How Relationship With SIN Helps Relationship With GOD

Whenever I think of my Christian faith I think of paradox.

Whenever I’m weak I’m able to draw on God’s strength.  If I’m humble I can expect to be exalted at the right time, but if I’m exalting myself, I can expect to be humbled.  And so on.

There is the upside down reality of a faith employed in obedience: suffer well what pain a good and sovereign God could disallow or remove from our lives, and we learn a secret that anyone could learn about life, but a secret nobody can learn without experiencing it.

Sin is a blessing.  Oh I know it’s a curse in many ways, but it’s also a blessing.  Sin forces us into the heartland of God, if only we’ll acknowledge the truth: none of us should be happy that we’re sinners prone to sins against God, others and ourselves.

Sin is a double blessing when we relate with it.  God has a double portion of His grace available to use when we stare our sin in its face, bringing it into the community of truth by His glorious light, purging us of our darkness.  There sin, in the company of the Spirit, lies exposed, where grace annuls shame, and provides anointing for healing.

There’s the double portion of blessing: 1) bring the sin into the community of light, and not one iota of shame is experienced.  It is what it is.  Acknowledgement makes for acceptance.  Our sin is no surprise to God.  God is simply pleased we’ve chosen to be real about the truth; 2) In acceptance of the sinner in us, there is healing to overcome the sin.

First, there’s no shame experienced.  Second, the Spirit’s power is known in the healing.

All this is possible because we’ve chosen to relate with our sin; to be honest about it.

Honesty reveals courage, revealing faith that believes obedience to the truth will be blessed.  And it is.

Our relationship with sin helps with our relationship with God, because God loves truth so much, He blesses our honesty by a double portion.  So, our relationship with sin, in the light of truth, means we’re in relationship with God, where the truth will set us free.

Another way of putting it is:

Honesty about sin is blessed doubly, because God loves truth so much He:

1) frees us of shame, and 2) heals us.

Bringing sin into the light, brings us into relationship with grace, bringing us freedom from shame, which brings us healing, to the glory of God.

Don’t be ashamed of your sin.  Be honest about it before God.  Let God do the work in you by His grace.  And watch what miracles He procures in you by your obedience.

© 2016 Steve Wickham.