Getting Away with What?

READ: PSALM 139:1-4, 23-24; JEREMIAH 23:23-24; 31:3; HEBREWS 4:12-13

As she related her story, my eyes widened. Our friends laughed. And she congratulated herself. This girl, who I’ll call Kelly, had just told us about a trip to the mall. It sounded like she was describing an adventure as she explained how she tried on a swimsuit in the dressing room of a store. Only Kelly didn’t change back into her own clothes and then pay for it. She kept the swimsuit on, put her clothes over it, and walked out of the store—and the mall—wearing a stolen swimsuit.

Our friends admired Kelly for getting away with something. But although she hadn’t been caught shoplifting, she’d still committed a crime. And she’d still sinned.

Kelly and I attended the same church and youth group. We’d known each other as followers of Jesus, having placed our trust in Christ to pay the penalty and take on the punishment for our own sin.

But we all still struggle with sin. Even as new creations in Christ, we still live in a broken world and face temptation. And sometimes we even try to hide our sins, foolishly assuming that not getting caught means we’ve gotten away with something. But these things are still sins, and our loving Heavenly Father notices them all. And even when we manage to avoid some earthly consequences, our choices to sin—whether we’re stealing, lusting, envying, hating, or something else—hinder our walk with Jesus. Thankfully, God loves us with an everlasting love, and He longs to restore us and draw us close to Himself. Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be welcomed into God’s family. So, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, nothing—not even our own sin—can shake our position as His children

When sin gets in the way of us experiencing the closeness we have with God, He isn’t waiting to pounce on us for messing up. Instead, God desires for us to draw near to Him and agree with Him about the sin He already sees. As we bring our sin into the light and acknowledge it, according to 1 John 1:9, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” • Allison Wilson Lee

• God cares about us enough to take notice of everything we do. He doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves, others, or our fellowship with Him. How can this truth affect the way we view God?

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)