Sin Separates Us From God

 

If left unchecked, sin will destroy the most important relationship a Christian can have. Sin separates us from God, so how can we overcome sin?

The Bible tells us that sin is enticing and spiritually deadly.

James explained the process that leads to sin: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

The apostle John noted the continuing challenge of sin in 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” He includes himself in this statement!

True Christians are admonished to overcome and conquer sin. Paul encouraged the Christians in Rome: “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:11-12). We must not let sin continue to rule our lives.

How deadly is sin?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verse 23). All sins are deadly. We have all earned death, but God offers life through the sacrifice of Christ.

It is a matter of either eternal life in God’s Kingdom or eternal death!

Satan was the instigator of sin

Satan lied in the Garden of Eden to convince humans to disobey—to choose the way that actually produces death. Adam and Eve’s sin and feelings of guilt led them to hide from God (Genesis 3:8).

Satan still deceives in order to lure us into sin. He possesses the ability to broadcast his destructive attitudes into our minds. He is a master of deception and the originator of lies (John 8:44), and his spirit “now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:2-3).

God wants us to repent and draw close to Him. Our loving Father wants us to be part of His eternal family.If we are striving to obey God, rather than allowing Satan to wrongly influence our lives, there will be a daily battle going on in our minds (Galatians 5:17). We will be endeavoring to abstain “from fleshly lusts”—uncontrolled physical desires—and resisting Satan the devil (1 Peter 2:11; 5:8-9).

It will mean “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience” (2 Corinthians 10:5-6).

The process of overcoming sin, then, requires rejecting the subtleties of Satan and developing more of the mind of Christ.

Christ’s suffering teaches us an important lesson about sin

Christ’s life was worth more than all of humanity. He was sinless, yet He was willing to die to pay the penalty for all sins committed on earth. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Imagine the weight of responsibility that rested on His shoulders. Without His sacrifice, all of humanity, including you and me, would have no hope of ever having our sins forgiven and eventually receiving eternal life.

After fervently praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and then being brutally scourged, Jesus Christ was crucified. It was during this time that He uttered seven short sentences recorded in the Gospels (see “Seven Last Sayings of Jesus”).

His fourth cry is of special significance, as it pertains to the grim and serious consequences of sin. Christ uttered these words as recorded in Matthew 27:46: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying . . . ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

Why was Jesus forsaken?

King David once wrote, “I have not seen the righteous forsaken” (Psalm 37:25). To be forsaken means to be abandoned or left helpless. Being forsaken is a horrific experience, but to be forsaken by God would be the worst!

Surely His Father had not forsaken Him, as Jesus had previously declared, “The Father has not left Me alone” (John 8:29). But at this point, God did momentarily leave Him helpless. Why?

There was a reason. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied that Jesus would take on Himself all the sins of humanity: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Therefore, since Jesus was now bearing the sins of the world, God would not intervene to ease anything associated with the penalty of sin. Sin causes suffering, and Christ bore its full weight, including the emotional trauma of comprehending how sin distances us from God!

Sin separates us from God

Sin and God are totally incompatible. Unless repented of, sin will sever the relationship and contact we have with God.

Notice Isaiah 59:1-2: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

Sin separates us from God. This spiritual principle was true while God was dealing with Old Testament Israel (Deuteronomy 31:17-18). And it will continue to be true into the future (Micah 3:4).

Important facts about sin

Since sin results in alienation from our Heavenly Father, we need to understand what sin is and the consequences it carries.

1. What is sin? “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, King James Version). The opposite of sin, then, is obedience to God. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
2. There are no exceptions with God when it comes to sin. He will not compromise with sin. That knowledge should motivate you to “not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” and to not let it “have dominion over you” (Romans 6:12, 14).
3. It is sobering to consider what God means when He defines the punishment for those who deliberately and willfully persist in disobeying Him (Hebrews 10:26-31; see “What Is the Unpardonable Sin?”).
4. Every time we sin, we are responsible and held accountable for the barbarous torture, suffering and ultimate death of our Savior Jesus Christ. He died for our sins!

