What is sin?

What is sin?

It's the three letter word that seems to haunt us. But sometimes we wonder... what is sin? Yes, murder is definitely a sin and so is stealing. But is it really wrong to say a little lie? Or to watch this TV show that maybe glorifies the wrong sort of thing?

Sin is anything that is  displeasing or dishonoring to God. Sin is anything apart from God.

I think Paul puts it best....

1 Corinthians 10:23, "“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up."

I think what trips us up most of the time aren't the sins that are obvious, but the ones that are generally accepted, or what we do with the privacy of our own phone or computer.

There are certain things in life that are shown as they are: evil. But more often than not, a lot of things are glorified that are sins as well.

Jesus said that hatred and anger against someone is as bad as murder (Matthew 5:21-22).

Gossiping is sin. Sure, a lot of the time we don't call it that but talking about someone negatively behind their back is gossip.

Lying... no matter how big or small the lie is... is sin.

Oh and please don't think that what you do without anyone else's knowledge stays hidden. Luke 12:2 says, "There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known." God knows everything that you do.

But also other things. Maybe there's a book series or a TV show that's popular and you know that it glorifies things that the Bible clearly states is wrong. Even if something isn't necessarily bad doesn't mean that it's what's best. As Paul said, not everything is beneficial.

That's why it is so important to guard our ears, our eyes, and beware of where we go. What we fill our minds with is evident through our actions and words.

I think sin is one of the subjects that we avoid. At least we avoid talking about our sin. But as Romans 3:23 says, we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is grace and forgiveness, though!

One thing, however. I'm not writing this post trying to accuse you, or trying to judge you. Only God has the right to judge. I'm writing this post from love. I'm writing this post as much to myself as I am to you. When we sin against God it breaks His heart. He wants to have a loving relationship with us. But when we sin we're stepping away from Him. He wants us to repent and to live for Him.
God said to not have any idols before Him and when we put something in our lives before Him, that's an idol.

But we can learn from these times! Walking with Jesus is a lifelong thing. Being a Christian isn't being on time for church on Sundays, or serving with kids (those things are great though). Being a follower of Jesus means walking with Him. Not a step ahead or behind Him. But when we sin we seem to step off to the side of the path. But if we do that we're going to get behind and lose our way. We learn from these times.

Let's try to live for Jesus in all areas of our lives. That may mean to stop reading a certain book series, or perhaps to be more careful of what we say. Remember, while a lot of things aren't necessarily bad, they can still trip us up and aren't always beneficial.


1 Corinthians 10:31, " So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God."

I wanted this, didn't I?

I’m alone with nothing to do… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m with friends talking and laughing… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m spending a day in town… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m traveling many places… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m watching movies all day… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I have a great job… I wanted this, didn’t I?

Then why do I feel restless inside?

How come these desires now feel likes lies?

Everything I thought that would satisfy me,

Left me emptier than I thought I could be.

When will this be over?

I thought that this next thing would make me happy.

Why can’t truth be seen?

Why do these desires fill me if none of them will fulfill me?

I feel caught between what I desire so badly,

And what will actually make me free.

God, I know that none of these things can satisfy.

This world has been feeding me lies.

I need You.

I need Your truth.

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We need something. We just all look for it in different places. Relationships, jobs, books, food.... we all seek to be satisfied. But somehow we don't realize that the only place we can truly be satisfied is found in Jesus.

Psalm 27:8, "My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face."

Our world fills our heads with lies. But let me tell you something: you will never be satisfied if you get the perfect job, if you have great relationships, if you find temporary relief in something, if you get to your ideal body weight, if you wander restlessly. The only true satisfaction is found in Christ Jesus. 

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you."

Identity

Ever wish you were someone else? Ever wonder what your life would be like if you went to a different school, had a different job, or perhaps a different family? Ever wonder what your life would be like if you lived in a different country? Ever wish God had created you differently?

I'm pretty sure we've all had questions like these run through our minds. Sometimes its just simple curiosity, but other times its a desperate wish to be someone other than yourself.

