Sin Zero

Day 38:  Genesis/Psalm 38, Judges 14

In a zombie movie that came out not too long ago those trying to solve the puzzle were looking for person-zero, the person who first had the disease.

In the Genesis reading today Judah has one problem after another.  In the end, after sleeping with a woman who he believed to be a prostitute, he discovers that he had actually slept and impregnated his daughter-in-law!

As I read through the chapter I wondered where did he go wrong?  So I looked back and discovered that sin-zero for Judah was when he chose a Cannanite woman for a wife.  This was forbidden from God, Judah, as an Israelite was to marry only another Israelite.  That first sin - choosing a foreign woman led toe the birth of sons who displeased God and then to Judah breaking his word to his daughter-in-law and then his sleeping with a "prostitute" and then he wanted to kill his daughter-in-law for getting pregnant, until he learned he was the father of her child and in the end simply says, that this woman who pretended to be a harlot was a better person than he.

Judah's life took a turn for the worse with one sin.  Sin-zero.  From there he made another and another and before he knew it his life had spun out of control.  If you're the type of person that thinks impregnating your daughter-in-law is a definition of "out of control."

In contrast, David, In Psalm 38 is praying to God as he recognizes he has sinned.  He talks about how the discipline of God is affecting him deeply and he's crying out to God because he is wasting away because of his sin.  Instead of continuing in sin, he recognized it, repented of it, sought restoration through it and wanted to then refrain from it.

Instead of letting his sin lead to another and another he stopped the process and allowed God to deal with it.  Judah never allowed God the time to deal with his sin he simply continued in it.

when you are going through a difficult time and feeling like your life is spinning out of control I suppose you've got two options, continue on the same path adding sin to sin assuming you'll find your way out sometime.  Or, you can stop.  Go back and find sin-zero and follow the pattern of David, recognize where you went wrong and stopped going God's way, repent of that sin in humility before God, seek to be restored to Him and those who've been hurt by your sin and then don't forget the last step, attempt to refrain from that sin that set you off on your own course.

So many believers throughout history have simply blown over their sin, making Jesus' sacrifice for our sin a small thing - easily earned and easily forgotten.  But when we recognize our sin for sin and humbly deal with it before God we can change the course of our lives and grow in faith and closeness with God.

Stuck in sin?  What's sin-zero for you?