Practical steps to overcoming sins

Considering the deadly effects of disobedience, how can we overcome sin?

1. Desire to please God. The process of overcoming sin should begin with a deep-seated and genuine desire to please God. The psalmist wrote: “With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:10-11). In his psalm of repentance, David recognized that all sins are committed against God: “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:3-4). We should deeply desire not to disappoint God by taking sin lightly.
2. Pray. It is through prayer that we can have daily and regular contact with God. The closer we are in our walk with God, the more He will help us conquer our desires to succumb to sin.
3. Study the Bible. It is by saturating our minds with the Word of God that we will be able to resist Satan’s influences and stand firmly against temptations. One way we overcome the forces of evil is to devote time daily to the study of the Bible. It means putting on “the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [margin: schemings] of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
4. Love not the world. The apostle Paul cautioned true Christians: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Likewise, the apostle John warned us not to love this world or society (1 John 2:15-17). He concluded that the present world’s systems will not last: “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (verse 17).
5. Receive God’s Holy Spirit. Christ dwells in us through the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20). Our understanding of our calling to inherit eternal life is made clearer “according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:18-19). We are sealed to ultimately inherit eternal life—and God guarantees that sealing (2 Corinthians 1:22). True Christians are not left to battle by themselves. In our time of need, our faithful High Priest is ready to help and support us (Hebrews 4:15-16). We can boldly come before His throne of mercy, and if we are genuine in our desire to obey and please God, we may rely on Him to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Important! In order to receive God’s Spirit, we must accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, repent of our sins, be baptized and have the “laying on of hands” (Hebrews 6:2). These are vital steps God requires before He will offer us His Holy Spirit.

Do you see the need to change, but wonder what to do? Then download our booklet Change Your Life, which will lead you through the biblical process of conversion, including repentance and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

Your offer from God

God has created us with free choice, and He will not force any person to obey Him.

God wants us to repent and draw close to Him. Our loving Father wants us to be part of His eternal family. That is a goal we should all strive for, but God leaves it up to us to choose this wonderful plan and incredible future He has prepared for us.

He is ready, willing and able to assist those who genuinely seek Him (Isaiah 55:6-7).

May you be among those who do!

Are Tarot Cards Evil?

 

During the pandemic, sales of tarot cards tripled. Searches for “how to read tarot cards” grew dramatically. Are tarot cards as harmless as many believe?

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Zoom tarot readings became a trend. By the spring of 2021, Christian Dior’s haute couture collection took on an occult motif inspired by tarot cards.

During traumatic times, some people turn to tarot cards for spiritual comfort. But can true comfort be found in tarot cards?

Others turn to tarot cards to understand their minds or higher self. Some think of tarot as a connection to spiritual energy and the realities of the natural world.

With all the occult symbols, are tarot cards safe? The words tarot cards do not appear in the Bible. Does the Bible provide any guidance on tarot cards that can help Christians?

What are tarot cards?

Tarot card decks have 78 cards. There are four suits: wands, swords, cups and coins—similar to the clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds in regular playing cards. Tarot cards have an additional knight card to make 14 cards in a suit. These suits are called the minor arcana.

Tarot cards also have 22 trump cards called the major arcana. The major arcana includes cards like Death, the Devil, the Hanged Man and the Fool.

Arcana means secrets or mysteries. Tarot card readings are performed by dealing the cards in a pattern and interpreting each card’s meaning into a story. These readings are actually a form of fortune-telling or divination with cards, called cartomancy. Divination is seeking the future or hidden knowledge by supernatural means. (See our related article “Astrology: Can Christians Use Horoscopes?”)

How did card games become tarot card readings?

Tarot comes from the Old Italian word tarocchi, which is of unknown origin. Tarot cards evolved from a trick-taking game into spiritual divination with the help of a few famous individuals.

In the 15th century, tarot cards were invented as a card game similar to bridge. The highest card wins the hand. Cards were hand-painted and very expensive.

In 1770 Jean-Baptiste Alliette published a book on divination using his name spelled backward in the title. Etteilla, or a Way to Entertain Yourself With a Deck of Cards gave instructions on divination by assigning meanings to traditional playing cards.

