In the last few weeks we have been discussing "Little is Big" on Wednesday nights. Here is a quick review of what we've talked about so far:
God has told us in Luke 16:10 that those who are faithful in the very little are also faithful in much. It also tells us that he who is unfaithful in the very little is unrighteous in the great.
We want to avoid the trap of believing that the little sins in life don't matter because you think that when it comes down to it, in the important stuff you do the right thing.
We looked at polls that were taken and even did an informal poll in class and found that most of us had done things like illegally downloaded music (but it was Christian music, so it was OK, right?) or taken a couple bucks from Mom's purse or Dad's wallet.
Accepting the little sin will, over time, make us calloused and able to accept bigger and bigger sin. Most heinous acts are not done spur of the moment. There is usually a pattern of sin that starts and becomes bigger and bigger over time.
Just ask some major celebrities what they think now about what seemed like no big deal when they did it. Michael Vick was just hanging out with some friends who were into fighting dogs, got involved and went to jail. Kobe Bryant just had one little affair with a woman other than his wife and almost ended up going to prison for rape. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens decided to just give themselves a little extra advantage and then got out of control and destroyed their careers and their legacies. The list goes on.
Martha Stewart, who is a billionaire, went to jail for taking a little illegal stock tip that made her $51,000. That amount of money is like $50 to the average person. Because of it, she lost over $300 million in her own money invested in her company.
We talked about Luke 12:1-3 where we are warned about even letting a little sin in because it will destroy the whole lot.
Sin, when we really think about it, is about selfishness. We sin for our own self interest. Man steals to have what he wants without paying for it. He lies to protect himself. But Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5-7 that our attitude should be like Christ who didn't consider himself or his position. But instead he came to serve and to ultimately die for OUR sin.
This past week we talked about how sin affects our relationship with God. We talked about how so many people view God as someone who is looking to bless those who obey and punish those who do not. But that is not who God is. In Isaiah 54 he promises not to punish for sin anymore because of what Jesus did. We also know that nothing can separate us from the love of God. But doesn't sin separate us?
It does, but not on Gods end. We allow sin to bring us under condemnation and feel that we are not worthy of God. None of us are actually worthy, but because of what Christ did, when we accept him we are all worthy.
So, am I saying that it doesn't matter if we sin? No. Sin still has a lot of natural consequences. God established sowing and reaping. But as far as our relationship with God, it doesn't break that relationship.
Sin SHOULD provoke a feeling of guilt in us. That guilt should drive us TO God and and awway from Him. He is faithful and just to forgive. We have a hard time understanding the way God forgives because it is impossible for man to do it the way He does. We can forgive, but there is still hurt. When God forgives it is as if it never happened as far as He is concerned (we may still have our consequences in this life, though).
If we do not truly believe we are forgiven we will allow our guilt to drive us AWAY from God and into condemnation. And that is not where we want to live.
Next week we will continue disscusing other little things that have a big impact on our lives.
