God has been pestering me about a topic I don’t really want to talk about. But y’all he just won’t leave me alone about it, so today we’re not talking about birds. Yesterday we talked about birds because I was dodging the push to dive into this … sin.

Sin – it’s all the things God tells us not to do, but sometimes we sneak and do it anyway. And when we feel like we can get away with it, we will do it some more. Why would the creator of the Universe, the one who sees everything and knows everything, tell his creation there are some things we can’t do? Really, why does God say, “No, you can’t do that.”

I remember when my kids were little and I would tell them they couldn’t do something, they would immediately respond with the whinest possible, “but whyyyyyyyy?” And honestly, sometimes I said no because I was being lazy. No, we can’t go to the park and play because I’m lazy. But I couldn’t tell my own kids their request for fun was denied because I was simply lazy, so I made up some other excuse. Sometimes I said no because we didn’t have time or we didn’t have money. Sometimes I said no out of pure habit. There was no good reason for my answer of no, it was just my denial default.

Now, I get a do-over opportunity with my grandbabies. My Grandma name is Franny, because my 2 year old grandson can’t say Granny. And let me tell you, Franny says yes as much as possible. Next weekend I’m flying to Virginia to bring him home with me for 10 days. When he asks, if at all possible, the answer shall be YES. I want to spend every minute with him. I want to do all the fun things with him. I want to fill his days with awe and wonder here on the island. There will be none of this saying no because I’m being lazy, or saying no because it’s my default to just deny. Nope, this is my do-over and the answer is YES.

God doesn’t require a do-over with us. He has always been a YES for us. He has never denied us a single time because he was being lazy. He has never said no to us because he lacked time, money or resources. He’s never said no because he just couldn’t pull it off. He’s never said no out of habit. Do you know what God’s habit is? Do you know what his default really is? YES.

Really, is that the way you see God? He’s standing by with a ready YES. He wants to say yes to you. Unfortuatley most of us view God as a “No Man”. He denies. He withholds. He vetos. He limits. But we have the wrong picture.

2 Corinthians 1: 19-20 says, “In Jesus it is always YES. For every one of God’s promises is YES in him.”

Our God is a YES God. Yes, he can do it. Yes, he’s in it with you. Yes, he will make a way. Yes, he wants even more for you!

So, when God says no, we can completely trust him. We never have to question God’s no. There’s one reason God says no. So, just in case you’ve been whining with your, “but God, whyyyyyyyyy”, here’s your answer … Why did I say no? Because it’s not my best for you.

That’s why that door didn’t open. That’s why the plans didn’t work. That’s why it fell apart. That’s why the answer was no. It wasn’t God’s best for you, and God’s not settling.

You may be quick to settle for less, for now, for temporary … but God is overflowing with abundance and an eternal focus. If it’s not his best for you, then the answer will be no. Can you trust that?

1 John 1: 5, “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.” God doesn’t have a dark side. He’s not out to get you. He’s not out to punish you or limit you. If he has said no, if he’s closed the door, if he’s made it off limits, it comes from the light of his love. His love that says, this will hurt you my girl, I don’t want it for you.

Do you understand that’s what sin is? Sin is the thing that will hurt us, so God has set limits to keep us away from harm. The enemy tries to make sin look all enticing and exciting, but the truth is, it’s everything that will hurt us and keep us from God’s very best for us.

Dang it, why do we fall for sin? Why do we push so hard for doing the things God has set limits on? Why do we insist on going further and further, even when we know better?

Well, that’s what sin does. It takes us further away from God. It creates a distance between us and God’s best for us.

1 John 1:6, “If we say we have fellowship with him and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” Now, here’s where this verse has been twisted. Some of us have been told our sin will keep us from being forgiven by God. That’s not true. Jesus came to cover our sins and make us righteous. His sacrifice has put us in right standings with God and secured our salvation. Because of Jesus, sin no longer blocks salvation. Here’s what sin does … it blocks our fellowship.

We cannot have fellowship with God while we’re walking in darkness. The original Greek word for fellowship was koinonia, which means partnership. God has invited us into a partnership with him, but we forfeit it if we’re walking in darkness. What qualifies as walking in darkness? It is a pattern of living in sin. A chosen lifestyle to do the things God has instructed us not to do.

That’s what a lifestyle of doing what we want to do ultimately does … it blocks our partnership with God.

You have been offered a partnership with the most powerful force in the world. With the one who has everything and holds everything. The one who can make absolutely anything happen. The one who knows everything. That’s who you are offered a partnership with … but when you choose to walk in the darkness of doing what God has told you not to do, you forfeit that partnership.

Does that sin dam me to Hell? No. But dang, it sure limits the goodness in my life here.

God has said no because it’s not his best for you. That’s the only reason he has said no. Can’t you trust that?

Honey, if you have to hide it from someone, that’s a strong indication it’s not right.

I googled the most popular sins for Christians today, because what I really wanted to do was to speak the thing you’ve been battling so clearly that you couldn’t deny it. But what God showed me was I don’t have to do that, the Holy Spirit will convict you right now. Right now, you’ll know what darkness you’ve been walking in. Please hear the heart of God right now without the layering on of shame and guilt as he says, “My girl, no. That’s just not my best for you.”

There’s a list of the 7 deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride.

A few of those sure hit me. How about you?

Sin hurts us. It separates us. It blocks the most powerful partnership we could ever have in our lives. No, it doesn’t cancel our salvation. But it sure cancels some of God’s sweetest blessings right here.

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This means admitting where you have been wrong will bring you back into partnership with God. It’s really that simple.

The Passion Translation says it like this, “If we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time.”

What would happen if instead of hiding this again, you just freely admitted to God that you know it’s not right. God, I’ve been doing things I know you don’t want me to do. I’ve been thinking thoughts that aren’t right. I’ve been hiding things. I’ve been showing up as someone you didn’t create me to be. I’ve been wrong. I know better, but I haven’t been doing better.

What would happen if you just spoke those words to him?
Two things: He would forgive you and he would give you the wisdom and strength to change it.

Then what happens? You’re welcomed back into a partnership that can change everything for you!

God says no because it’s not his best for you. Stop fighting his best, and trust his no.

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