In 1781 Antoine Court (self-declared Court de Gébelin) wrote his famous work The Primeval World, Analyzed and Compared to the Modern World. Volume 8 explored tarot cards. According to Court de Gébelin, all the wisdom of Thoth, the Egyptian god of learning and writing, was distilled into tarot cards.

In 1788 Alliette embraced Court de Gébelin’s Thoth notion and started the Society of Interpreters of the Book of Thoth. Alliette published a deck of cards specifically for divination a year later and then, in 1790, published the book Theoretical and Practical Course in the Book of Thoth. Alliette popularized tarot card readings for fortune-telling. He was the first person known in history to make a living by card divination.

In 1909 William Rider and Arthur Edward Waite invented the modern tarot deck with artwork from Pamela Colman Smith. The deck was published with an explanation of how to read the deck for divination.

By 2021 the tarot cards market was $1.2 billion and predicted to grow at 3 percent annually until 2030. Today tarot cards come in a variety of styles, often decorated with occult creatures and symbols.

What does the Bible say about tarot cards and divination?

The Bible reveals God’s perspective on divination. God commands His people not to practice divination (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). God also explains that He was driving out the inhabitants of the Promised Land because of abominations like divination.

Divination is grouped with child sacrifice, sorcery, interpreting omens, witchcraft and mediums as detestable to God.

In the New Testament, fortune-telling and divination are connected with evil spirits. The apostle Paul cast out a demon from a girl “possessed with a spirit of divination . . . who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling” (Acts 16:16). Though there is no indication she used cartomancy, this passage shows that divination was connected to the evil spirit world and is still to be avoided today.

Christians should not associate with divination.

What does the Bible say about Egyptian gods?

Tarot cards glamorize Egyptian gods like Thoth. God is not a fan of pagan gods.

God aimed the 10 plagues of Egypt at the Egyptian gods. For example, Egyptians worshipped the sun god Ra. God sent a darkness that was so intense it could be felt for three days (Exodus 10:21-23). Pharaoh believed he was a god, and his firstborn died in the 10th plague (Exodus 11:5). God worked many miracles to release His people from the bondage of Egypt.

(See our article “A Deeper Look at the 10 Plagues” for more information on God’s targeting of Egyptian gods.)

Where is the source of true spiritual knowledge?

In Exodus 20:2-3 God called Egypt a house of bondage and began the 10 Commandments, stating, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Jesus Christ explained that the great commandment (summarizing the first four commandments) is to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

God does not want us to give attention to pagan gods. He even called Himself a jealous God (Exodus 20:5).

God wants a close, loving relationship with us. Having other gods and spiritual sources interferes with our relationship with the true God. God wants us to pray to Him for spiritual knowledge and to seek answers in the Bible. Our God has all spiritual knowledge and is eager to enlighten us with His spiritual truth.

What is so dangerous about tarot cards?

Most tarot card enthusiasts don’t think of themselves as Thoth worshippers. And what is wrong with divination?

God instructs us not to practice divination in Leviticus 19:26. The word in Hebrew gives us a hint at the source of tarot knowledge and energy. Here the Hebrew word for divination is nāḥaš, which means “to hiss.”

The Greek word for divination in Acts 16:16 is python, which in Greek mythology referred to a serpent or dragon that guarded the oracle at Delphi. Divination is from the satanic side of the spirit world.

The allure of spiritual enlightenment is not new. The serpent promised Eve the knowledge of good and evil, which would make one wise (Genesis 3:5-6). But with her choice to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit came separation from God and much sorrow. Turning to tarot cards can also separate us from the true spiritual knowledge of God.

Do tarot cards provide enlightenment into your inner thoughts?

Many people use tarot cards to get to know themselves rather than predict the future. Should tarot cards be used to explore your inner thoughts?

Isaiah 8:19 tells us to seek our God rather than those who whisper and mutter. Each tarot card has multiple meanings, which can produce interpretations similar to vague horoscopes.

Jesus Christ offers something much better. He instructs us to come to Him if we have heavy burdens, so we can find rest (Matthew 11:28). God knows our problems and is willing and able to truly help.

