A Brief Reflection On Sin

A Brief Reflection on Sin by Lennox Chenje

At its conception, a sin might be a random and infrequent act, but, if it is allowed to make frequent and welcomed appearances, what may have started as a simple thing, becomes a strong and almost immovable presence. Sin has the repugnant ability of being able to remove a person from the path and purpose of which God has prepared for him or her. Take for example sexual sin, in its full establishment, this sin can present itself in a number of varying but distinct conditions, which range from adultery, pornography, homosexuality, masturbation, incest, lust, all of which, lead to an individual living in constant struggle [Matthew 15:18-20 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'...]. The idea that the world has accepted something, therefore it is fine, is as perverted as the sin itself, because it assumes that the values of man supersede the unbreakable law of God [Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death]. Sexual sin may start of as what seem like innocent flirting or entertainment, but like a raging river that has its origin as a trickling stream, it will soon overtake the individual, leaving him or her, both frustrated and unable to progress further in the purposes of God. It is important to state from the onset a number of truths, which by their very nature, are irrefutable and uncancellable. The first truth is that God is holy and that sin hinders the full expression of that holiness in an individual [Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear]. This truth can be shown clearly, when Saul and David’s lives are viewed in contrast. Although both were anointed with God Holy Spirit so that they could be equipped to do the things that please God, Saul sort to elevate himself at the expense of God and as a result, God rejected him as being unworthy [1 Samuel 15:24-26 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them...But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!"].

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Chenje\ A brief reflection on sin \ October 2009 Brief Reflections Series

David, unlike Saul, repented earnestly, when confronted with the reality of his sin [2 Samuel 12:9-13 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'...Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die]. The second truth is that, sin has the knack of leading to the premature end to a person ministry. This fact is clearly shown through Moses, who, for many years had been subject and obedient to God. On one occasion, Moses, went beyond himself, and gave himself credit, which in realty only belongs to God. Moses’ mandate was to speak to the rock so that the water could flow, but instead he struck the rock, attribute an anger to God, which was not present [Numbers 20:7-12 The LORD said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them"]. The path and duration from allowing a small sin to become a dominating issue in a person’s life, varies from person to person, but the result is the same. Unlike Saul, God will not take His spirit from a believer, but like Moses, a sinner’s ministry, may be prematurely curtailed. Sin has led to big ministries being pulled down and uprooted, and if it has happened once, it will happen again because God is not a respecter of persons [Acts 10:34-35 {KJV} Then Peter opened his mouth, and said , Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him]. If you are battling a small and nagging sin, you need to deal with it now and not wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow that small sin will not be small any more [Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord]. If you have an established sin, which has grown from being an anthill into being a mountain, you need to deal with it now and not wait until that sin has brought about your fall [Proverbs 5:22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast].

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Chenje\ A brief reflection on sin \ October 2009 Brief Reflections Series

Sin of any size that has a dominating hold on your life requires dedicated, fasting, prayer, and humility [Matthew 17:21 {KJV} Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting]. God can fix all things and He will deal with every sin that you surrender to Him. When you surrender a sin, make sure that you do not go back to reclaim it. Sure, there will be days when that sin will look desirable, but you must learn to quickly run to God and hide yourself in Him instead of making excuses for that sin. When you do this, you will be able to see that sin for what it is, that it is an undesirable thing that serves only in pulling you away from God. When you do sin as we all do, you need to repent, and seek God forgiveness and cleansing [1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness].

A brief reflection on sin Copyright 2009 © Lennox Chenje

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

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Chenje\ A brief reflection on sin \ October 2009 Brief Reflections Series