Topic: Sin Is the Opposite of God [RICK WARREN Devotional 21 January  2024]

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Sin Is the Opposite of God

BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 21, 2024
FROM RETHINKING YOUR LIFE

“Everything he does is good.”

Psalm 111:7 (NCV)

When you ask people what sin is, you’ll get a wide range of answers, from murder to forgetting to call your mom on Mother’s Day.

Most of the time, people think of sin as bad behavior. And your bad behaviors often do reveal sin. But the Bible tells us that God pays more attention to our thoughts than our behaviors—because it’s sinful thinking that leads to sinful behavior.

So what is sin? Sin is the opposite of God. The Bible says, “Everything he does is good,” “he is good to everyone and has compassion on all he made,” and “everything that God has created is good” (Psalm 111:7 NCV, Psalm 145:9 GNT, 1 Timothy 4:4 GNT).

Everything God does is good, and everything he created is good. But when we take what God created and use it in bad ways, that is sin.

For example, when you use prescription drugs the right way, they can bring helpful relief. But when you misuse and abuse drugs, something good becomes something harmful. Money is neither good nor bad. It can be used for great good, but it also can be used for incredibly bad things.

God expects you to turn from your sins and start walking faithfully toward him. Part of faith is trusting that God has your best interests in mind. You don’t have to wonder what God is like. The Bible says clearly that he is perfect and does not sin.

While you will never be perfect on earth, you can become more like Jesus. This starts by turning away from sin and making choices every day to pursue what is good and godly.

Talk It Over

• If your purpose in life is to become more like Jesus, how can you shift your priorities so that you are focusing more on that goal?
• How does knowing God’s Word better help you turn from sin?
• What are some other tools God uses to help you become more like him?

Are you ready to find rest in God? The first step toward rest is to make peace with God by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can start with this simple prayer:  

“Dear God, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. You have promised that if I believe in Jesus, you’ll forgive me for everything I’ve ever done wrong, you’ll show me the purpose of my life, and you’ll accept me into your family and bring me to heaven one day to live with you for eternity.  

“Jesus, I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I ask you to come into my life as my Lord. Today, I commit my life to you.  

“I want to live the way you created me to live—at peace and rested—and to use the remainder of my life to serve you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”  

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