One of my preaching mentors was Jack Reed who preached in Manchester, Tennessee for several years. He and his wife, Sue, had a nice bit of banter before arriving at a worship service or a revival. She would say, “What will you preach on?” He would answer, “Sin.” She would ask, “For it, or against it?” He’d always answer, “Against it!”

The inspired Psalmist declared where God stood on the subject of sin. It is plain and simple. The psalmist wrote,

“The Lord pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help. But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth,” (Psalm 34:15-16 NET).

Isaiah 59:2 teaches that it is the sinfulness of human beings that separates them from God. Since God is complete righteousness, he is opposed to sinful conduct. Those who think a relationship with God is possible while not abandoning sin are mistaken. If they die in that condition, they will be eternally sorry.

A relationship with God is possible but first one must learn to oppose sin as much as God does. If your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin as Isaiah described, God will reject you from any relationship with him (Isaiah 59:3).

In Romans 6:3 the apostle Paul asked, “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Though this question still lives in holy writing, its force is denied by people who believe they can claim membership in a church and yet never give up the practice of sin. Evidently, they haven’t realized such is not possible.

God loves everyone but he won’t have a relationship with those engaged in a life of sin. The writer of Hebrews demonstrated this truth when he wrote, “we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely,” (Hebrews 12:2 NET).

Obey the gospel today and have a close relationship with God by ending the practice of sin.

by John Henson