Sin Evidences in Broken Relationships

Love in any language warms our hearts , doesn't it ?

This morning I opened my Bible to Isaiah 59:1,2  which says ... 

"Behold , the Lord's hand is not shortened, that I cannot save, 

nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. 

But your iniquities have separated you from your God

 and your sins have hidden His face from you."

As I read and pondered those verses,  a thought struck me  -- 

 'Sin can be measured by broken relationships'.  

 I realized that every sin affects a relationship,  with God and/or  another person. 

Is there a sin that does not evidence itself in broken relationship ?  I can not think of one. 

Perhaps the strongest proof text is  I John 2:10,  that states there is no sin in the one who walks in love.  Therefore the converse is also true -  sin lurks in the absence of love.   

God is love and when our words or actions are not motivated by love, we hide or separate ourselves from each other and also from  God. 

As Jesus said, all the commandments are summed up in 'love' -- that we "love God and love our neighbor." 

Understanding the Hebrew word for love gives us a wonderful definition of what 'love' lived out is.  Looking at the letters of the Hebrew word for love we see the following meaning -  "love is to give - it connects the giver and the receiver -- until they become as one".   

Isn't that what Jesus also said?  "Love thy neighbor as yourself?"     

So  agape love is to give to another until it is the same as giving to oneself. 

We have just celebrated the greatest sacrifice  ever made to restore relationship between us and God - sin separated us, but Jesus' love restored us! 

But to go back to my original thought that sin always results, or evidences,  in broken relationship.  

If I am upset with my husband and think angry thoughts , even if I say nothing to him,  he feels it and there is a 'brokenness' in our relationship. - whether or not I feel justified in my feelings.  

If I have an unthankful attitude,  it will show in my criticism or complaining and again I have affected my  relationships with others.   

If I am rude to a salesperson who does not meet my expectations of service,   I have broken a relationship. 

I think you can make your own list .... 

If there is a break in relationship, we cannot deny that sin is present. 

A broken relationship with another person also affects our relationship with God, as do our 'secret' sins. 

If there is  a broken relationship between us and someone -- be it big or small -- and we come to God in prayer ... then let us remember what He says in Matthew 5:24 , and "as much as depends on you"(Romans 12:18) restore our relationships. 

"Leave your gift (prayer) there before the altar, and go your way. 

First be reconciled to your brother,

 and then come and offer your gift (prayer)." 

Life Conquers Death

God's creation is full of the promise that YES, life is stronger than death!
We are not alarmed at the death of winter, knowing that spring will burst forth with joy !
We endure the darkness of night, waiting for the morning sun to arise with glorious light.
Hope is ingrained in us - death cannot be the end.  We cling to that hope by planting flowers in graveyards filled with crosses that symbolize that ultimate victory of resurrection Sunday.

Hope - expectation - faith -  We believe ! And because we believe we do not sink into despair.

Again it is the time of year when we reflect on that Day above all Days  -  Resurrection Sunday !  What was intended by evil to be the ultimate in defining DEATH, instead unfolded  in victorious, eternal  LIFE! 

BUT ...  we celebrate this day as those who have read the book, as those who look with the knowing of hindsight. We know death's hold on Good Friday was weak - we know  Jesus - our God, our Saviour -  arose having conquered death, not only for Himself but for you and me.   We have read and know all the promises that are ours through faith in Jesus. 

BUT .. what if we had been one of those who stood beneath Jesus' cross on that Friday and grieved to a depth we cannot fathom. Grieved not just the death of someone they loved, but grieved the death of all their hope that the Messiah had finally come to set them free!  But no, He was dead and so were all their hopes.  Had they been deceived?  They awoke  to a world that was dark, their hearts empty, their minds too distraught and dead in profound shock and sorrow  to even think .. "what now?"
Yes, Jesus had told them He would rise again, but they did not understand.  What they knew was that Jesus was dead ...  it was over ... they had hoped in vain.

I try to imagine their joy when the resurrection words were spoken - first to one, then another and another , spreading like the morning rays of the sun. 
Think of when you laid a loved one to rest ... you walked with bowed head from the grave ... you awake with the weight of grief heavy upon your heart .. and then .. the phone rings and someone tells you your loved one is alive and well !!    Could you even contain the responding emotion ?  Maybe disbelief is the cushion that gives your mind time to absorb such incredible news. 
Just like Jesus' loved ones ...  disbelief ... then a glimmer of hope...  then finally that exploding joy that focuses on only one reality ... JESUS IS ALIVE !! 

As we remember...   may our hearts fill with that pure joy of what Jesus did for us !
 He rose ... He conquered death that we might live .. .not just in this earthly life but forever more -- in His presence ! 
Let us rejoice  - not in His death -  but in His LIFE !!!!  In HIM we too have LIFE eternal.   

"If  Christ be not risen, then our faith is in vain ...  

if He did not rise, then we also will not rise from the dead ... 

if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable ...  

BUT NOW CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD ...!!!!"   

taken from I Cor. 15:13-20

The Cross of Good Friday

The Cross is probably one of the most readily recognized symbols. Yet for many people it is so familiar that it has lost the ability to connect people with the emotional event that changed history.
Two thousand years ago,  the cross was the torture instrument that killed the Son of God who came to earth to reveal God's love for mankind.

I think of that day.  I think of what it must have been like for the people who witnessed it.  For those who loved Jesus, His family, His followers, it must have been agony to watch - what thoughts, emotions whirled over and over in their bewildered minds and hearts. 

But then there were also the chief priests, the scribes, the elders who watched with cold hearts and mocking voices.  It is hard to imagine how these religious leaders could be so hard, so cruel that they  could take pleasure in the suffering of Jesus.  Finally, they had won - Jesus would trouble them no more!
They said mockingly, "If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross and we will believe Him."    Will those words come back to haunt them on judgment day?  Jesus DID come down from the cross and LIVED .... but did they believe?   No.

There were those who simply walked by, with only a turn of the head to look upon the one suffering on the cross and blasphemed Him, mocking that Jesus had said He would destroy the temple and build it up in three days !  How ridiculous...

I look at the Roman centurion who stood and watched and was so moved he cried out ...  "Truly this was the Son of God!"    I wonder,  when Jesus rose from the dead did this centurion seek out the disciples of Jesus and became a believer ?  I like to think that he did.

We are once again remembering Good Friday - believers and non-believers are reminded of that historical day.
 Everyone has a response ...
-- a shrugging of the shoulders and dismissing it as something irrelevant to them
--  a passing  regret that a good man was condemned to a torturous death
--  a thankfulness for a holiday from work
--  a mocking that people have lifted this Man up to be God - and created a religion around Him
--  a tug at their heart and a wondering thought  -  could this be the Son of God? What does it mean?
--  a humble recognition and deep thankfulness and profound gratitude that this One on the cross came from heaven - God in human flesh -  to suffer for mankind, to offer to every man the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

What will be your response ? 
Do you hear Jesus ask, as you lift your eyes to His cross .....

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?  

Behold and see ..."  

Lam. 1:12