Your sins have separated you from God

Sometimes God feels a million miles away. And sometimes we wonder if God exists. In those times, he didn’t change, he didn’t move, he didn’t leave, but we did, and our sins have separated us from God.

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
     Neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear;
But your iniquities have separated
     Between you and your God,
     And your sins have hid His face from you,
     That He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2 JPS Tanakh 1917)

Remember when Adam and Eve sinned, they plunged the whole human race into sin.  But God didn’t change, God didn’t move, God didn’t leave, he still came looking for them.

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Genesis 3:8-10 KJV)

Adam and Eve’s sins have separated them from God. They have recognized their sinful condition and they have tried to hide. The goodness of God that they had enjoyed seems a million miles away. But God’s gracious unmerited favor never gave up on them. He came looking for them. He called out to them.

Your sins have separated you from God. Even if you realize your sinful condition and have tried to hide. God’s gracious unmerited favor never gave up on you. He is looking for you. He is calling out to you. Won’t you hear the voice of the LORD God calling you?

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
     “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” (John 3:16-21 NLT)

Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” (John 12:44-50 NLT)

If you realize your sins have separated you from God, won’t you take a moment to answer his call and ask him to clothe you in righteousness like he did for Adam and Eve. Then like the Children of Israel, you can be restored to right standing before God.

For our sins are piled up before God
     and testify against us.
     Yes, we know what sinners we are.
We know we have rebelled and have denied the LORD.
     We have turned our backs on our God.
We know how unfair and oppressive we have been,
     carefully planning our deceitful lies. (Isaiah 59:12-13 NLT)

“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “And my Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever.” (Isaiah 59:21 ISV)

And this changes the narrative in the book of Isaiah from: a “sign” rejected, oracles against the nations, the little apocalypse, woes upon the nations, and a summary of judgment. When the people accept the “sign”, there will be deliverance from oppression, deliverance from sin, deliverance forever, and an eternal closeness to God.

This can happen in your life. The instant you realize your sins have separated you from God, you can confess your sins to God and repent of your sinful lifestyle. This always works because God has promised he will restore you to righteousness and give you an eternal inheritance with him forever.

• The 2 religions of the world as illustrated by Invictus versus My Captain
• How to be justified by God in your prayers
• The controversy of sin