Seeing Sin as Sin

So yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centers in NYC. As I was trolling Facebook yesterday, I watched some videos that were posted that took me right back to 2001, and I felt, once again, the sting of the horrific events that unfolded that day. I read some recollections of friends who posted, and I got to thinking that in those days, we saw sin for what it was. We saw the horror perpetrated on American citizens and we decided that there was nothing too drastic to do to find justice for those who were killed. We were not whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, or Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, or Mormons, or even men and women. We were Americans...we were "One Nation Under God!"

But as I look back on that paragraph that I just wrote, I realize something else about that day. We did not see our sin. We saw the sins of those who committed these violent acts. We saw the sins of the organizations behind them, supporting them, funding them. We saw the sin of dictators around the world who hate us, and would do anything to keep America from being the great nation it is.

But we didn't see our sin. We didn't see that the ripple effects of such a horrific attack were really the result of the first sin...which is, but inheritance, ours. You see, the Bible tells us that Adam (the first to introduce sin into this world) is the father of all who came after him. And as a result, we inherit his nature...the sin nature. Every man, woman and child ever born after that has been born with a sin nature. We are all guilty, and we are all sinners. So when we see sin, no matter who is doing it, we must see it as ours...and it should grieve us.

When we see sin as sin, a couple of things happen. We see in Isaiah chapter six, when Isaiah comes face-to-face with God Himself, what is he struck with? He is struck with the fact that he is a sinner, and he is standing in the presence of the Holiest of Holy Beings! Now the wonderful things happen right after that and Isaiah is forgiven, pardoned and covered so that he can go on and do the work that God has called him to do, but he is initially struck with his sin because of God's holiness. When we see sin for what it really is, we will be struck again with just how holy God is.

The second thing that should happen when we see our sin for what it is that it makes us sick. When we see God for who He is, and see us for who we are, and see sin for what it is, it should really make us grieve. We are called to live holy lives in the midst of this unholy culture, but God is good, and He is not only able, but willing and ready to forgive us and use us for His purposes.

So do you see your sin for what it is? Do you see your sin in light of Who God is? If not, take some time today and get your focus on God, and ask His forgiveness for the things that are not right in your life, and then live for Him!

Comment below if you'd like to share anything about what you were doing or your reaction to 9/11. And we'll see you on Sunday!