The Gravity Of Our Sin

The gravity of our sin must be weighed in light of the glorious holiness of God.

Let’s say you are wearing a free t-shirt and I walk up to you and squirt mustard all over your shirt. You would no doubt be a bit disgruntled. But let’s say you are wearing a new expensive dress shirt. What if I squirt mustard on that shirt?

Most likely, you would be more upset with me because of my ruining your expensive shirt than the free one. Why? Because the dress shirt was worth more than the free one. Though I committed the same act, they are viewed differently because of the value of the shirts.

Consider the words of George Smeaton, a 19th century theologian:

The guilt of the offense is proportional to the greatness, the moral excellence, and the glory of Him against whom the offense is committed, and how made us for loyal obedience to Himself. Nothing else, therefore, comes into consideration in estimating the enormity of sin but the infinite majesty, glory and claims of Him agains whom we sin. (quoted in The Transforming Power of The Gospel by Jerry Brides)

The reason our sin is so hideous is because it is against the purest being in all of the universe. Our sin is enormous because it is against the one who is preeminent.

The greatness of our sin therefore, should now cause us to marvel even more at the cross. Forgiveness from God should no longer be viewed as a small thing, but that which a holy God enacted as he took the enormity of our sin upon Himself.

Charles H. Gabriel said it best when he wrote…

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!