Daniel 9:11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
John found his mother to ask her a question that had been burning in his mind: "Mum, define sin for me?"
His mother responded, "Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short, if anything increases the authority of the flesh over the spirit, that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself."
The mother was Susanna Wesley, the topic of a recent blog post in this space, and the boy was John Wesley.
Daniel's prayer in Daniel 9:11 reveals two aspects of sin. It is lawlessness, a turning away from God's law; and it is rebellion, a turning away from God.
Susanna Wesley's eloquent response to son John leans more toward the second part of Daniel's definition. Rebellion isn't always a quick 180-degree turn. Often it is a slower process of weakening, impairment, a draining of joy, duty, and love. Your mind becomes focused on earthly things rather than spiritual things. Susanna wisely warns that even our good actions and intentions, such as service on God's behalf, can become a danger if the service itself becomes an idol or a replacement for a relationship with God.
In order to avoid sin and live a life worthy of the Gospel, let us remain focused on God's ways and remain relational with the Holy Trinity.
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