Sunday: The Effects of Sin
Isa: 59:1-21
In Isaiah 58:3 the people asked God: “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” (NRSV).
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
In contrast, Isaiah 59:1 implies another question, something like: “Why do we call for the Lord’s hand to save us, but He does not? Why do we cry to Him, but He does not hear?” Isaiah answers that God is able to save and hear (Isa: 59:1). His failure to do either, however, is another matter entirely.
Read Isaiah 59:2. What message is being given here that answers the question in Isaiah 59.1-2, NRSV). Here is one of the clearest statements in the Bible regarding the effect of sin on the divine-human relationship. Isaiah spends the rest of chapter 59 elaborating on this point, which is seen all through human history: Sin can destroy our relationship with the Lord and thus lead to our eternal ruin—not because sin drives God away from us but that it drives us away from God.
Read Genesis 3:8. How does this example reveal the principle expressed in the above paragraph?
Sin is primarily a rejection of God, a turning away from Him. The sin act actually feeds upon itself in that not only is the act a turning away from God but the result of the act causes the sinner to turn away even more from the Lord. Sin separates us from God, not because God wouldn’t reach out to the sinner (indeed, the whole Bible is almost nothing but the account of God’s reaching out to save sinners) but because sin causes us to reject His divine overtures to us. That is why it is so important that we tolerate no sin in our lives.
| In what ways have you experienced the reality that sin causes a separation from God? What, in your own experience, is the only solution to the problem? |
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Most of us know hydrogen sulphide by its more descriptive name, "Rotten Egg Gas". We recognise its offensive smell and typically try to avoid it. If your science teachers did their job properly, they would have told you that hydrogen sulphide is also very poisonous. Another interesting fact about this gas is that the smell decreases as the concentration increases. I am acutely aware of this fact because I grew up near Rotorua, a geothermal area, in New Zealand. Our farm was 28 miles from Rotorua and when the wind blew from the south we could smell the distinctive rotten egg smell from the geysers and hot pools in that area. The concentration of the gas must have been quite small by the time it reached us. However, every now and then, in the town of Rotorua itself, people would be killed by a buildup of hydrogen sulphide in their houses. How could that happen? Well, people would smell the gas in their homes, typically from a geothermal leak under their house, and then as the concentration built up they would smell it less and less. They thought they were safe but instead they fell asleep and were ultimately poisoned by the gas.
That is the way it is with sin. The first whiff is offensive, but we get used to it until we don't even notice it any more. And then it kills us. Not only does it deprive us from the life-giving oxygen of God's love, it lulls us into a sense of wellbeing.
I work in the oil and gas sector and I get what you are saying, I wear a gas detector when it goes of because of the gas in the area, that's my cue to get out. It's to bad we couldn't have the same kind of warning a buzzer that tells us to get out.
Bro. Alexander we do have the buzzer to warn us " get out " it is called the Holy Spirit . The bad new is sometimes when we get the buzz we ignore or put it on " snooze " because we choose to do our own pleasure.
Excellent example Bro. Ashton
Blessings always!
Where truth is lacking, as it was in Isaiah's society, the person who turns aside from evil to do good makes himself a prey to others who take advantage of him. This is the final irony of many ironies in all this....! It corresponds to earlier expressions of bad conditions resulting from iniquity.Isaiah was not advocating this type of behavior. He was saying that unless God intervenes for His people, this type of behavior is all that they can expect.
What is a buzzer in my life to warn me I am in danger of separation from the LORD?
It is not spending time every day in Meditation And Prayer (MAP). That is the danger signal.
The Word of the LORD encourages me to daily spend time with Him. It is my MAP to guide me to a closer relationship with Him.
Isaiah 50:4
Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.
Matthew 6:11-12
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins
Luke 9:23
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
2Cor 3:18
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Psalms 66:18 tells us that those who cherish their sins should not expect God to respond to their prayers. So we should give up the sin that separate us from Him and He will shower us with His blessings and His peace.
The effects of sin has magnified the Love of God. It reminds me of the eternal difference made in the life of Judah and Peter. They both sinned. Peter was willing to turn back to Lord. At the resurrection of Jesus Peter is named specifically included to share the good news. Mark 16:7
Judah recognizes his wrong instead of turning back to Jesus goes to the religious leaders to right his wrong.
Turn back to Him. Remember Isaiah 59:1 He will save you. He will listen to your cry for help.
What is holding you back from returning unto Him?
Come to Him, with your bondage and He will deliver you.
Thank you Maurice for the very apt illustration. May we allow the Holy Spirit to sharpen our senses to the insidious nature of sin and the importance of feeding on God's word.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11 KJV.
I am missing Esther's deep and thought-provoking comments.
What is the only solution to the problem? Shirley answered it above. But I thought I would bring more.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV.
I do believe emphasis is call on the Lord, with a contrite heart. It is the power of God that gives us the strength to turn to Him, to turn from our sinful ways. He hears the prayer of a contrite sinner.
