Have We Lost Our Grief over Sin?

Could it be that part of David’s anguish and grief over his sin was because he knew God and loved him? I think so. After all, the Bible called him a man after God’s own heart. When you love God, then you know how much sin hurts him and if you love the Lord, why would you want to hurt him? 

I have a daughter and I can see the disappointment that wells up in her eyes when she does something that she feels lets us down. She is devastated over it. For those of us who claim to love Jesus, we simply cannot continue to have casual attitudes towards sin in our lives. Again, I am not saying we become judges of others; I am saying we become judges of ourselves.

2. Because You Know Him

If you claim to know God, then sin cannot be an ongoing part of your life. This verse is not saying you will never sin. This verse is saying you don’t live to sin or for sin. When you do sin, your response becomes like David, one of grief and a call to repentance. This happens because you know him and are in fellowship with him. When that fellowship is broken, you quickly seek to repent and restore it.

3. Because His Life Is in You

Since God’s life is in you, in the person of the Holy Spirit, and you have been born of God, this should change your attitude toward sin. If your attitudes towards sin are growing lukewarm, then maybe you need more of God’s Spirit working in your life. Remember, he has not changed, nor has his attitude toward sin. If yours has, then we know where the problem lies.

This article is not about judgment or condemnation. This article is really about a call to holiness. We must be holy because God is holy. For those who don’t know what that means, holiness is not a state of perfection. Holiness is when you are set apart for God’s use. When we are walking in holiness, we see sin the way God sees it and we see people the way God sees them. 

I can’t say where, when, or how the church got off course, but the remedy is simple. Return to your first love. It’s time we rekindle that love for Jesus we had when we first got saved, that passion that sought to please him in every area of our lives. When we get back to that place, then our attitudes towards sin will change. Not only will we turn away from it, but we will grieve over it should we fall into it.

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Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club.  He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. His most recent book is The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has just released his first Bible study course called Bible Study Basics. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.