God's love and forgiveness covers over our sin, but it never gives us an excuse to sin. Sin is still sin; it is still wrong no matter how you look at it.
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. 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 59:1-2
We will never be able to do something "bad" enough that God cannot reach us. Our sins will, however, put a separation between us and Him until we come back and repent for doing wrong.
"What IS "wrong" technically though?" you ask? Well, God's moral laws have been written on the heart of every person; man and woman alike. It has been this way since time began. Adam and his family knew it was wrong to murder and they didn't have the ten commandments telling them so. We know what's wrong because we have morals lows embedded into us. We cannot escape them no matter how hard we try; we cannot convince ourselves that our wrong is not really so wrong.
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." -1 John 1:8
I have heard so many people say "well, if you think it's okay to (i.e) be an adulterer, then that's okay. We all have our own version of right and wrong. So many people do it nowdays, it's not really immoral anymore anyway." ("You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28) I'm sorry if it offends you, but wrong is wrong no matter where you've come from or what you've been told.
"There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." -Proverbs 6:16-19
Since the garden of Eden to the present day, people's hearts have turned away from God. Nobody wants to be told what is right and wrong because they already KNOW...who likes the feeling of conviction? That feeling that you have done something wrong and you know it but won't admit it... I sure don't. Even people who do wrong and say they think it's fine, deep down they know perfectly well what they're doing is wrong; otherwise, why would all these people be hiding what they're doing?
"For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing and denying the Lord, and turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words." -Isaiah 59:12-13
Our sins will always testify against us...it doesn't matter what we say or how we try to wiggle our way out of judgment, our sin will always have a stronger voice than our excuses.
We would be in a hopeless situation if there were not a single voice that could drown out our sins cry of guilt.
There would be no good news...no hope of redemption...
Hope has a name; it is Jesus Christ. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it covers over our sins. We can't just take this cozy blanket and cover up with it...no...it requires the acknowledgment that we have sinned against a holy and just God. Accepting cleanliness does not mean you have free reign to do whatever you want...I know, I know...some of you are thinking "well that sounds incredibly boring... It's like I would be chained, having to do what someone else wants for the rest of my life." This is so far from the truth! Is it better to trust in someone you see constantly making mistakes (mankind) or in someone who lived a perfect life, but felt the same pain, hurt, rejection, etc that you feel today?
"Thus says the LORD, “ Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD." -Jeremiah 17:5
You see, every human is born with a natural desire to be loved/accepted. You can say you are fine where you are, but you will be searching for the rest of your life all the same. Being a Christian doesn't mean you live a boring or dull life! I think Christians have more "fun" than anyone else possibly CAN have, because we have the freedom to choose what we do. When you live a life without Christ, all you CAN do is sin...so it's really not free at all. Let me put it this way, I "don't" do certain things, not because I CAN'T, but because I have the fullness of Jesus inside of me, therefore I have no desire for other things (i.e getting drunk, high on drugs, messing around with any guy who looks "fun", partying with people who live for addictions). People have literally asked me if I'm going to go "get wild" when I turn 21...and my answer is always the same: I have no desire to. It is not that I think I'm better than you...that's the last thing I should be thinking... I just already have my "high" (if it makes more sense that way) and have joy with where I am in life, because my joy is full because of Jesus Christ.
God says those who shake their fist at Him, one day even THEY will fall on their knees and proclaim that He is God.
He is truth, righteousness, holiness, justice. He cannot allow everyone a free pass out of hell...and there IS a hell...there has to be a price for sin. But because He loved us SO much, instead of making us lay down our own lives for freedom...He laid His down for every single person...just leaving us with a decision to make. One simple (HUGE) decision that means the difference between eternal life with God Himself and burning in a lake of fire.
I am far from perfect...and that is why I need Jesus' blood sacrifice. I would be on my way to hell right now if it weren't for Him; I owe Him my life because He SAVED my life. Refraining from a few things that aren't good for me anyway? I think it's the least I could choose to do.
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