SIN SEPARATES

SIN SEPARATES

(surely these germinal thoughts are worthy of cultivation?!)

 At the beginning of the morning assembly, the SS teachers were summarizing their morning class to the SS director.  From the preschool teacher, to the adult class, different summaries were reported.  One teacher said, “… we studied how sin separates …”.  Her comment sent my mind into a flurry of activity – “… how, from what, why, in what sense,  …” – that ended in a list of over a couple of dozen items to further develop in considering the dangers of sin.  (I did listen to the sermon, sort of.)

1.       Judicial

1.1.    This is likely the first thought most have – crime, arrest, trial, conviction, penalty, jail.

1.2.    The old man kicks you out of the house because you are a doper.

1.3.    “… the wages of sin is death …”

2.       Spiritual

2.1.    what was really lost in Eden?  A farm or a fellowship? A friend?  Garden or the Holy “Guest”?!

2.2.    “… and the Spirit departed from Saul …”

2.3.    Jas. “…the spirit apart from God is dead …”

3.       Physical

3.1.    In a GPS sense – one separates to a different room, a different club …

3.2.    “Adam and Eve hid themselves, because …”

3.3.    “not forsake the gathering of yourselves together …”

4.       Emotional

4.1.    Sin cause the loss of love, joy, peace, patience.

4.2.    Sinners are hateful, unhappy, angry, rude.

4.3.    When sin enters, out goes the good life.

5.       Financial

5.1.    Tithing

5.2.    Bounty

6.       Character

6.1.    Sweet soul – Corrie ten Boom, Delane Rose

6.2.    Sour, mean, hateful

7.       Health

7.1.    “…rotten bones’

7.2.    Stress

7.3.    Psycho-somatic

8.       Appearance

8.1.    Whisky-breath

8.2.    Tobacco stains

8.3.    Dress, piercing, cutting, …

9.       Demeanor

9.1.    Negative

9.2.    Cynical

9.3.    Bitter

10.   Attitude

10.1.Mean-ness set in

10.2.“bad attitude”

11.   Potential

11.1.“be all you can be…”?!

12.   Psychological

12.1.“split personality”?!

12.2.Sunday-saint, Monday-sinner

13.   Blessings

13.1.Unopened-packages

14.   Stimulus

14.1.Turn off radio

14.2.Close Bible

15.   Opportunities

15.1.to share

15.2.to help

15.3.to grow

16.   Path

16.1.Lost in the woods in the dark, and howls are getting louder

17.   Light

17.1.Dark path

17.2.Dark heart

17.3.Dark powers

18.   Love

18.1.1Jn.2:15

18.2.We move, not Him

19.   Sensibility

19.1.Hardened heart

19.2.Dull ears

20.   Wisdom

20.1.“fool…”

20.2.“fear of Lord, beginning of wisdom…”

21.   Confidence

21.1.Satan accuses…

22.   Innocence

22.1.Gen.3 “…they knew they were naked…”

22.2.Puff disappears

22.3.Peter Pan is gone

23.   Communion

23.1.Fellowship with God

23.2.Lost best friend

24.   Family

24.1.Dysfunctional

24.2.Distressed

24.3.Divorced

25.   Life

25.1.In every way!

26.   Friends

26.1.Good ones go away

26.2.Others reluctantly, if they persist

27.   …