"Sin Creates Death"

We are way too careless with our attitudes toward sin and in our lives at times. The love of God is spoken so often (which is right) but we seem to miss the seriousness of sin in God's love. I had an elder in the congregation where he served tell me that we "accept anyone who comes to us. We just love, love, love! What more is there?" It shook me a little so I had to inquire further to which I found out what I thought he was saying. They were looking for numbers and no matter what in the life of an individual, they were made to feel warm and accepted. The real question is does God accept them? Yes, but based on Him and His righteousness and not us.

How many times have we heard or quoted, "The wages of sin is death!" (Rom. 6:23)? Death...death...DEATH! Sin is a horror to God. Simply stated, you sin, you die spiritually. You don't just continue to live in a loving relationship with the Lord in unrepented sin. You don't just 'slide' in and have fellowship with God. Because people accept you, pat you on the back, embrace you and tell you how much they love you doesn't take away the reality that the blow of sin has dealt in your life. Sin separates one from God! Let me repeat: sin separates one from God! Not kinda...not just a little mistake but death encompasses the soul and the heart senses are dulled because sin has an eternal impact on the human. If we would only look seriously at the cross there we would see the impact of sin. The horrific scene that sin was out to destroy everything of God. The agony, the immense struggle, the pain staking in the heart of God because sin kills humans and Jesus death shows that.

You sin, you die! That's the fact. To just embrace everyone without their heart turning to the Lord and embracing Him leaves one in death. To tell people we love them without their whole heart turning to the Lord because their heart was touched by the price paid for their personal death keeps them in death. They may act alive and say they believe but death is theirs to the fullest and only by coming to Christ can one have life (I John 5:12). If we continue just embracing people without their heart turning to the Lord, we end up with a congregation of...DEATH! (And those very ones that are 'loved' without their heart turning use the brethren to the fullest! That's another outreach of death.)