S-I-N

Have you ever noticed something interesting about the word, "SIN"?

There's a big "I" in the middle of it!

Basically, sin can be summed up in one word: SELFISHNESS.

If you think about it, every sinful act, thought, desire, impulse is screaming with selfishness. It's what "I want", how "I feel", what "I think" that motivates a selfish person. and what is at the root of all this?

P-R-I-D-E! [Notice that there's a big "I" in the middle of this word as well!]

Pride and selfishness go hand in hand. Our pride leads us to believe that we "deserve it", so we indulge ourselves rather than submit to G-d. We serve ourselves instead of considering others and how we affect them.

Paul instructed the believers in Romans 14:7 that, "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself."

What did Paul mean by that?

Simply this: We belong to G-d. If we live selfishly, we are sinning against G-d and against others as well.

How we live, the decisions we make, everything we do, affects our relationship with the L-rd. And with others. The verse after this one bears this out.

In these last days, we are finding that very few actually care how they offend a Holy G-d or how they affect others. Our churches would reflect a far different picture otherwise.

The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:13---"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

All the works of the flesh that are listed in Galatians 5 are selfish. When we commit sin we are saying, in essence, that we do not have a regard for the L-rd and what He wants. Instead of our lives being a holy sacrifice unto G-d, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1), we settle ourselves on the throne. Instead of living for His good pleasure, we live for our own.

What a pitifully poor way to live! Not only do we rob G-d of what is due Him, we deprive ourselves and others of so much. Little do we realize what we do.

Recently, I read an account of the earthquake that occurred in New England in 1727, and what resulted from it. You can read the account here:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1727_11_10_hs.php

The result of this incredible, massive earthquake was a great revival. The first thing the Christians did after their initial shock was to run to their pastors and churches! Unbelievers sought out the same.

Their homes and possessions were not on their minds---G-d was on their minds, and they knew their own hearts were not right with Him!

Christians repented of their sin and others came to know the L-rd. But, in time, after the initial fear of G-d waned, people returned to their old way of thinking and living.

Do we see that kind of revival happening today when disasters strike? Sadly, I think not.

Instead of trials and testings humbling us, we find that people's hearts grow harder. Pride sears consciences.

It's a sad commentary on these last days that even we believers are so self-indulgent, self-righteous, self-absorbed, so full of "I".

Our sinful human nature does not want to submit to the L-rd. It does not want to admit we have done wrong; rather, we want to transfer our guilt onto someone or something else.

Repentance doesn't come easily to us.

Proverbs 20:6 says that, "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?"

Let's look at what the L-rd tells us will happen in the not-too-distant future:

Revelation 16:18-21---"And there were voices, and thunders, and lightenings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before G-d, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed G-d because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great."

It's rare these days to find that people have soft, humble hearts that say, "I have sinned!" "It's me, it's me, Oh L-rd, standing in the need of prayer!" So, it's easy to see that people will be that hard-hearted during the tribulation. Instead of their great suffering turning their hearts to G-d, they will curse Him.

The Bible tells us that before this takes place, in the last days, that there will come a falling away first (II Thess. 2:3). I think we are there.

A cavalier attitude towards sin is the norm these days: "Well, everyone sins." "We all do things wrong." "It's really no big deal." So, we give sin a pass in our lives. There is little or no regard for how the L-rd views things.

One way to prevent or remedy that in our own hearts is to get rid of the "I" and replace it with "O"!

Let us have none of self on the throne.

Rather than S-I-N, let it be the S-O-N Who rules our hearts!