Thoughts for another day

Dec. 4, 2009

Today's verse: Gen. 4:7. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (NIV copyright acknowledged)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

In the sight of God, sin is devastating. Adam sinned and the shameful saga of man began, where he started doing all the things that displease God. The knowledge of good and evil came into man for he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God had forbidden. The sense of right and wrong came into him. Therefore, when he did something that was evil, it became his sin.

In our verse today, God tells Cain that if he did the right thing, he would be accepted. But if he did the wrong, then sin which was now pervading in his genes would desire him and conquer him. But God also tells Cain that sin must be mastered. In bringing sin into the world, Adam in effect created a monster. God is telling us today that it can be conquered and mastered. However, we’re so ingrained in sin that we don’t consider many of our sinful acts as sin. In the Catholic Church, we have venial sins which are deemed as lesser sin. The church fathers of course realize that any sin before God is spiteful to Him and He hates it, yet, the church followers wantonly commit the lesser sin without even giving it a thought and with no remorse. Lying for example has become so common that it is considered no sin, particularly a ‘white lie’ as they call it.

My friend, note today that any sin you commit is sin and detestable to God. Even if you ‘take’ that pen from your office into your home or make personal phone calls from your office, they’re sins and detestable to God. Let me tell you that avoiding them will not cost you much. A pen costs only Rs. 5, a fraction of a $ - US and so too the other things. Won’t you spend your own money rather than invoke the wrath of God? Try each day seeking God’s Grace to slowly but surely do away with these sinful things and you will become sin’s Master, not its slave.