did. It will always eat at us a bit and the relationship will never be the same. I think that many people believe that because God is a loving God that we can disappoint him over and over again and not suffer any repercussions but this doesn't make sense to me because God is a just God.
This is why there's a heaven and a hell. We'll possibly suffer consequences from our bad behavior in our personal lives but I also believe that although we might get into heaven, that it won't be just an easy cruise through the pearly gates. What the punishment would be, I don't have a clue. But once again anyone who is a Christian might want to think about what a "just," God means. I can tell you that if I have to stand there with angels and God watching a video of things I said and did on earth, that it would be horrific punishment in itself. I'd be so embarrassed and ashamed. Maybe this is what God does to justly address our rebellious behavior in letting him down again and again over the same issue. I don't know. I don't know about you but I have a lot of questions when I get to heaven.
None of us are perfect. We’re all sinners as written in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” Our job is quite easy: Have a conscience and when we screw up, ask for forgiveness and mean it. Mean it enough to change our behavior. We should commit to trying to do better and not let God down. Once again, pretty simple.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” – Mark 12:30
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