The Damage Resulting From Sin
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
At Calvary, all our sins were placed on Christ. Only through His sacrificial death can we be healed of our sinful condition. Every sin that you and I ever committed and will yet commit was place on Him. Verse 6 states – All we like sheep have gone astray. That word “all” refers to you and I. Each of us must make it personal – “I have gone astray; it is my sin that God laid upon Him”
What He did on our behalf reveals just how serious sin is. It is the greatest disease of mankind, far worse than any cancer could ever be. It is the sickness of the soul. The greatest price ever exacted was paid to redeem us from the clutches of this disease. One of the greatest tragedies is when we take a nonchalant, generalized, ambiguous attitude relating to what He has done for us. Those who have this kind of an attitude usually have the same attitude toward sin.
As God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus, it is vital that we see sin as God sees it. In fact, there is no way we can understand it unless we do see the damage that is caused by it.
Our Sin Offends God
Notice in our text the word “transgression” (pesha‛ in the Hebrew language). It signifies a revolt or rebellion against God. God has given mankind His law, not to burden us down but to protect us and lift us up. It is like a fence that He established to protect us from evil. God’s law is stated negatively in the Ten Commandments – “Thou shalt not.” It is stated positively by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In a number of places, God’s law is spoken of in terms of love (I Corinthians 13) and it is interesting that those who truly love God are not sinless but they do sin less.
I recently had a conversation with someone who has a daughter who has almost died three times because of Heroin. Last year, almost 15,000 people died as a result of overdosing. Their daughter is addicted to this drug just as many people are addicted to their sinful condition. Heroin is made from morphine and can produce intense feelings of euphoria. We are living in a feeling oriented society, one that believes that truth is relative, that it does not matter. Words from a popular song sometime back fully expresses why the door is open so wide to sin. “It can’t be wrong when it feels so right!” How many times have you heard someone say, “It will never happen to me!” That is a direct result of Satan’s power to blind the minds of those who choose to reject the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ (II Corinthians 4:3-4).
All sin has consequences and it deeply offends God Who has made every provision so that we might have victory over it.
“Iniquities” is a second word in our text that ought to be considered. The Hebrew word is ‛âvôn and refers to perversity or moral evil. Our iniquities are “faults” that need to be removed from our lives, faults that can get us into a lot of trouble. This word speaks of our character. With no desire to repent of our sin and receive the provision for our sin that would bring genuine peace and satisfaction, the sinner chooses to continue in a downward sinful spiral.
The police keep a running tab on some of these, who keep getting into trouble over and over again because of their sinful lifestyle. They continue to pile up a huge backlog of sinful activities thinking that there are no consequences, temporal or eternal. The word “iniquities” refer to far more than we have done for it speaks of what we have become.
In the face of truth, our attitude ought to be like Peter’s when he fell down before the Lord and said, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Sin makes a person crooked or twisted, often without their realizing it. The Apostle Paul, like all of us, struggled with sin. In Romans 7:24 said, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And this is what sin does. We all need to groan over sin. Paul realized that there is nothing he personally could do to secure victory over the problem of sin.
For many, there comes a time when we recognize the influence of sin in our lives and turn to Christ, the only Person that can give us victory over this disease. The Prodigal son said, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son (Luke 15:21). His father reveals a realistic picture of what sin does to a person in verse 24. For THIS MY SON WAS DEAD, and is alive again; he was LOST, and now is found. We should also notice the reception of the father to his son when he repented of his sin and returned home. That is the attitude of our heavenly Father when we turn from our sin and return to Him. The psalmist wrote, For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee (Psalm 86:5).
God is far greater than any problem with which we might be dealing. Surrender is a prerequisite to both blessing and usefulness. Victorious living comes from total surrender to our victorious Lord Who paid the price for our sins on Calvary’s cross.
If you are praying for someone addicted to sin, do not give up. Call often upon Him Who is willing to do far more than we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20). God is so great and His grace is far greater than any sin. Praise Him for saving you today. Praise Him for being a God Who both hears and answers prayer.
What a joy it is to have the confidence that our sins are forgiven. Genuine praise is not something we can work up. It should be a natural response to Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf. How can we not like Philip P. Bliss, with a burst of praise – “Hallelujah, What A Savior!”
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.