I.  Sin Is the Problem

    A. Definition of Sin

         1. The Bible often defines itself, this is true when searching for the meaning of sin. It says in 1 John 3:4: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

              a. Lawlessness implies a life without bounds. Sin, therefore, is going beyond the boundary God has established. It is doing what God says NOT to do.

              b. For instance, murder, lying, stealing, and hating others are all actions and attitudes that God has commanded against and, therefore, when we commit them, we sin.

         2. In James 4:17 we are given a slightly different picture of sin: “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

              a. This passage deals with sin from a different angle. Notice that he says, “to one who knows the right thing to do...” Sin is not merely the bad things we do but it is also defined as the good things we don’t do.

              b. Jesus summed up the greatest commands of God by saying the greatest is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The next greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. These two commands encapsulate the GOOD we are to DO. We sin when we have opportunity and ability to do good but choose not to do it.

    B. A Call for Honesty

         1. Let’s honestly look at ourselves. Examine our actions for the times when we have gone beyond what God has commanded AND the times when we have failed to do what is good and right.

         2. When we honestly look at ourselves we can see the sins we have committed. We come to the conclusion mentioned in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

    C. Result of Our Sins

         1. Sin has devastating effects in our lives. Maybe we have experienced the destroyed relationships or the pain caused in others’ lives or the disgusted look in the eyes of those we care about or our own personal emptiness and guilt as a result of the sins we have committed.

         2. Not only do we hurt others when we sin, we also affect our relationship with God. In Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death...” He is speaking of spiritual death or a separation from God. In other words, when we sin a wall is built between us and God. We are not saved until that wall is taken down. If we don’t find the way to break down the wall before we die then we will be separated from God eternally.

The Result of Sin in My Life

Sin leaves a void in our lives that we seek to fill

         3. The prophet Isaiah said it this way: “Behold the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save, neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2). The separation is our doing. God desires a relationship with us but our rebellion keeps that from being the case.

    D. Our Reaction to Sin

         1. The wall we have built because of our sins leaves a void in our lives that we seek to fill. When we seek the “meaning of life” we are seeking to fill the void. When we first realize our mortality we seek to fill the void. When we have our first child or have a brush with death or someone close to us dies we think about life and our place in it and come face to face with the wall.

         2. The question is: What will I do with the wall that has been built between me and God? How will that void be filled? Can my life be full again? There are several ways I can attempt to deal with the emptiness.

              a. Ignore it. It is hard to think about not being right with God so sometimes we simply ignore it. We busy ourselves with life: accomplishments, hobbies, excursions, and activities to keep our minds preoccupied. We sometimes say, “I know I should address the void in my life but I’ll take care of that later.”

              b. Justify it. No one wants to be wrong so to keep from facing the reality of our sins we may attempt to justify them. We say things like, “I’m only human,” or “God would want me to be happy!” or “I’m a good person, I deserve this.” This is our way of saying the void in our lives is okay.

              c.  Medicate it. Possibly one of the most dangerous ways we attempt to deal with the barrier between ourselves and God is to minimize it or make it seem less than it is. We can convince ourselves that God is a loving God and He will surely “overlook” our sins. We feel better because we do some good things and believe God would not send a “good person” to hell. We are merely covering up the problem.

              d. Blame God for it. In our frustration with the emptiness with which sin leaves us we lash out at God. “You created me with these desires, You’re to blame!” becomes our cry. We accuse Him of placing temptations before us or delighting in our failures. Nothing could be farther from the truth. What we neglect to admit is that God said, “The wages of sin is death!” The separation is there NOT because God is cruel and hateful but because I have not dealt with my sins. Until I do, the separation will remain.

              e. Face it. None of the above ways of dealing with the void in our lives fill the void, in fact, they leave us feeling more desperate than before. The wall is still there, the separation from God is still real... is there any hope? The last part of Romans 6:23 gives the answer: “...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” God has given us hope. We don’t deserve it and haven’t earned it, it is freely given by God.

