Sin was, originally, a place in the Bible.
It was on the eastern border of Egypt, a desert between Elim and Sinai.
The definition of ‘sin’ includes the ideas of : trespass – going places where you are forbidden to go, exceeding guidelines: doing what is not recommended for you in the owner’s manual (the Bible).
When the children of Israel wandered around in the desert for 40 years they were in Sin – specifically the Wilderness of Sin. They were meant to pass through that terrible place on their way to the Promised Land but they chose to fear the ‘giants’ of Canaan rather than go where God told them to, so they literally stayed in Sin.
They were Sinners because that is where they lived.
People do not like to talk about sin because they believe it to be an unfair rejection of their life-choices.
We all like to be accepted.
Ravi Zacharias said this in the Lotus and the Cross (p81) “Respect for the right of another to be wrong does not mean that wrong is right.” God’s acceptance of us cannot require that He abandon truth to do so.
Jesus said “Behold I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am you may be also.”John14:2-3
In Hebrew the phrase ‘Ha Makom’ the place, the prepared place, is a concept that I can only allude to in this post. Suffice to say that it is a very important concept in God’s dealings with humanity. We need to find the place Jesus has prepared for us so that we can always be where He is and not be in Sin.
God does not administer punishment for disobedience to the Word of command He has given us. (See my post Judgment is built-in) Sin is the place we find ourselves when we leave behind, or undone, the direction God gives us for living, in His Word – the Bible.
The Word is our Holy GPS.
God has promised in Isaiah 30:21 “And your ears will hear a word behind you saying, This is the way.” We can find our way back to the place where Jesus promised to meet us if we choose to listen to and obey the Word.
Repentance is a direction.
Turn around from the way you are going and go in God’s direction to a prepared place – ha makom.
When Adam chose not to take God’s recommendation concerning the fruit of the tree of knowledge,
he left the prepared path and place.
He was driven out of Eden – the place of blessing, peace and provision – and he found himself in a wilderness full of weeds, danger and toil – the fruits of sin.
The knowledge Adam had accepted in place of God’s guidance led him to that place of turmoil and suffering.
God knew that the wilderness was not a good place for Adam and Eve to live.
Blessing is a place too.
He had prepared a good place. His recommendation was to stay in God’s presence.
Adam very quickly discovered that God was right but he could not find the way back. That bridge had been burned by Adam himself. Jesus had to come and repair the breach so that Adam’s children could return to the place of God’s presence.
Turn around. Meet God in Jesus.
The label of Sin is not God’s rejection of us. It is an indication of our choice not to go to the place where God is prepared to meet us in Jesus. The easy way to fix ‘sin’ is simply – turn around. Go to the place where God has designated a meeting with you. You will find that location in the Holy Word – the Bible.
