In Egypt and many other countries, Christian girls and women are vulnerable and susceptible to rape, marriage, and forced conversions to Islam. To think of young girls not over eight or nine years old experiencing such horrors, it is easy to understand God’s abhorrence of sin. Human trafficking has always been a sin that pushes my buttons and engenders heated wrath in an instant.
My guess is we all have certain sins that make us angrier than others. Should it be like that? Shouldn’t all sin be as abhorrent to us as it is to God? Forget the sins of others; every sin we commit should generate the same hatred we feel towards the most horrifying sins.
God’s abhorrence of sin sets the model and tone for our lives. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), the old ways are dead (Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:9–10), and the focus of our lives should be to look more like Jesus every day (Romans 8:29; 1 John 2:6). Every time temptation finds us, bile should bubble up in our throats. Sin is so disgusting to God that no one with a single unforgiven sin can stand in His presence (Habakkuk 1:13; Psalm 130:3). Knowing this, how can we be so nonchalant about sinning? There is nothing God does not see (Hebrews 4:13). Every sin we commit is in His presence and deserving of His wrath (Romans 1:18; Ephesians 2:3).
If God’s abhorrence of sin doesn’t make us tremble, then we do not understand who God is. If we don’t understand who He is, it is going to be impossible to know Him. Lack of knowledge of God will send you to an eternity of torment in Hell. That is how serious sin is. One solitary sin will send you to Hell. You can be the best person in the eyes of the world, but you were born in sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12). You will die in that sin unless you repent and surrender to the Lordship of Christ (Acts 3:19; Romans 10:9–10). Sin isn’t a bothersome habit; it’s a rotting sickness you should run from as if your life depends on it.
There are no little sins. Some may seem much bigger than others (murder over coveting, for example), but every single sin will damn you to Hell (James 2:10; Romans 6:23). Your white lies will send you to Hell and so will your quick, lustful look. No sin is too small to be deserving of God’s judgment. How can you not fear sinning when you know it will sentence you to an eternity in Hell?
Understanding God’s abhorrence of sin is a key to living for Him. We need to pray that every sin will be as vile to us as what we perceive to be the most heinous of sins. As long as sin does not repulse us, there is a great likelihood we will continue to indulge in it. We must be as serious about sin as God is. If we love to sin, we don’t love Him (1 John 2:15). Now is the time to deal with any sins that have been hanging around for too long. Now is the time to repent and seek to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15–16; 2 Corinthians 7:1). Our God is holy, and we must be like Him (1 Peter 1:16). Sin has no place in the life of a disciple of Jesus (Romans 6:1–2; 1 John 3:6). Get rid of it all, and never look back.