I’ve said it before: “Being a Christian is simple.  But it is not easy.”  Being a Christian is so simple that we really have no excuse.  Frankly it is so simple that either we are doing it – or we aren’t.  We are either acting the way God intended for us to act, or we are not.  If/when we are not it is sin in our lives.

We need to accept the simplicity of it – embrace it.  Either we are doing good (are being righteous) or we are doing bad (sinning).  Oh sure we have grace and forgiveness when we fail.  We are justified (just as if I’ve never sinned) working for us.  When God sees us, he is looking through Jesus colored glasses, etc, ad nausea, et al (PHEW!).  We have nothing to really worry about – after all, didn’t I say (at least once) that once we are accepted by Jesus – we don’t have to change a single thing?

Yes, I have said that (at least once), however the fact remains that sin has a negative impact on our lives because it has a negative impact in our relationship to God.  Yes, we are forgiven, yes we have grace, yes we stand before God justified.  And yes the all-powerful, all knowing, all loving God of the Universe is limited in what He can do with us based on the sin we have in our lives.  Though the sin is dealt with (based on what Jesus did on the cross), the consequences remain.  We limit God’s ability to work in our lives because of what we have done.

So, on the one hand, we “either do or do not – there is no try” and on the other hand there is grace/redemption/forgiveness/justification.  When we fail (sin), it impacts God’s ability to work in our lives –NOW WHAT?

We allow the work God does do in our lives to have the effect God wants it to have.  Specifically – we sin less.  But when we do sin, we take it more seriously – because it really is.