The Depth of Sin

11/19/2020

John 16:8 “And when He is come, He will convict the world of sin…”

Today Chambers is once again writing about sin. If you have your own copy of My Utmost For His Highest, I would definitely recommend reading his words today. He writes challenging things, and as I often say, they are not for the faint of heart.

My first annotation on today’s lesson (yes I write in the margins and underline all my devotional books) is, “Sin is not against man but God.” When we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts our souls; if not for this we would not recognize our sin. This is why non-believers enter into certain behaviors that we would never dare to. Sin is very clearly outlined in the Bible. Sometimes, however, even people that claim faith do not think they need to adhere to every one of God’s commands.

When I was a teenager, a friend of mine that was raised is the same church I went to had very promiscuous behavior. She still received communion every week, though. In my family, we were taught that we could not come to the Lord’s Table before confessing our sin. That was good and sound teaching, and I am grateful to my parents for upholding that boundary when I was young and developing in my faith. Anyway, when I asked my friend how she could be having physical relationships before marriage (I did not ask her this with a judgmental spirit, I was just truly curious), she told me she did not consider it a sin. She had made that determination based on her own standers, not God’s. Her answer, obviously, has never left me all these years later, and I can remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I have heard others, especially recently with all that is going on in our country, take a similar posture/use a similar line of thinking.

So, how do I personally view sin? Well, the short answer is this: sin is when I have not acted in love, or hurt someone, or I have not kept one of God’s commands. Some sin may seem to only hurt me, but there is always collateral damage when I sin. Should I seek forgiveness from others? Absolutely. Who, though, am I truly sinning against? Chambers puts forth that my sin is ultimately against God. I surely do not deserve His forgiveness, but He extends it to me through the Atonement. Chambers writes these powerful words: “God does forgive, but it cost the rending of His heart in the Death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the Divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so.” It is only through the Atonement of Christ that I can come before God in repentance and seek forgiveness. I should NEVER take the depth and ultimate solemnity of this truth for granted—EVER! Chambers adds, “The love of God means Calvary, and nothing less; the love of God is spelt on the Cross and nowhere else. The only ground on which God can forgive me is through the Cross of my Lord.”

When I first yield my life to Jesus, I must come to the foot of Jesus’ Cross at Calvary, and confess before Him that I am a sinner; acknowledging and accepting His ultimate sacrifice for me. If this is done in full faith on a soul level, it is the single most transformative moment of any life. It is the moment that the bridge between God and His wayward child is mended through Jesus; for if I am in Christ, I am a new creation. My life no longer belongs to me, for I become a servant of the Most High.

So as I journey through the time God gives me on this earth, I must realize that all sin is against Him. Will I ever reach perfection this side of Heaven? No, but being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and knowing that my sin is ultimately against God, should be enough to keep me going vertical and seeking Him always and in all ways.