Don’t fall for non-Christian beliefs

Events like the pandemic have led troubled people to seek comfort in tarot cards. Tarot cards are just one segment of the movement away from God. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center poll, the majority of Americans have at least one non-Christian belief, including belief in reincarnation, astrology, psychics or the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects like mountains or trees. (For more information, see our article “The New Age Movement.”)

Such trends are taking people away from God’s clear instructions.

Seeking spiritual information from tarot cards is seeking spiritual information that is prohibited by the one true God. God in His loving wisdom tells us that divination is evil because He wants to protect us from Satan’s influence. Christians should avoid tarot cards and seek God for truth.

Is Back to Normal Good?

 

After the COVID-19 crisis, many look forward to life returning to normal. But what will the “new normal” look like, and is this a good thing? Yes! And, No!

Normal is an odd word, the way we tend to use it. It implies that normal is good, and abnormal is bad. So “returning to normal,” we assume, is naturally a good thing.

But normal can be a value-neutral word. By definition, it refers to what is usual, typical, common or expected. It is the average or typical state or condition, without regard to whether that condition is good or bad.

Will we ever go back to normal?

For the long months we lived in the shadow of COVID-19, wearing a mask and social distancing was normal practice in public. As we look to emerge from pandemic-enforced protocols, we look forward to returning to what was normal before March 2020.

But the pandemic has changed things—and some of those changes will continue even after we stop wearing masks. And other things not directly related to the pandemic have changed—some quite dramatically. During the pandemic, society has been evolving, so when we “return to normal,” it won’t be the same normal as before.

Will that be good or bad? The way we interact socially has been affected. Business and education have been affected, with technology playing a much more significant role. International relations and politics have changed dramatically.

Dramatic changes across broad spectrums of life over the past year ensure that returning to prepandemic standards of normal is not going to happen.

Tech to the rescue

The integration of technology into virtually every aspect of life increased exponentially due to the pandemic. We became dependent on technology for everything from shopping to education to employment. Virtual interactions were safe from the coronavirus, so life moved online.

Amazon, the giant of the Internet marketplace, saw its profits double in 2020 and had to hire 175,000 workers to handle the load as online orders soared. From groceries to garage door openers, almost everything is being bought online now, in an increasingly cashless society.

For millions of students, going to school meant firing up the computer—their classroom looking like the opening of an old Brady Bunch sitcom.

For millions of workers, from paralegals to personal trainers, going to work meant meeting with clients and coworkers on Zoom. Even doctor appointments were increasingly handled through the new medium of telemedicine.

Personal interactions became virtual. The Internet became our lifeline. Technology replaced touch.

Technology has been so thoroughly integrated into the fabric of life that it will not go away with the virus. It is here to stay, and it is changing the way we do things fundamentally.

Tech brings with it many conveniences that are beneficial and appreciated. Yet a Pew Research survey of 915 innovators, developers, business and policy leaders, researchers and activists found that 47 percent of respondents said life will be mostly worse for most people in 2025 than it was before the pandemic. Only 39 percent said life will be mostly better for most people in 2025 than it was prepandemic (“Experts Say the ‘New Normal’ in 2025 Will Be Far More Tech-Driven, Presenting More Big Challenges”).

Tech is taking over. In a “tele-everything” world, humans will interact with “god-like technology,” in the words of biologist E.O. Wilson.

Our desire for the convenience and safety tech offers drives consumers to seek out smart gadgets, apps and systems, in the process giving up privacy and security to big technology firms. Entrusted with massive amounts of information, the firms use it to exploit their market advantages using tools like artificial intelligence (AI) “in ways that seem likely to further erode the privacy and autonomy of their users,” say experts.

This broader dependence on the Internet heightens threats of criminal activity, hacks and other attacks.

The conveniences coming with such a new, tech-driven, tech-integrated “normal” have therefore brought significant new threats to privacy, security and personal autonomy.

We will be emerging from the pandemic to a new normal, both good and bad, in which, as the Pew study stated, “the best and worst of human nature are amplified.”The Pew study also concluded that “misinformation will be rampant: Digital propaganda is unstoppable, and the rapidly expanding weaponization of cloud-based technologies divides the public, deteriorates social cohesion and threatens rational deliberation and evidence-based policymaking.”

