Does Sin Sepeate us From God?

Does Sin Separate us from God?

At childrens church last week the curriculum called for us to blindfold two children and ask them to find two other volunteer children, the results being that the blindfolded children groped about in the darkness unable to find their friends. The purpose of the exercise was to illustrate how sin separates us from God.

I realize that by and large this is pretty much your standard church doctrine and does have a bit of truth in it but as Christians we sometimes make big sweeping statements because we have taken a passage of the bible and applied to all instances without asking who, what , when, where, or why. We read in Isaiah 59:1 Your iniquity has separated you from God. A little study reveals a hard hearted, backslidden, unrepentant people who are hands are covered with blood and hearts filled with hypocrisy.

I?m not saying that sin cant possibly in any way have an effect on our relationship with God, All I?m saying is I think we need to find out what sins might separate us from God and how much of that sin separates us and how it can be and why. Especially when the bible says that God is no longer imputing our sins against us because of the work of Jesus and our faith in that work- and beyond that the word also tells us that we have the ministry of reconciliation: God is not imputing your sin against you.

In adult church w$e are learning that we are the righteousness of God. That If we blow it and sin and feel condemnation for that sin we do not have a sin problem we have an identity problem. Sin doesn?t separate us from God- but condemnation for that sin will. And of course people sometimes freak out with this type of preaching because they feel it will give people a license to sin. And it must be pointed out that people are doing a fine job of sinning without a license. You don?t even need a learners permit. There is no paperwork involved. But that is not good enough for these people. Why? Because as children they have learned in Sunday School that Sin separates us from God.

Now there are tons of scriptures you can go to to prove a point in the bible but I?m not really trying to prove any points, I?m just saying we need to make it clearer to the children, what the bible says without sweeping blanket statements from one scripture to apply to every instance. Believe me, I grew up in a church that was very legalistic and some of the notions we kids and adults came away with was staggering. (as in, stagger out of church, again) Somehow either directly or indirectly we came away with the idea that if you sinned, you weren?t just out of fellowship with God (which I don?t really buy either but it?s a step up from what I cut my teeth on) No, in our outfit if you sinned, certain fractions were pretty open minded to the idea that if you didn?t hurry up and repent before you died you could go to Hell or worse yet need to go forward in church and repent in front of the entire church. In our church going forward was this huge deal fraught with guilt and shame, and ultimately sweet relief. I went forward a record three Sundays in a row. Thank you very much.

At least in the churches I frequent these days (the last 15 years) Its basically understood that everybody sins and everybody is aware of it so most everybody goes up front to at least be prayed for something specific, and sometimes because we just feel the need to go forward because our hearts getting a little hard. Its standard maintenance. But in the old days you went forward for a complete overhaul. While the audience was, as I understood it, basically, sin free, and proud of it. Which explains why I went forward so much. Ok, call me mister Black and White but I had recently sinned, therefore I went forward.

So these days I?m fascinated with gray areas because now at least I can see them. So think about it. Sometimes we are in the closest fellowship with God when we do sin. The holy spirit convicts us. It can be very intense communion. Right?

And did God expel Adam and Eve from the Garden because he could not fellowship with sin? No he continued to talk to them and pursue them even after they sinned. He expelled them from the Garden so they would not eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in their fallen condition.

And yes, I?m aware that Jesus taught that if we don?t forgive others God cant forgive us. Also in the new testament Peter writes that if we treat our wives harshly God will not hear our prayers. Also, if we regard iniquity in our hearts God wont hear us. I think we need to sober up about sin. But we don?t need to be in a tormenting fear of it, because we all do it.

It is our faith that links to God and if we do not properly maintain our faith our relationship with him can be interrupted but that is on our end, not Gods. Part of maintaining faith is maintaining a clear conscience. I somehow ended up with an overactive conscience that needed to be retrained. When I understood the bible more clearly my conscience became bearable. Bearable or not, if we defile our own conscience our own faith can become shipwrecked and shipwrecked faith does not take us to our destination, which is our salvation, daily. By Grace ye are saved, through faith.

The plane fact is that sin is deadly and has consequences and we will reap what we sow, but yet, somehow God is not imputing our sin against us. Lucky for us because if you get truly caught up in the doctrine that all sin separates us from God and buy into that line of thinking hook, line and sinker then I don?t think you know what sin is. Whatever is not of faith is sin. Doubt, worry, unbelief, negativity, covetousness, sarcasm, gossip, self righteousness, pride, knowing to do right but not doing it, judejmentalism. Trust me, you?ve got some of that going on. And what about the sins you don?t know about? You have sins you don?t even know about. Ask the people around you. You might be a jerk and not even know it! Congratulations!

What sins? Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that we are doing ok because we don?t do the bad sins. I don?t drink, smoke or chew or run with them that do! There are no good sins. Call me crazy but I don?t think it goes over all that well with God when we practice the good sins and judge those who commit the bad sins.

I have heard it said that the really mature Christians do not necessarily improve with time but cling tighter and tighter to Jesus. They have discovered their need for reliance on him because they can see clearer and clearer how truly sin ridden their old man is, especially the more they know God and His nature and His Holiness and His Glory and Goodness. I guess you could make the argument their sin drives them closer to God.

The only sin that keeps us from God is basically unrepentace- you could lump it in with a heard heart, or unbelief, or pride- its all kind of basically the same animal. Known, habitual, unrepented sin will most likely make you at least feel alienated from God- yet his spirit hounds you and is ever present, ready to invade that hard heart at the first sign of repentance. Why do you think Jonah got into such a snit with God and experienced the big fish ordeal and everything? He was mad because he knew if the Ungodly so much as hinted at repentance God would forgive them. He didn?t like that. Of course, my theory was that he was told in Sunday school that sin separates us from God. Permanently.