August 1 “How Does God View Sin?” Deuteronomy 20:17-18
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 20:17-18)
There are so many things that people find to differ about when it comes to beliefs, in the Bible, but I think that we all would agree that God makes it clear how HE feels about sin, in His Word! Somewhere, over the years, I read a story about President Teddy Roosevelt, who went to church by himself, one Sunday morning, because his wife was sick. When he came home, his wife asked him what the preacher preached about. He told her, “His sermon was on sin.” She asked, “What did he say about sin?” Teddy replied, “He said that he was not for it!” Well, God has a great deal more than that to say about this subject. Throughout the Bible, HE emphasizes how He cannot tolerate sin and He tells us how we are to react to sin and Satan. God told Israel – “…KEEP YOURSELVES FROM THE ACCURSED THING, LEST YE MAKE YOURSELVES ACCURSED, WHEN YE TAKE OF THE ACCURSED THING, AND MAKE THE CAMP OF ISRAEL A CURSE, AND TROUBLE IT.” I truly believe that we take sin way too lightly today! The fact is, God does not take sin lightly! He placed His stamp of disapproval, on sin, when He commanded men to stone the rebellious and adulterers. His ultimate act of disapproval came when His own Son, Jesus Christ, became sinful (took our sins upon Himself) on the Cross of Calvary and God, the Father, turned His back on His Beloved Son. Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken Me?” God will not tolerate sin! Why does God warn us to stay away from sin? It is because He knows the trap that it is. Have you ever built a “Rabbit Box?” When I was younger, I would construct a “Rabbit Box,” and put a door on it that was suspended by a string and I would put an apple inside and would rub apple all over the inside, so as to attract the rabbit by the sweet smell. I would place it in the woods and, sure enough, some unsuspecting rabbit would come along, and be attracted by the sweet smell. The closer that the rabbit got to the box, I can imagine that his taste buds began to anticipate the prize. To reach the apple, he would have to walk through the door. To reach the apple, he had to rub against the lever that would release the door so it would shut the rabbit inside---“BOOM!” HE WAS CAUGHT! Believe me, when I say, “Satan has many ‘Rabbit Boxes’ along our path and he is just waiting for us to be attracted by the sweet smell of sin.” If you haven’t guessed, Satan is not our friend! Do not fall into the trap that Satan has laid for you! Just because it looks good to the eye, and just because it smells pleasant to the nose, and just because it looks like fun, DO NOT BE DECEIVED! The traps of Satan always cause our fellowship with God to be compromised and it will always lead to misery! So, open your eyes to see that God hates sin and He gave His only Son, so that we could escape the penalty and burden of sin. Romans 12:9 says, “…Abhor that which is evil…” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Romans 6:2 says, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Brother James tells us to resist the Devil and he will flee from us! So, how does God view sin? How should we look at sin? We need to see it as a trap and we need to recognize that it will break our fellowship with God and to know that it will always bring misery! May God open your eyes today to the subtle ways that Satan is using to break your fellowship with our God! What God does with you, depends upon what you do! It Always has; It Always will!! Be sure, be productive and continue to share the Love of God with others! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!