“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Beloved, This week we need to see a lesson about God’s holiness that every one of us should take seriously. Several of the Bible studies we have undertaken together this last year have contained this verse from Isaiah. It tells us that sin is serious enough that we should take every opportunity to see if there is any sin in our lives that is separating us from God. According to this verse sin is such a serious subject that it creates a separation, a barrier between us and God. When we study prayer we see that this sin barrier hinders our prayers so that God does not hear us when we cry out to him. When we study worship we see that this sin barrier prevents us from entering into God’s presence where true worship occurs. When we study what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount we see that this sin barrier is what prevents us from entering into eternal life; that is it prevents our very salvation. Now as we study 1 John, we have seen that this sin barrier is so important that God has given us very clear and to-the-point instructions about how we can know if we are living in sin or not. Does God take sin seriously? Yes, absolutely! Why then do so many people allow unrepentant sin in their daily lives? I think it is because they don’t really understand what is at stake. You see, your rebellion before God, that is your sin, violates God Himself. Regardless of how blatant or how subtle the sin is, it is an affront to God who is holy and perfect. It does not matter what form the sin takes, it tangibly separates you from God. Perhaps you have never seen your sin in this way before. Perhaps you have never been told that your sin is separating you from God’s presence. Isn’t it the perfect time for you to be as serious as God about the very thing that separates you from Him?
Word for the weak
Separation, (914) בָּדַל [baw•dal] v. translates as separate; divide; severed; separation. To divide, separate; sever; to separate, divide into parts; to withdraw from; to be excluded. Used this week in Isaiah 59: 2.
Top
