MAY 18, 2023
Topic: SIN BREAKS INTIMACY WITH GOD
Text: Gen 3: 8 – 13
Memory Verse: “And He said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Gen. 3: 10
As we continue with our study on building intimacy with God, today we look at what can hinder intimacy with God.
In the story of Adam and Eve that we have been studying for the past two days, we come to the point where they became afraid of God who had been a Friend, Provider, Counselor, and Guide. We see the intimacy between God and them that was broken as a result of sin.
God had earlier given them a command, not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but they disobeyed and this singular action caused a breach of fellowship between God and them.
Sin is the most potent tool to break the intimacy between God and Man. Apart from the fact that God condemns sin in its entirety, Man himself loses the confidence to come into God’s Presence when he sins. As we see in the case of Adam and Eve, even when God was looking for them, they were afraid and hid themselves.
This is exactly how sin robs us of fellowship with God, because of our guilty conscience. No wonder 1Jn3:21 – 22 says “Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence towards God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
Therefore, to build intimacy with God, we must stay away from sin, and if, peradventure we fall into sin, we should be quick to confess it and receive cleansing as 1Jn 1:9 admonishes.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I pray you forgive me of every sin that hinders my intimacy with you. Clothe me with the righteousness of Jesus, in Jesus’ name. Amen