If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. [1 John 1:8-10 (CSB)]
Flawed people that we are, we want to play down our culpability before God by minimizing sin and thinking of some sins as less significant than others. We’d like to think if we avoid the “big ten” Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai that we’re good and righteous people. God didn’t stop telling us how to behave with those two tablets! What about the hundreds of commands we find in the New Testament? Can we truthfully say we do nothing “out of selfish ambition or conceit” while we do everything “without grumbling and arguing?” [Phil 2:3,14] Are we ever conceited, boastful, or envious? [Gal 5:26] Do we show favoritism or partiality? [James 2:3-4] How are we doing in the loving our enemies and praying for them, forgiveness, and self-denial departments? [Matt 5:22,44;16:24] Are we truly free of “malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander”? [1 Pet 2:1] Those sins are no less an affront to God than worshipping an idol or murdering a spouse. Every sin we commit damages our relationship with God.
Nevertheless, we tend to consider certain sins (like murder or having an extramarital affair) as “felonies” while a little cheating on our taxes or lusting after the blond at work are mere “misdemeanors.” In spite of Jesus’ words about anger and lust in Matthew 5, we more readily ignore and excuse our road rage or wandering eye than we would the “big” sins of murder or adultery. What we forget when we define sins as being big or small, major or minor, mortal or venial, is that any sin offends God. Regardless of its “size,” every sin defies Him and His authority and gives lie to our witness.
Granted, the consequences of our sins vary. Merely coveting Mary’s diamond tennis bracelet is of little consequence to her but my stealing that bracelet means she’s out several thousand dollars! I can hate my ex-husband without his ever knowing it but, if I kill him, his life is over! The worldly consequences to me would change with these sins, as well. While coveting and hate can sour my disposition and ruin relationships, theft and murder could land me in prison! Nevertheless, while the real-life consequences vary with the offense, the spiritual consequences are the same. Regardless of the transgression, every sin is rebellion against God and His plan for our world. While Christ paid the penalty for our sins, one day, we will give an accounting of our behavior (both good and bad) to God.
Scripture tells us to confess our sins but, when we minimize them, we fail to see them for what they are. Confession, however, is just the beginning—the next step is repentance. By minimizing those sins, we fail to understand the need for change or even the need for a savior! It’s only when we truly see and admit what sinful fallen creatures we are that we finally see our need and turn to Jesus!
And indeed, there is no little sin, because there is no little God to sin against. In general, what to (humans) seems a small offense, to Him who knows the heart may appear a heinous crime. [John Wesley]
Repentance is as much a mark of a Christian, as faith is. A very little sin, as the world calls it, is a very great sin to a true Christian. [Charles Spurgeon]
Having spared Israel’s first-born males during the final plague on Egypt, God called for every first-born Israelite male, whether man or beast, to be consecrated to Him. The entire male population of the tribe of Levi was 22,000 (about the same number of first-born Israelite men) and God substituted the Levites for the other first-born males. Substituting the Levites for the first-born male in every tribe centralized the sacred duties to one tribe without disrupting the other tribes’ families.
We’re two weeks into the season of Lent. While we typically associate this time before Easter with giving up something, it is more than simply abstaining or fasting from some thing or things. Fasting without prayer is nothing more than a diet and abstaining from some pleasure without prayer is more like dry January than a Lenten discipline! Without prayer, fasting and abstinence are physical acts but not spiritual ones! When we give up something for Lent, we need to deliberately and intentionally seek the Lord in prayer at the same time!
Sunset tonight begins the 14th day of Adar in the Hebrew year 5783 and the Jewish celebration of Purim (or the Festival of Lots). Lasting until sunset tomorrow night, Purim commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation in the ancient Persian Empire. Purim means “lots” in Persian and this holy day gets its name from the way the diabolical Haman determined the date to “destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions.”
When writing about Esther last week, I thought how terrified she must have been when Mordecai asked her to step out of her comfort zone to save the Jews. Even though she was queen, her access to Xerxes was severely limited. Living secluded in a private chamber in the women’s quarters, she didn’t regularly dine with the king. Powerless, she was the one to be summoned rather than the one who did the summoning and she hadn’t been summoned by Xerxes for a month. She was just one of many beautiful women in the king’s harem and perhaps someone else had caught his eye. The previous queen was banished when she defied the king; Esther could expect nothing less if her presence wasn’t welcomed. The young queen had a simple choice: comfort or courage. She chose courage and saved a nation!
Devotions of the Heart 