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“If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?†[1 Samuel 2:25]
    This is a stark warning for anyone who will listen, because it is a warning against abusing the very gifts of Grace God has given each of us. Too often, it is tempting to ignore the kind of life God would have His faithful lead and to pursue after the things of sin, the world, and the devil, presuming God’s Grace as a cloak against the consequences of such sin.
    This is not to say that it is our lifestyle that saves us. Certainly not! It is Grace that saves us through faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, yet once we are saved by Grace, we cannot go on willfully sinning as we did before because we know that such sin separates us God’s Grace and Love. How can we seek first God’s Kingdom and Righteousness when we are living in sin?
    Eventually all sin that is continued, regardless of its nature, becomes a sin against God. It becomes such a sin because it simply proves that we do not trust our God enough to save us from such sin, instead we either indulge or succumb, giving the devil the upper hand and tearing down our faith, thereby separating ourselves from Grace.
    This is a hard reality to consider. Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins, and by Grace we have received that forgiveness. By that forgiveness, we have died to sin, and while sin continuously wages war against our new selves- that new man raised to life through the Word and the Sacraments- we stand firm against those sins in our constant struggle toward Heaven. Indeed, sometimes we slip, and we are forgiven even then, but to go on sinning when we know what we are doing is wrong places us at risk of denying the very Grace we have been given. God does not separate from us, we separate ourselves from God if we deny His Grace.
    If anyone struggles with such sin, seek out help. Confess such a sin to a trusted pastor or Christian friend. Find ways to avoid that temptation. Place yourself in God’s Grace, pleading with Him to help you endure under the burden of such temptation, so that at the end, you will not be found wanting. My God’s Grace be with you and preserve you until Jesus returns. Amen.
DLH
