Advent Preparation – Turn Away From Sin

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. . . . and run full speed in the opposite direction into the loving arms of Jesus our Saviour.

So we have come to the final chapter of this advent preparation series. Congratulations to all of you who have been able to keep up with this walk in faith. May God reward your efforts with His peace.

One of the things I have always said, and I will repeat here is that the various disciplines that we learn throughout the different seasons of the Holy Roman Catholic Church are not meant to be for that season alone. For example, the discipline of prayer is supposed to be used throughout your entire life. Likewise that of fasting, and that of repentance, etc. So that being said, all that we have discussed here so far, including this final post, Is meant to be applied to your entire life; all geared towards drawing you closer to Jesus Christ – our ultimate goal.

So here’s a brief refresher of what we have covered so far. We have looked at:

Attend Holy Mass regularly,
Devotion to prayer,
Vocation,
Encounter Christ in others
Now not later

We will now conclude with, “Turn away from sin.”

What is sin? Simply put, sin is that which offends God and separates us from him. It was because of this separation from God that Jesus Christ came. Sin, if left unchecked, has the potential to send us straight to hell – the eternal separation from God. That is why we have and celebrate Christmas, the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. It is he, Jesus Christ, who saves us from our sins.

God‘s plan for the human race was one of holiness, peace, love and harmony. That plan was disrupted when Adam and Eve rejected God and sinned. As a result of this, the first man lost his holiness and the justice he had received from God, and not only for himself but for the whole human race. So the consequence of the first man’s sin has been passed on to the entire human race. So the entire human race has a sin defect. As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin. (CCC 413 -418) But all is not lost. We have a God who loves us beyond measure, and who continues to pour out an abundance of his grace upon us even when the darkness of sin seems to be overwhelming. Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.

The propensity to sin is ingrained in our human nature. No human being can will themselves out of sin. No human being on their own strength, can do good. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that the heart is more devious and perverse than any other thing (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus too, echoes this in Marks gospel, chapter 7, where he said, “for it is from within, from man’s heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man and clean.“ (Mark 7: 22-23)

It is important to note that sin does not stop being sin because everyone seems to be doing it. So for example, fornication will not stop being a sin because everyone seems to be doing it. We read in the Bible that Sodom and Gomorrah were both destroyed because of the sins everyone was doing. So do not be fooled into thinking that because everyone is doing it it must be OK. Do not be fooled into thinking that because everyone is stealing from their job then it is OK. Do not be fooled into thinking that because everyone is swearing, then it must be OK. The nature of sin never changes. Sin will always be sin, no matter who is doing it.

There is something within all of us called our consciences that guides us and tells us what is right from what is wrong. When we ignore our consciences, it will eventually become numb. It is like I suppose, someone on the road towards alcoholism; the first straight shot tastes really awful, but the more they ignore their senses, the numbness increases. The longer this is allowed to continue, the more lost the person will become. It can get to the point where they do not know what is right from wrong anymore. But God. But God. The love of God is never too far even from those who seem to be hopelessly lost. Acts chapter 2, verse 21 reminds us that all call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I remember hearing a testimony from one of the members of the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir who after having a very successful career as a hairdresser in a high end part of New York, started using drugs and became addicted to it. So addicted was he that he lost everything. He moved from living in a luxurious apartment, to living on the streets. It was a member of that same ministry who saw him, and told him about the love of God in Jesus Christ, and that if he called on his name he will be saved. Well, some time went by, and the man’s condition got worse to the point where he thought he was going to die on the streets. But he remembered what the person had told him and he called and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with all that he had, and begged him to have mercy on him. The Lord Jesus Christ heard his call and he answered him. The man has been delivered from the addiction of drugs, and is now a member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

The Word of God is alive and it is always true. God’s desire is that every single one of us be saved and come to the full knowledge of Jesus Christ. God‘s desire is that every single one of us will live holy lives, and inherit eternal life. God so desires this that he will freely pour out his Grace on all who call on his name with sincere hearts.

Jesus said, “I tell you solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured. So if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.“ So here Jesus is telling us that the way to break from the slavery of sin is through him.

Jesus gives us the power to say no to sin. Jesus came that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus came to break the grip and the stranglehold that sin has on us. That was his mission. That was why he came. He breaks the compulsion that we experience to sin. Through his sacrifice on Calvary, he smashes the bars that imprison us, and he breaks the chains that bind us, and he sets us free; free from sin. We must however, want to be set free.

After Jesus had accomplished all that he was sent to do by his Father, he rose from the dead. Before he ascended into heaven to be reunited with his heavenly Father, he appeared to his disciples. He said to them, “Peace be with you“, and he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord; and he said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those who sins you forgive are forgiven; for those who sins you retain, they are retained.“ (John 20: 20-23).

To continue his salvation, to continue the ministry of forgiveness of sins, Jesus implemented the sacrament of reconciliation, also known as confession. During the sacrament of reconciliation, the mercy of God is poured out on repentant sinners seeking his forgiveness, and they are set free from their sins. This sacrament is available to all who desire to be set free from their sins. If you haven’t gone to confession for a long time, or you have never gone at all, I want to suggest that you do an examination of conscience. This will help you to see the areas of your life that you need to bring under the light of Christ. If you have not gone to confession for a while, or you are in serious sin, I would suggest that you go to confession, if possible before Christmas day. I cannot begin to tell you how freeing this is. I cannot begin to express how transforming it is. I cannot begin to tell you how life-giving it is when you enter the confessional burdened by sin, but through the blood of Jesus Christ, you leave with a great sense of being set free; a great sense of hope. So please, I beg you, go and experience true freedom. Go to confession.

One thing I am sure every parent delighted in was having their child run to them and embrace them. They may have had a really awful day at work; things may be really tough, but when that child ran to them and embraced them, it was a treasure. It is also a treasure beyond telling, when one repentant sinner returns to God (Luke 15:7).

I have called this chapter “turn away from sin.” I want to encourage you not just to turn away from sin, but to run full speed in the opposite direction, straight into the loving arms of our Savior Jesus Christ who will set you free from sin – your number one enemy.

God Bless You.