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Judging by the lack of concern by many men in and outside of the churches today, you would think sin like say, the small pox disease, is no longer an issue. The thinking of many is God should simply be pleased that "I believe in Him." "I do what I can; I go to church when I can; I try to do and treat people right." In this mind set, God is sympathetic, non-judgmental and non-intrusive; the perfect deity for a man on the go with important things to do!
All of this would be great, of course, if men had made God into our own fallen image and likeness; crafting Him perfectly in line with our whims and desires. The fact is however, God made us! He created us in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). Far from a divine whim, God lovingly fashioned us to fulfill an eternal ruling destiny as His sons (Psalm 8:3-6; I John 3:1-2)! Sonship is deafening in its declaration of formal family relationship as opposed to the often emotional, yet distant link one has to a god created by religious invention.
Sons care about what the father they love cares about. In the case of Christian men, we remember ever so regrettably how intimate relations with God our Father were temporarily severed by the willful disobedience of Adam, the progenitor of the human race. Such was the serious nature of his transgression. Our Creator and Father cares very deeply about sin; it is an offense to His being of the highest order.
God is absolute holiness, righteousness and justice. These attributes of His being demanded humanity´s separation from Him and destruction of the body in death (Genesis 3:17-19). God even cursed the whole creation to death and decay because of man´s sin (Romans 8:20).
But now, we who are the sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ have been purchased by His blood from the condemnation of death due to sin. He came as a second Adam that through His sacrificial death on the cross, He might reconcile us back to God forever (Romans 5:12-19; II Corinthians 5:18-19)!
His mission was a product of the nature of God which is love (John 3:16) as well as two important additional attributes of His being: grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:4-10). This is the Gospel or good news that has been proclaimed among men for nearly two millennia: God has saved us from our sins!
This salvation from sin and its consequences that God has wrought is so thorough, the whole creation which He previously condemned, is ardently waiting for the future revelation of the glorified sons of God! For then, it too will enjoy it´s own liberation from death and decay (Romans 8:18-23)!
How serious is God about sin? Very! And we who profess to know Him ought to be the same. We need to stay mindful of the fact that our heavenly Father expects us to live free not only from the penalty, but also the power and pollution of sin. This is willfully done by continual self-denial, yielding to the Holy Spirit, alertness and confession of as well as repentance from our sins when we do come up short. Certainly no son of God should be a practicing transgressor--that is, a rebel, or one given to iniquity--that is, a pervert of any kind, making crooked the straight ways of God!
Every man claiming sonship through faith in Christ is to be an active and financially supportive member of a local, Bible teaching church (naturally, I recommend the church I pastor if you currently are not in one). Not to be active in a local church is to wickedly rebel against the Lord´s plan for the building up, nurture, equipping and deployment into service of the sons He brings to Himself. If you are a true son of God get it straight: not your will, but His be done (Luke 9:23-26, 22:41-42)! Anything short of this is sin (Psalm 50:16-23).
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