When it comes to the influence of technology, we won’t be returning to normal. We will be emerging from the pandemic to a new normal, both good and bad, in which, as the Pew study stated, “the best and worst of human nature are amplified.”

Violence has increased

“There’s some hope the U.S. can beat COVID-19 someday,” reported Time magazine recently; “there’s far less optimism that leaders can end the gun violence scourge” (“Mass Shootings: This Is What Normal Has Come to Be Like in America”).

Definitions of mass shootings vary, but by any standard, the first quarter of 2021 has seen an increase in the United States. Mass shootings, once rare, are regular fare in the media today.

During the pandemic, there were also violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement, and riots in major cities. Businesses were looted or burned. Government buildings were defaced and broken into.

Even apart from the riots, homicides soared in many cities, and 2020 had the highest death toll in more than 20 years, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Reflecting increased concerns for personal protection amidst fears that this kind of violence has become the new normal, 22.8 million firearms were sold in 2020—almost 9 million more than the previous year.

As we “return to normal” after the pandemic, violence and the fear of it have become an uncomfortable new normal. In His Olivet Prophecy, Jesus warned that the end times would be “as the days of Noah were” (Matthew 24:37)—when “the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11).

The drift toward increasing technology has been pushed forward by the crisis, and we accept its growing pervasiveness as the new standard for both good and ill. The natural proclivity within man toward contention and strife, normally contained at a fairly low level by commonly accepted morals and by law, has drifted to a new level of violence.

We find ourselves accepting these conditions and many others as part of the new normal.

The drift toward sin

The normal state of mankind is sin. That’s why we need a Savior. We read that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Our hope comes from acknowledging our sinfulness to God and repenting—turning away from it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Christ’s sacrifice can be applied for us, and we can receive God’s Spirit to strengthen and guide us in our commitment to overcome the sinful nature that is at work in us.

Sin is not good. But it is normal in our society. And a growing acceptance of sin is not good!In a society that is increasingly secular, the barriers to sin are cast off. The drift toward sin accelerates, the concept of what sin is gets redefined on human, secular standards, and sinful behaviors and attitudes become increasingly common—become “normal.” This also mirrors the days of Noah when “the wickedness of man was great” (Genesis 6:5). And it matches the evil end time attitudes the apostle Paul prophesied (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Sin is not good. But it is normal in our society. And a growing acceptance of sin is not good!

Lot’s “new normal”

The Bible gives a stark example of the effects of accepting a new normal.

The biblical patriarch Lot is described in Scripture as a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7). For years, he lived with his uncle Abraham, and God prospered them. It was normal for them to serve and obey God faithfully.

But a minor crisis arose between the herdsmen of Lot and Abraham, which caused Lot to move with his family to the city of Sodom (Genesis 13:8-12). Obeying God was decidedly not normal for the people of that city. They were violent and exceedingly immoral, and the outcry before God because of its sinfulness was very grave (Genesis 18:20).

But over time it became “normal” for Lot to live in this environment surrounded by sin. He didn’t condone the wickedness done in the city, but he accepted it as the status quo, and put down roots. Some of his daughters married men of the city.

When Lot, encouraged by angels, warned his sons-in-law to flee the city before God destroyed it for its wickedness, they thought he was kidding and stayed. Life there was normal, after all (Genesis 19:14).

Even Lot hesitated about leaving the city, and the angels had to drag him, his wife, and his two unmarried daughters out (Genesis 19:15-17). Even then, Lot’s wife cast her eyes back on the city, perhaps lamenting the loss of their “normal” life there, not fully appreciating the depth of depravity she had come to accept as commonplace.

The lesson for us

There is danger in accepting sin as normal, regardless of how commonplace, accepted or approved it may be in a growingly secular and godless society.

As the world looks at turning the corner on the COVID-19 crisis, be careful to take stock of what it means to return to normal. Much has changed, and not all of it for the good.

Learn more in our online article “How Has the Coronavirus Changed You?”