One of the good things about life is that we all have choices. I have a choice. You have a choice. My choice is that my sin does not affect you. I am a sinner. But I will do my best to keep my sin private. It’s nothing to do with you. Now, does my sin affect God? Job 35: 6 how does your sin affect God? If your sins are many, how does that affect God? That’s Elihu asking a question, And if your sins are many, does that affect God? They actually have no effect on God. And if you are good/righteous, does that affect God? No, it does not. Our sins or righteousness have no effect on God. But do our sins have an effect on others? Yes; that is if we enact the things we think about, which are not right. If we keep them in our mind, do we affect God? No. If we keep them in our mind, do we affect others? No. It’s all in our mind. The moment we voice or enact them, then our sins affect others. Job says something similar in Job 19:4- if I have gone astray, that affects me and me alone. Both are saying the same thing. Elihu focuses on your sins effect on God; none. Job focuses on your sins effects- and seems to imply it’s his alone. I agree. I do however feel, that if we verbalise, or actualise our sins, to or with others, it does affect others greatly, and also it does affect our feeling/relationship with God. Again, our sins have zero effect on God, but they do have a big effect on our personal walk with God. We feel “different”. 2 Sam 24: 17 David sinned, and he said to God, what has my sin got to do with innocent people. David said what he felt, yet 70,000 plus were affected (take into consideration each dead person was a member of a family). Pro 9: 12 how you act, think, ultimately affects you alone. Do wrong Gal 6: 5 and you must bear your own load. In this case, bear the consequences of your own sins. Whilst as Job said, my error remains mine and mine alone, that is, for me, very true. But when our thinking, is enacted, it then involve others, then it is no longer our sin alone. So when do we cross the line? Ecc 12: 14 is talking about the private hidden things, will be judged. Rom 2: 16 is also clear, all secrets, hidden things, will be judged. Job was certainly not aware of this. As Job stated, his sins were his and his alone. As Elihu said, the sins do not affect God one iota. But what Solomon and Paul said, is very clear. Our sins do affect us, in eternity, even if here on earth they absolutely affect no one else. We can’t escape God’s judgement in eternity.
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6 Sivan 5782