Thank you, Maurice for the illustration you provided. As I read Isaiah 59, the following verse caught my eye: "And they make haste to shed innocent blood;" My question is: Does this passage apply to the mass killing of the unborn in the world? Sixty million of unborn babies are killed every year. Why are we Adventist silent on this issue?
We preach about the Sabbath ad nauseam, and we should, but is God more concerned about the worship of God on Sunday than the mass genocide of the unborn?
I watched the collection of ten videos by Evangelist Tim Roosenberg dealing with Islam. He devoted one of them to the Ten Commandments, and he preached about the Sabbath, but not a word about the killing of the unborn.
Most of our evangelists and pastors follow the same pattern. Are we blind to what offends God most?
Thank you Nic for your heads up on this important issue. I share your concern that for many people abortion is the Plan B birth control method. The issue is a complex one and needs careful, considered, compassionate understanding. This is reflected in our Church's official statement on abortion.
It is also worth remembering that if we we want to have a voice on a moral issue, it must be delivered within the framework of compassion. My question and challenge is: what are we as individuals offering as compassionate action to those people who feel that abortion is the option they should take? Sadly, all to often they only hear condemnation?
I agree, Maurice. The statement on abortion approved by the GC Executive Committee represents an excellent defense of the unborn. Unfortunately, the committee added Section Six that deprives the babies with "birth anomalies" of their right to life, thus rendering the document worthless for them and for the babies with Down Syndrome.
The Word of God as recorded in Isa.58:1-2KJV - ”BEHOLD, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid (or, have made him hide) his face from you, that he will not hear.”
God ‘sees’ man at all times, but He interacts with him according to the motivation of his heart. How does He see us? He knows our hearts whether it is turned away or toward Him. What happens when our heart is turned away from Him? It ‘makes Him hide His face’. What happens when our heart is turned toward Him?
Joel2:12-13KJV - ”Therefore also now, saith the LORD, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: (13) And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil (and relents from sending disaster..)”
Regarding experiencing the effects of sin/iniquity, I believe there are two things to consider. Firstly, fallen man is born in iniquity and cannot change this fact. Becoming aware of this fact and believing God's Word, we turn our foot toward the Lord’s Way of Life for Him to ‘turn His Face toward us’ – blessing us with His Mercy and Grace.
Secondly, we cannot succeed and stay faithful if we do not consider the motivation of our heart. Though we may acknowledge Him through our acts, this is not enough. The most important issue we struggle with in our relationship with God is to turn our heart toward Him and allow His Spirit to fill it with His Love. Without committing our whole ‘heart’ and being to the Love of the Lord, we will continue to follow the tempter; always poised to turn our heart toward 'self' and so lead us away from the Heavenly Source of all that is good for and in man.
I think that man's ‘sinning’ is the effect of not having his heart filled with the Love of the Lord any longer. Sin is both a cause and an effect. The first act considered 'sin’ was turning the *heart* of the living soul away from its Maker. Therefore, the resulting state of our iniquity is the effect of having replaced Him as the source to meet all our NEEDS and placed it instead on ourselves.
As the consequence, the creature reaped iniquity; love of ‘self’ replaced love of its Maker. Now, all man is is his creature nature, having lost his oneness with the Father and access to emulate His higher nature.
The only remedy which can heal this breach in our relationship with our Maker is to again turn our hearts fully and singularly toward Him, and Him only!
Psalm 26:1-12KJV
(1)Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
(2,3) Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart; for thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
(4) I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
(5) I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
(6,7) I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine alter, O LORD, that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all they wonderous works.
(8) LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
(9,10) Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
(11,12) But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me for my foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15
I believe there is a meter to measure every physical thing that can affect or kill us in this life. But sin is so terrible there is no meter to measure its effect on humans. Sin not only affects the body/physically, but the spiritual, mental and social well beings of our lives. As mentioned, sin is so powerful it causes separation of us from God. Sin works on the inner man, it destroys from the inside out that's why some referred to sin as a cancer. It is eating us away from the inside out and we do not know. Sin is a process, first we are tempted, then if we yield to the temptation then sin is produced. Temptation is not sin. Sin then lodges and takes up residence in our minds/thoughts. No one can see another mind that is why no one can see or detect sin.
Sin fights against God/his law because the law is holy as he is. Paul says it so beautifully in Romans 7:15-20. It is only by consenting to Jesus can humans have the power to live above sin.
When we feel that our prayers are not heard or answered, we must find out why, since God has given us many “exceeding great and precious promises”.
When we harbor sin, meaning, that we know of its presence and are under conviction of its sinfulness and opposition to the expressed will of God, it becomes a wall between us and God.
The only remedy for this was given by Jesus as He went about preaching: "Repent ye and believe the Gospel!".
Thou shalt not kill. Exod 20:13.
I found this explanation for the sixth commandment.
'All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life; the spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm (for “whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer”); a selfish neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self-indulgence or unnecessary deprivation or excessive labor that tends to injure health—all these are, to a greater or less degree, violations of the sixth commandment. PP 308
Dear Jesus, help me to understand your commandments more fully so I do not leave out of your kingdom.