What is sin?
The simple answer is anything that attempts to separate us from God. We cannot be separated from God, but satan will use every trick in his book to make us believe we are.
Satan tempts us, sometimes successfully lures us, then accuses and shames us and then he tries to assign blame.
Satan will try to get you to blame someone else for your sin.
Then he will blame you for being so weak willed.
For his not so grand finish, he will try to get you to blame God.
Satan will come down hard with any scriptures he can quote about God punishing generations to come for your sin.
And, of course, he will also tell you that you were doomed from the beginning. He will tell you Adam and Eve did a terrible thing that was so bad God cursed everyone from that point on. He will tell you that you were born sinful.
He will tell you there are some sins God never completely forgives or forgets.
He will tell you God will always punish you unmercifully for every mistake you make.
He will tell you God is so unmerciful He will keep punishing even innocent people who did not commit the sin.
He will tell you the same thing he told Adam and Eve. “God’s coming. You better run fast and hide from Him. This is going to get ugly.”
Satan has one goal. Try to separate you from God.
Are you cursed by God because of Adam and Eve’s sin? Were you born sinful? No to both questions.
However, even though you were born pure, the world into which you came made it like you were born into a mud puddle. It would be very hard not to get dirty.
When we are very young, we begin to be exposed to the sin of others. We learn from our parents or those in authority that sins have consequences.
Unfortunately this may be where we get our negative view of how God deals with sinful people.
Some parents try to teach their children through punishment or instilling fear of punishment. They then confuse children by telling them they assaulted them in love.
That is not The Perfect Love God shows to us when we sin.
John said,
There is no fear in love. But perfect Love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in Love.
1 John 4:18
It would be a different world if all children were taught about compassion, mercy, forgiveness and grace through the lives of their parents and other authority figures.
Jesus taught that rather than molding our children to be like us, we should look to them to see evidence of Him.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14
He also made it very clear how He felt about those who hindered the little ones being able to see The Love of The Father God for His Children.
Jesus said,
If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in Me — to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.
Mark 9:42
Why is this so important? Because what you believe about how God deals with His sinful children will directly affect how you see The Easter Story. In fact, it will affect your whole life.
We will next explore how God The Father relates to His Children.
