Our sense of guilt usually restrains certain behaviors that may negatively affect others. For instance, living with someone else prompts me to tidy up shared spaces like the kitchen or living room, even if cleanliness isn't my forte.
Yet, without others around, I might leave dishes in the sink, knowing I can clean up whenever I please, or perhaps not at all (though I wouldn't recommend this!). However, living with others significantly alters my behavior. Suddenly, I must consider how my actions impact those around me.
Extending this analogy to our relationship with God, we often overlook how our sins affect Him. We sort of think our sins occur in a void.
Consider this: If you were throwing stones in an empty hallway, you wouldn’t mind because you’re not hurting anybody. But imagine someone is standing there; suddenly, there are consequences (i.e., hurting someone). So, you refrain from throwing the stones since someone would get hurt.
Sinning is like throwing stones at someone in the hallway. Our sins deeply affect God. God longs for unbroken communion with us, but He, being holy, can’t overlook sin. So, our rebellion grieves God because it drives a wedge between Him and us.
We say, "Oh, but it’s just a little lie.” I was supposed to meet a friend at 3 pm. She calls at 2:50 pm when I’m still home getting ready, but I tell her that I’ll be there at 3, although it'll take at least 20 minutes to get to her. My friend may not even mind my tardiness, but I still sinned in lying, and that hurts God.
So, when we sin, we don’t sin in a void. Our words, thoughts, actions, or inaction have consequences. They grieve God, the kind of grief that stings deeply too. It’s like repeatedly and knowingly stoning someone and just passing by them without acknowledging their pain and our wrongdoing.
These sins also affect all other relationships in our lives. If I keep promising my friend to show up at 3 and show up half an hour later, she’ll soon deem me unreliable. And just like that, I've not only sabotaged my relationship with my Father but also my relationships with other people.
Not to worry, though. There is mercy when we realize our wrongdoings and repent, the keyword being repentance. Yes, God's mercy and grace are limitless, but they are not to be abused. Romans 6:1 asks, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" Of course not.
Nobody wants a friend who always wrongs them just because they know they'll be forgiven. Similarly, God forgives us, but He hopes that we’ll abandon the sinful ways that hurt His heart. Of course, we can't do this in our power, and thankfully, we don’t have to:
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 7:15, 24-25
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. – 1 John 2:1-2
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