Meeting Our Sins Again

MEETING OUR SINS AGAIN

Genesis 42:21

INTRO: Many people today have reversed their thinking about God. Once they thought of Him as almighty and just, a God who punished sin. But not all people feel that way today. God is looked upon as a soft and sentimental old grandfather, a Santa Claus ready to drop all that we want into our laps if we just think positively and pray a little.

These modern thinkers are wrong. God is the same as He has always been. He has some irrevocable laws, and if we break them we will be punished. You can sin and think God has forgotten all about it, but someday you’ll be forced to “meet them again” and pay the price He demands.

A farmer wrote this letter to the editor of a paper: “I planted my crop on Sunday; I worked it on Sunday; I gathered my harvest on Sunday. Yet my crop was just as good as those who go to church on Sunday. Now how do you account for that?” And the editor, who was a Christian, answered, “God does not always pay off on October first.” He was simply saying, “Someday we’ll meet our sins again.”

Jacob had twelve sons but loved Joseph best of all. He made a coat of many colors for him and sent him into the field to check on his brothers. In their hatred for Joseph they sold him into slavery and told Jacob he was killed. Later, during the famine, they stood before Joseph to buy food. Joseph remembered them but they didn’t recognize him. Remember the story.

I. WE ALWAYS MEET OUR SINS AGAIN.

One day Moses came upon two men who were fighting — an Egyptian and an Israelite. He killed and buried the Egyptian. The next day an Egyptian came up to him and said, “Are you going to kill us as you did the man yesterday?” Moses knew his sin had been discovered. He had to flee for his life. He went into the land of Midian, where he dwelt for forty years. He had met his sins again.

Later God called Moses to lead Israel to the Promised Land, and Moses was faithful to the task. One day God took Moses to the mountain and showed him the Promised Land. God told Moses because of his disobedience he would not have the privilege of leading Israel into it. Moses met his sins again.

Another great man, David, saw a beautiful woman whom he desired. He took her for himself and ordered her husband put to death. A baby was born out of this illicit union. David loved that baby very much, but in spite of all that could be done, the baby became sick and died. David’s heart was broken, but he knew he was meeting his sins again. David’s sons followed their father in immorality, and finally his favorite, Absalom, was killed.

Samson was God’s strong man, but he entered into sin with Delilah and gave away the secret of the source of his strength. He was captured by his enemies and put in prison. With red-hot irons they put out both of his eyes. As he ground in the mill like a common slave, the once-proud warrior must have sobbed, “I’m meeting my sins again.”

When the Israelites entered Canaan, God gave them a warning. If they forgot Him and went into idolatry, He told them that He would punish them. They did forget Him and they did go into idolatry — God kept His word. He sent cruel enemies into the land, and the Israelites were carried into captivity, where they suffered for many years.

King Herod killed James and threw Peter into prison. In his pride Herod made a speech and the people said, “He’s a god.” When Herod did not give the glory to God, in a few minutes he fell over dead and was eaten by worms. He met his sins again.

ILLUS: A man in New York City committed a crime. He fled the state and changed his name. Many years passed and he became rich. He went back to New York, bought a fine house, and settled down to enjoy life. Then one day the officers came to that home, arrested him, and took him to prison. The years had gone by and he was meeting his sins again.

II. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE MEET OUR SINS AGAIN?

1. We Remember Them Vividly. Joseph’s brothers did not expect trouble. They had money to buy grain and their future was bright. But when they were thrown into prison, their memory began to work. What did they remember? They remembered their sin and the pleas of Joseph. They said, “We remember the anguished look on his face when we left him in the pit and again when we sold him into slavery. That’s why this trouble has come upon us.”