While on my early-morning walk in my garage, a shaft of sunlight beamed its way through the window, and like an arrow that hits the bullseye on a target, this beam of sunshine focused on the rear tire wheel well. And there it was – the tiniest dot of rust! What? I never noticed that before! But the sunlight exposed it.
And that is the way it is with sin – even the smallest sin (gauged by man’s standard). But to God, sin is sin. There is no sin so great it cannot be forgiven and there is no sin so small it can be overlooked. “Take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out!” <<– I didn’t say that – God did in Numbers 32:23.
The true Sonlight is like sunshine on steroids that floods the soul exposing even the ‘tiniest’ sin.
We must be alert for “Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you” (Genesis 4:70).
Joshua 7:7-11 relates another incident of sin being exposed. Unbeknownst to Joshua, Achan of the tribe of Judah stole some of the spoils from a battle and hid them in his tent. And because of this one sin, Israel lost the battle to the Amorites.
When Joshua fell on his face and cried out to the Lord asking why they were defeated, God answered, “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them.” God Himself revealed Achan’s sin to Joshua!
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7). Unrepented sin brings consequences.
Take heart, loved ones! “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9)
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Later that same morning, I discovered something else. While weeding and trimming around a tree in my backyard, I noticed that a deer had rubbed his antlers on one side of my beautiful and stately Autumn Blaze maple tree marring its magnificence – all because the tree trunk had not been sealed in its protective plastic tree guard but was left bare and vulnerable.
I thought about how all believers had been bare and vulnerable and marred because of sin. But then, when we first believed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was given to us by God simultaneously to our coming to faith as a guarantee that our destiny is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are God’s own possession.
God’s Word is very emphatic regarding His promises. Look at 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 that says, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Again in 2 Corinthians 5:5 that says,
“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.”
I think of it like this – the sunshine on the rust spot on my car and the marred maple tree in my yard were reminders that I am a sinner saved by grace through faith and I have the guarantee of the Holy Spirit that I have salvation. Sin revealed and Holy-Spirit sealed! May this be your assurance as well.