II. Why I Need Jesus: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

How to Fill the Void???

Nothing from the world fills the void

Nothing from within myself fills the void

Only a relationship with God fills the void

    A. Nothing From the World Fills the Void

         1. I’m sure you’ve tried it, like I have tried it. I searched, without really knowing it, for happiness from this life. I believed the commercials and envied others who seemed to have it all. But it seemed like the more I got the more I wanted, it was a never-ending cycle of disappointment. Contentment was elusive, the world promised fulfillment but never delivered.

              a. Read about the Prodigal son in Luke 15:11-16 and note what he thought about the world. He was excited about the wealth the world offered, he took advantage of his opportunity, got everything together, got out of town, and lived without bounds. He experienced all the “pleasures” the world offered.

              b. The result in this young man’s life is what we have experienced. Chasing worldly pleasures leaves us empty, in need of more, compromised, desperate, and lonely.

         2. So what is the answer? One paraphrased version of the Bible says in 1 John 2:15-16: “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God; for all these worldly things, these evil desires—the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance—these are not from God. These are from this evil world itself. And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.”

              a. First, we need to face reality and understand that what the world offers does not lead to fulfillment (it is passing away). If we live for this life we will ultimately end up with nothing. There is truth in the statement, “He who dies with the most toys, still dies.”

              b. Secondly, we need to realize that the ONLY thing that is lasting is our relationship with God. That is why it says we must “keep doing the will of God.” Being right with God is what is lasting and meaningful. Therefore, I must deal with the sin that separates me from God.

    B. Nothing From Inside Me Fills the Void

         1. Maybe we have tried to find contentment and fulfillment by developing certain inward characteristics. For instance, if I am a hard worker or I am generous or am a good citizen then I will feel full and complete. If I am a good person and do good things then that will be all that is necessary to be complete.

         2. Maybe we even go a little deeper and believe that if we become one with nature or with the “spiritual realm” we will have the fulness we seek. Balance and fit with nature or the spiritual realm become the goal to achieve peace from within.

         3. These may give us a more peaceful life and even a deeper existence but listen to the story Jesus tells about a man who achieved “fulfillment” (or so he thought) in Luke 12:16-21. His life was full of abundance, he had everything he ever desired, he was able to enjoy the fruit of his work and sit back and relax. Did he happen to stumble on the answer to life? Did he find fulfillment? The conclusion of the story is found in verses 20-21: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

         4. So what is the answer? There is more to life than what we see, than achieving our dreams, relaxing, having peaceful relationships, or recognizing our role in the cosmos. Some day we all will pass from this life into the coming one and the ONLY thing that will matter will be if we are right with God. So, again, we must deal with the sin that separates us from Him. Being a good person and respecting nature does not deal with the sin in my life. The only way to deal with the sin (which I cannot erase) is to be forgiven of the wrongs I have committed against God. Only God can do that!

    C. 

Jesus Is the Perfect Mediator—The ONLY Way to God

         1. The key to fulfillment and meaning in life is to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe and the Sustainer of my life—God. To do this I must deal with the sin in my life that separates me from Him.

              a. It says in Psalm 32:1-2: “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity!

              b. We have already noted that we cannot make up for or pay for our sins. We are helpless of ourselves to absolve our sins.

              c.  What we need is a connection with the holy and righteous God.

         2. In Romans 5:8-9 it says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Jesus paid the price for my sins, my sins are forgiven through Him and ONLY through Him.

         3. Through Jesus I can fill the void in my life left by my sin. I can now have a relationship with God. In Hebrews 4:16 it says concerning what Jesus has done for us, “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

         4. There is nothing better than knowing you are right with God. This justification comes because Jesus shed His blood and through His sacrifice the wall dividing me from God is torn down, then and only then can I be complete and fulfilled in life.

III.     Conclusion

    A. We know the void is in our lives. The answer to filling the void is not found in this physical world, not inside of me, but ONLY in Christ.

    B. Let’s stop deceiving ourselves and seek for the fulness that is only found in Christ.