The Separation of Sin

Sunday, January 28, 2024

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“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. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.”

Isaiah 59:1–3

The Bible tells us a great deal about God’s hatred for sin. If we truly understood how revolting and repugnant sin is, we would do far less of it. But when we sin, there is a dramatic effect on our relationship with God. It does not impact our standing as members of His family—nothing can undo our salvation—but it tears apart our fellowship and closeness with our Saviour.

Over the years, I’ve heard many Christians talk about how prayer doesn’t “work” the way the Bible says it should. Often there are excuses made, but God’s prayer promises have not changed. He is still able to do anything. Sometimes the problem is one of faithfulness (God calls us to be importunate in our prayers, Luke 18:1), but many times the problem is that we allow sin to remain in our lives, covering it rather than confessing it. That prevents our prayers from even being considered. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).

Sin separates a Christian from fellowship with God just as certainly as sin separates the lost from eternity with God. Again and again people try to cover their sin and cling to it, rather than giving it up. Someone said, “The reason people struggle to resist temptation is that they don’t want to discourage it completely.” There are many reasons to avoid sin, but one of the most compelling should be the thought of losing fellowship with God. We should long for His presence and the close relationship that follows obedience.

Today's Growth Principle
Do not allow the echoes of past sin to drown out your prayers to a holy God.

Old Testament Reading

Exodus 19-20

CHAPTER 19

¹ In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. ² For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. ³ And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; ⁴ Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: ⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. ⁷ And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. ⁸ And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

⁹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. ¹⁰ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, ¹¹ And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. ¹² And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: ¹³ There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. ¹⁴ And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

¹⁶ And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. ¹⁸ And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. ²⁰ And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. ²¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. ²² And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. ²³ And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. ²⁴ And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. ²⁵ So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

CHAPTER 20

¹ And God spake all these words, saying, ² I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³ Thou shalt have no other gods before me. ⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: ⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; ⁶ And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. ⁷ Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. ⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

¹² Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. ¹³ Thou shalt not kill. ¹⁴ Thou shalt not commit adultery. ¹⁵ Thou shalt not steal. ¹⁶ Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. ¹⁷ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

¹⁸ And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. ¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. ²⁰ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. ²¹ And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

²² And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. ²³ Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. ²⁴ An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. ²⁵ And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. ²⁶ Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

New Testament Reading

Matthew 18:21-35

²¹ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? ²² Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. ²⁷ Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. ²⁹ And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. ³⁰ And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. ³² Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: ³³ Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? ³⁴ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. ³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 28

¹ The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. ² For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. ³ A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. ⁴ They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. ⁵ Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. ⁶ Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. ⁷ Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. ⁸ He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. ⁹ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. ¹⁰ Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. ¹¹ The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. ¹² When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. ¹³ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. ¹⁴ Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. ¹⁵ As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. ¹⁶ The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. ¹⁷ A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. ¹⁸ Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. ¹⁹ He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. ²⁰ A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. ²¹ To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress. ²² He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. ²³ He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. ²⁴ Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer. ²⁵ He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. ²⁶ He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. ²⁷ He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. ²⁸ When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.