Suppose the richest person in the world decides to be your best friend. He calls you to his estate and says “all the riches that I own, I want to share with you”.  

Wow!  What a deal!  

Who would pass up an opportunity like this?

​

But right after you get this offer you start to curse the man, abuse him in every way imaginable, and destroy his property. 

 

What would the rich man rightfully do?

​

He would have you removed from his premises.  You have offended him and therefore you don’t deserve his kindness.

​

Have you ever considered, that this is what we have all done to God?

​

God greatly wants a relationship with us, but we curse Him, have no interest in Him and then destroy His creation.  This is sin. Sin is anything that violates God.  Just like we violated the rich man and were separated from him, the same thing occurs when we violate God.  In fact, God says,

​

"…your iniquities [sins] have made a separation between you and your God…"

Isaiah 59:2.

​

But unlike being separated from a rich person, to be separated from God is to be separated from life, and not just life as we know it, but eternal life.  You see, God is the creator and sustainer of life, and the only source of eternal life.  So separation from God means death, not just physical death but death forever, experiencing God‘s wrath in a place called hell, which was created for the devil and his angels.  Because "the wages [results] of sin is death" Romans 6:23. You can't live in violation of what the creator of life says and expect to receive the life He offers.  

 

Additionally, God doesn’t grade on a curve. Every thought, every word, every action are recorded in books that will one day be opened; and on that day we will be judged for every violation.  

 

But that’s not the end of the story.  In the example we started with, the rich man kicked us off his estate, never to be seen again.  But in God's story, Jesus "…was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9 . God came into this world as a real man, named Jesus, and went so low to the point of death on a cross, so that we who deserved to die for our sins could be made perfect and live with God forever!

 

So, is sin a big deal?

 

Absolutely, but sin doesn't have to be the end of your story.