God has no scale for ranking sins from most to least offensive. To Him, there is only one Sin, misappropriation of His Creation, i.e., choosing created over Creator. Each, and every act of personal privilege, cognitive or physical, are the same value. Humans were tasked at the outset to care for His Garden. We were not charged to do gardening for Him. We are to do it with Him. Both the process and the produce are totally His. We do not garden our way then, take our “cut,” allowing Him to have the rest. We give it all to Him, knowing He will provide what we need and more as He chooses. Any deviation from this Divine economy is rebellion against the Owner.
Sins don’t just occur. It reveals what is in the focus of the human heart—the heart rebels before the hand acts. Keep the heart pure, and the hand will act accordingly. The movement of the hand reveals the meditations of the heart.
Not all but many human sins are mentioned in the Bible. They are cited as evidence of a deeper, more sinister blight. The Bible also clearly promises consequences to all Sin. It is my understanding that each act of sin is a manifestation of the reality of The Sin. If you want to see how rebellion against God looks, study the various sins He highlights in His discourse with Humans.
Humans punish sins. God punishes Sin. Once you rebel against God, you will act in sinful ways. But those sinful ways are only a part of our problem—rebellion against the love of our Creator trumps all acts of Sin.
When we stand before our Creator as this life ends, I don’t think He will list all our sins and show us how despicable our life on earth was. I think he will simply say, “I don’t know this person. Because you chose to live outside my authority while you lived on earth, you will now continue to live outside my presence and protection. Because you did not want to be with me then, you cannot be with me now. You grieved me by rejecting my love then, I will no longer grieve over your absence.”
Wow! Having written those words, my soul realizes a darkening horizon for humanity. If what I wrote is anywhere near accurate, and I think it is, there is, for me, a new and sober meaning to the term, “Dooms Day.”
To maintain order, a society must evaluate acts of sin from the “understandable” to “inexcusable.” Humans must form a system to regulate some civility with consequences ranging from a reprimand to an execution. God does not have such a ranking. Choosing self over Him is all He evaluates.
I believe world history moves toward a divine time when each of us will be fully compliant with God’s nature and plan, or we will be excluded from His nature and His plan. For those who chose to live His life, we will wholly become what He created us to be at that terminal transitional appointed time. Those parts of us which are offensive to Him will be removed. It is a horrific tactical error to think none of our acts of sin are severe enough to exclude us from Heaven. There is no recovery from that eternal blunder.
The more I willingly allow Him to conform me to His desire now, the less modification I will have to endure then. The acquisition of that Divine life upgrade is reason enough for daily hope and joy in our toil today. You have not committed a sin so terrible that God does not long to eradicate its repercussions, memory, and consequences. His compassion and mercy are ever-flowing toward you. Also, His Grace is powerful enough to make you a successful gardener in His field despite your weaknesses. Keep leaning into His holiness. The rewards will surely astound us.
Photo – Dogwood tree in its fall glory.
Baldwin Heirlooms 