Does God Really Care About Little Sins?
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How much does God really care about the little sins we commit?
Wouldn’t He be more concerned that we take care of the “big stuff” like lying, stealing, hating, or pornography? Does He really care if I let a 4-letter word slip here and there as long as my heart is right?
Does He really care if I told a white lie or colored the truth a little?
Does He really care if I watched that R-rated movie or told that dirty joke?
I will confess that I am at times disturbed and dismayed at the Church today.
There is such an elevation of God’s love and grace that His righteousness and holiness have been all but erased from our culture.
It’s like we don’t want to acknowledge that God is righteous and holy….that He will one day judge us against the stark, black-and-white purity of His Word.
Does God Really Care About Little Sins?
Acknowledgement of God’s righteous anger at sin is offensive.
So, we look the other way when a Christian – or even a pastor, from the pulpit – uses profanity…because it helps to drive their point home or gives weight to what they’re saying.
So, we look the other way when a Christian – or even a pastor, from the pulpit – uses OMG….or actually uses God’s name in vain.
So, we look the other way when a Christian – or even a pastor, from the pulpit – recommends a movie with adult themes and language, or that glorifies homosexuality.
So, we look the other way when a Christian tells a little white lie.
Because, surely God has far bigger things to be concerned with than these little things. Surely He let’s some things slip, right?
After all, we’re human.
We’re going to mess up.
This week for Good Morning Girls we see just how concerned God really is with sin. Even the little sins in the lives of godly people who really do love Him and do great things for Him.
We must remember that there is sin that we do unintentionally that God later convicts us about, giving us opportunity to repent and correct our course.
But then there is sin that we do intentionally – knowing that it’s not right, but engage in it anyway….because we want to.
That’s not messing up.
That’s not an accident – that’s an “on purpose”.
And God takes “on purpose” sin very seriously.
Hebrews 10:26-31 says, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
All sin is very serious and angers God, because it shows that we don’t take the sacrifice of Jesus Christ seriously.
Not only that, we literally take the blood of Jesus that sanctifies us – that cleanses us and makes us as if we’ve never sinned, and we make it a common thing.
We cease to consider it holy.
It holds no meaning for us.
And if we can do this without fear of the Lord, without fear of falling into the hands of the living God, we are truly in a dangerous place spiritually!
We see the danger of little sin in this week’s reading for Good Morning Girls, in 2 Kings 10.
Jehu was anointed king, by God, over Israel. God chose him over the present King Joram who was a descendant of Ahab and who behaved wickedly.
God’s plan was for Jezebel and all of the descendants of Ahab to be wiped from the face of the earth, and that is exactly what Jehu set out to do.
And he accomplished it.
He also cleansed the land of the Baal worship; killing all worshipers of Baal, putting an end to the temple sacrifices, and burning the pillars.
And this was pleasing to God.
God is a jealous God; He is jealous for our worship and when we allow idolatry in our land – or even in our heart…just a little – He burns with white-hot jealously because worship is to be reserved for Him and Him alone.
Jehu left out one little thing…and it cost him and the whole land of Israel.
“However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebar, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan. And the Lord said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.’ But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam who had made Israel sin. In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel; and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of Israel…” 2 Kings 10:29-32
God rewarded Jehu for destroying the house of Ahab and purging Israel of Baal worship. He let his reign over the land of Israel span for 4 generations — that is a very long time!
But, while Jehu did this incredible thing for God, there was a part of his heart he refused to surrender. Perhaps he though it was a small thing…that God would overlook it because of the other great things he’d done for Him.
But that small thing – worshiping the golden calves – cost him.
God began allowing parts of Israel to be defeated by Syria – Israel’s enemy.
And this is what happens in our lives when we assume that God’s blessing on our lives for the obvious acts of obedience cancels out our small decisions to entertain sin.
It doesn’t.
The small sins are just as serious to God as the big sins.
God is equally displeased with small sin as He is with big sin, and when we choose to engage in “on purpose” sin, we invite defeat into our lives.
Just as Jehu’s great act of obedience to God in purging the land of all of Ahab’s wicked descendants and the worship of Baal did not cancel out his decision to continue in his “on purpose” sin of worshiping the golden calves…
So our great acts of obedience to God, in choosing to walk in His will in obvious and visible ways will not cancel out our decision to continue in small, “on purpose” sins that we know do not please Him.
If we want to live in the unfettered, unending, immeasurable blessing of God, we must be willing to obey God all the way!
We must be willing to submit to Him all of the way.
Not holding back anything.
Because holding back invites defeat.
Surrendering all brings complete victor and immeasurable blessing!
