Sin Separates Us from God - Essay Example

Final Reflection Paper Introduction In general terms, the is of great importance to the Abrahamic faiths, and more so to the Christians. It is notably a good source of knowledge about God’s creation, the views of mankind on this creation, and how it is related to the worldly concepts. The course also provides an exposition to biblical books and what the contents of such books are of importance when dealing with issues that affect human beings. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd reflections of the course are a major step in guiding humanity to consider issues such as peace, justice, morality, mercy, and redemption as God-given, rather than as mere ideas formulated by religions. I consider the 2nd reflection as the most significant of the three with the reason that it builds the foundation of Christian understanding that were it not for Christ’s sacrifice, mankind could have perished in sin. It is through Christ’s redemption that all these things such as peace, forgiveness, justice, and life were granted to us. Considering that Christianity is the major religion in focus, all issues addressed in the course are based on the fact that all human beings are created in God’s image and thus have to do what is expected of them by God and what pleases him most. No person is superior to another and that guarantees equality in all spheres of life. Violating human rights as well as disrespecting others is sinful and against the teachings of Christ. Generally, all religions have some principles and beliefs that may be in common regarding humanity, thus they should act in unison to establish peace and seek for justice whenever necessary (Moore 440). The course has also taught me the biggest lesson that for all the above to be achieved, each individual has an obligation to act responsibly and account for his or her action. Self respect, morality, and repentance are the building blocks of peaceful co-existence. How the Christian doctrine, “God hates sin” provides resources that help Christians to respond to the global concern of Justice In one way or another, every human being has sinned against God, straight from the time of Creation in Genesis. Several Biblical teachings act as resources for teaching believers that God really hate sin and he punishes evil deeds. This is seen from Lot’s story when God turned her into a salt pillar on her way from Sodom. This was due to the crime of a backward glance, according to chapter 19 of Genesis. When a Christian reads this story, he gets to question himself if the act of turning back to look at her home really deserved a death punishment. Similarly, in Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the apostles, God stroke them to death in the midst of the entire church. Believers tend to struggle to get an understanding on how something that seems so minor could result into a severe judgment. One of the most fundamental tenets of justice is that the given punishment must be in line with the crime committed. This reminds Christians that God hates sin and that their actions qualify them for eternal sentence of sin. According to the doctrine, “God hates sin,” sin is any act of treason against the only judge of the universe and the sovereign lawgiver. Sin is described as ungodliness, rebellion, wickedness, abomination, ad lawlessness. In this sense therefore, sinners are traitors, who refuse to think, love, obey, and serve God who endowed them with breath, life, and everything on earth (Tiessen 249). Those who sin spurn the love of God, despise his sovereignty, look at his commandments with contempt, and mock his justice. God finds our sins morally revolting, cruel, monstrous, issues that are a reality. If people cannot view their sins the way God views them, then it stands to reason that they do not see the just judgment the way he sees it. Clearly, Christians live by this established principle that the seriousness of an offense is measured by its inherent nature as well as by the one offended. Our sins have offended a holy and glorious being and thus we must be punished in accordance to the crime. This shows Christians that God will by no means acquit the wicked, but gives the unbeliever what he really deserves. Prophet Isaiah commended, “Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what he deserves will be done to him” (“Isaiah 3:11”). We are warned that if we do not obey God, but act with hostility against him, he will also act with hostility against us and punish us seven times for our sins. We are therefore helped by this doctrine of how God hates and punishes sin, thus we have to obey and act in accordance to his commands so that his wrath cannot be upon us. Christians are also reminded to do good since the righteous judge of the entire earth will some day ascent and call every creature to account for his or her sins. He will open the books and rule out a just sentence for each sinful though, deed, and word. The best way for christens to respond to the above doctrine is to be baptized and to repent their sins. To escape the eternal wrath and penalty of God for sin, people must repent so that they can lead a more fulfilled, happier, and blessed life. It is true that thoughts give rise to deeds, and thus God shows us that not only are our actions wrong, but also our deeds. The book of proverbs chapter 31 teaches Christians about justice and the importance of judging righteously, as well as defending the rights of the needy and the afflicted. Several other Biblical teachings make it clear that every individual has a God-given mandate to liberty and life, which includes the freedom from affliction and oppression, whether at the hands of natural or human forces. Fortman argues that every human being and society leaders in particular, is given a moral duty by God to protect fellow individuals from social injustices. The doctrine about God’ hatred for sin is important for Christians to act justly in all aspects of life. They learn what God says about Justice, and the punishment related to the offenses associated with acting unjustly. For instance, it encourages them to be at the forefront to promote state-sponsored, conservative, and democratic values. They also employ Biblical and just values of protecting private ownership and properly rights, maintaining a less but efficient bureaucracy, developing a strong work local and a free market economy, defense of the traditional family, and the rights of the infirmed and unborn, while promoting religious tolerance and free speech. Conclusion Having known that sin separates us from God, Christians through this course get aware of the existing public injustices and evils that must be rectified. However, each one of us has a duty to keep our responsibilities right. The prime need of man to reconcile with God through faith in his son Christ is the only way in which the root cause of injustice can be adequately addressed. Christians should be cautious not to stick to questionable validity because not all social actions are positive and good even though they spring from genuine and good intentions. Righteousness and justice are part of the way of life that God expects us to abide by as his creation. This originates from the kind of character which humans possess, and it in turn reflects what God himself is and the way he acts. Justice is basically the outworking of this way of life and how we relate with others. It is thus mandatory to repent our sins and lead a practical life full of justly deeds in accordance to God’s will. Works Cited Fortman, Bas de Gaay. “Religion and Human Rights: A Dialectical Relationship.” e-International Relations. e-IR Publications Ltd, 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 June 2013. “Isaiah 3:11.” Bible Hub. Biblos.com, n.d. Web. 3 May 2013. Moore, James F. "Re-envisioning Christianity: A new era in Christian theological interpretation of Christian texts." Cross currents, 50.4 (2000): 437-447. Print. Tiessen, Terry. "God's Work of Grace in the Context of the Religions." Evangelical review of theology, 27.3 (2003): 247-267. Print. Read More