But think about it... wouldn't the world be pretty boring and messed up if everyone was the same? If we all had green eyes, we wouldn't know the beauty of brown eyes. If we went to the same school, well, that'd pretty much be impossible. If we all had the same experiences we wouldn't get to have the excitement of sharing them with someone else.

What I'm trying to say is that our world would be dull if we were all the same.

But God has blessed us each differently. We go to the schools we do for a reason. He's the one who made us look the way we do. He placed us each in the families we're in. We live in different places. Some of us have never lived in more than one place, while others have never lived anywhere longer than two years.

No one should look down at you because you're different from them. And you shouldn't look down at someone because they're different from you.

Some of us were home schooled, or went to a public school, or a private school. Some of us have black hair, red hair, or blonde hair. Some of us will be engineers, lawyers, writers, cooks, waitresses, or in the clothing industry. There are so many differences we have. There is beauty in that.

But we aren't all completely different. In the ways that count we're the same.

We all struggle.
We all have feelings.
We all desire to be loved.
We all need Jesus.

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If you were asked to describe yourself what would you say?

The funny one in the group, the sarcastic one, the "church going kid", a writer, a dancer, a soccer player, a dreamer, indecisive, a leader... the list can go on forever. These things may very well describe us in one way or another. But these things aren't our identity. When we label ourselves as something it sticks. Sometimes other people try to label us and sometimes we do it to ourselves. And when we do we get stuck in an endless cycle. We think that because we're indecisive we can never make a decision. We think that because we're a talented artist we shouldn't try out for the basketball team. We get stuck in a cycle of believing these things about us are who we are.

For those of us who are in Christ, who are children of God, that should be our identity. We are children of the most High God.... that's the only identity that matters!

1 John 3:1 says, "See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!"

Ephesians 1:4-6, "For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One."


I didn't really touch on the subject of beauty in this post, that's often another struggle when it comes to our identity. But Riley recently posted on her blog about beauty and you can click here to read her thoughts about it.

Just remember, God created you the way you are for a reason. Your identity shouldn't even be who you are, but who God is. The one identity that matters is who we are in Christ.


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What are your thoughts on the subjects? What do you find your identity in? What are some struggles you have with your identity? Any favorite Bible verses on the subject?

I will praise you

Psalm 150,

"Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his powerful acts;
praise him for his abundant greatness.

Praise him with trumpet blast;
praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and flute.

Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!"





At the end of a long day, when going through a hard time, when struggling with something.... often praising God is the last thing on our minds.

Yet, it's often those times when we should praise God most.

The world is evil and we don't understand why people commit unspeakable crimes.
The world is chaos and we're just trying to hang on for dear life.
The world is broken and we just want to feel whole.
The world can be ugly and we want to search for beauty.

How can we praise God when we see how the world is? By looking at who He is.

God is good and He remains so, always.
God is constant and He is faithful.
God is pure, holy, and perfect.
God is beautiful and majestic.

I love the book of Habakkuk and it holds some powerful truths. The book is a series of prayers from Habakkuk to God on behalf of his people, and God's response to those prayers. The book opens up with Habakkuk asking God questions. The Chaldeans - a cruel nation in those days - were headed towards Habakkuk's country, Judah. Habakkuk couldn't understand why in the world God, who is holy and good, would allow that to happen.

We often ask God questions. We don't understand. It's okay to ask questions.

But I think my favorite part of the book of Habakkuk is the ending.

Habakkuk 3:17-19,

"Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though the flocks disappear from the pen
and there are no herds in the stalls,
yet I will celebrate in the Lord;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
The Lord my Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like those of a deer
and enables me to walk on mountain heights!"

The book begins with questions and it ends with Habakkuk praising God. He's not praising God because he got all the answers, or because everything started going right. No, he praised God despite the fact that everything in his world was chaotic, to say the least.


No matter what we're going through, we can choose to praise God. After all, He deserves our praise no matter what.

Let's strive to praise God, even though we may not always feel like it.


1 Chronicles 29:13, "Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name."