TOS062 Lenten Logos II: The Effect of Sin For audio TOS062: Lenten Logos II – The Effect of Sin – Truth of the Spirit (podcast) | Listen Notes
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God pours a tremendous amount of grace upon us that we might live peaceful, happy lives, yet the flow of grace is pinched off by the effect of sin like placing a tourniquet on an artery. Barriers keep us from receiving the fullness of God’s grace. This is the Effect of Sin, the subject of part 2 of the Lenten Logos series on Truth of the Spirit. The complex effect of sin in the world causes pain. Every sin, every hurt, every rejection, every ugly word wounds us. We begin to build up protective layers, but unlike a pearl whose finished product is lovely, we are like an onion with layers that bring tears to our eyes.
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God pours a tremendous amount of grace upon us that we might live peaceful, happy lives, yet the flow of grace is pinched off by the effect of sin like placing a tourniquet on an artery. Barriers keep us from receiving the fullness of God’s grace. This is the Effect of Sin.
You are listening to Truth of the Spirit; I’m Patti Brunner. With this episode of the Lenten Logos Series we shall explore the cause and the remedy for the Effect of Sin.
It is true God loves his children, even those who do not know, love, or accept Him. But it is most difficult for these children to accept His love except through the love of others. Darkness is the filter of sin blocking the Light of Christ, the Light that comes from Grace. The darkness seeks to cover love — to hide it by deceitfulness and lies. As one is bidden to hide love for another so as to limit vulnerability, the failure to ‘feel’ love causes all sorts of issues. At times the children cannot love their children, their families, because of the darkness of sin in their lives, but God the Father always loves the children and the family, each and every one.
If people do not know God, how can they know that God loves them? If they do not know love, how can they know that He loves them? God calls us to love others so that by our love they will come to know God. We have heard the saying, “Love is blind” but consider this: “Hate is blind”. Just as love covers the imperfections, hate covers the goodness.
The more you seek the will of the Lord in daily activities the less what you do will cause pain to others. Comforted by peace, refreshed by joy, strengthened by grace, loved by Love, and the broken is mended and the empty are filled and you are made whole. Where once two hearts beat, now, there is one. The gorgeous sunset, the imperial sunrise, the majesty of the ocean, the infinity of the night sky – all these pale beside the love God has for you, each of you. You are more delightful to Him than any of these His creations. Know this, dearest children, next time you begin to feel ‘worthless’ or ‘unloved’. The truth shall set you free.
The complex effect of sin in the world causes pain. Every sin, every hurt, every rejection, every ugly word wounds us. If we allow the wound to fester, indeed “infect” the wound by rage, unforgiveness, and anger, it can destroy our joy. We begin to build up protective layers, but unlike a pearl whose finished product is lovely, we are like an onion with layers that bring tears to our eyes.
Not only are we affected by the sin of others they are affected by ours. When we repent our sin, we should also repent the harm we have caused others. The good news is that each time sin is overcome in our lives the lives of others are strengthened, too. Scripture says that the effect of the sin goes forward three or four generations but the blessings last a thousand (forever). As you realize the loop of hurt, and forgive, you are healed. As you ask for forgiveness you and they are healed.
As children we learn about Noah’s Ark and we focus on the animals going up the gangplank. But consider why God felt it necessary to destroy all life except this one family and pairs of animals. Creation is good; God only creates good. But man chose to do evil that affected the goodness of the earth. The iniquity in the time of Noah formed a tourniquet that strangled life. God was not punishing the world by this destruction, at the time of Noah. He was cleansing it. By the great flood God washed the world clean of evil for Noah’s benefit and gave us a foreshadowing of the “overcoming” and cleansing graces of Baptism.
God pours a tremendous amount of grace upon us that we might live peaceful, happy lives, yet the flow of grace is thwarted by the layers of emotional build-up that we think “protect” us from vulnerability. These barriers: suspicion, fear, self-sufficiency keep us from receiving the fullness of God’s grace.
God, our Father, does not choose for pain to be a teacher but it is effective. Good parents want children to learn the lessons of life without suffering. Yet sometimes a little suffering brings a greater benefit. When we were babies, our parents immunized us against horrible diseases. An immunization involves actually injecting us with a weakened strain of the disease so that we can build our immunity to it and thus our body can fight off a full attack. Temptation works the same way. God doesn’t create the temptation or the “disease” but allows us to be tempted so that we can build up our resistance. We are never tempted beyond our ability to withstand it.
God chooses love. Remem¬ber the love you have for the situation and all the people involved and then you also will have the strength to avoid the temptation. God’s plan includes you. It includes the Spirit working through you, helping His people overcome the barriers, which limit God’s grace flowing in them – yes, like the tourniquet.
The barriers are not mortal sin, however, but are a barrier caused by the effect of sin: Barriers of fear, disgust and barriers of suspicion and pain. The good news is that these are easily overcome through prayer, witness of God’s love for you, and grace flowing by the love you have for the people. Faith is an added blessing but even if your faith is stunted you can receive God’s graces that have been stopped due to the listed barriers. As you will see, the barriers of addictions and hatred are much more difficult to penetrate. But with prayer and fasting even these can be melted by the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Continue to seek the face of the Lord, especially when you are tired. The world’s weariness ‘infects’ even the healthy, but you quickly recover and thus immunity grows against the ploys and diseases of the enemy until heaven is attained and no longer can the works of darkness exist. But if you keep waiting on the Lord the clouds will be blown away and the deep blue peace emerges and the light brings clarity for all to see. Dear people: the darkness, in the hearts of men, causes them to hear and see the cloud instead of the silver lining.
There are too many of God’s children who are ready to criticize and complain. Do not join their ranks. Play the ‘Pollyanna’. Find the joy. Find the positive—the blessing in each situation. Never be content to hear the negative views. Always turn the head toward God’s plan—even in the veil of sufferings. Take heart! Rejoice! Find joy in the suffering—this is how evil is overcome; not that sins and suffering is good—but that the endurance without turning to the evil one for relief answers the Father with trust. Love with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and love others as yourself. God is the great “I Am”, “the Alpha and the Omega”, “the beginning and the end”. All who come to Him will find truth and the truth will set them free.
Dear people: grumbling—God’s people have grumbled for ages. In Exodus, the story of Moses and the great journey out of captivity in Egypt into the Promised Land, you see the greatness of God but you also see the lack of trust of God’s people, willing to go back into slavery for a cucumber. God takes care of every need, yet each time they have a great need they get ‘amnesia’. They forget the miracles, they forget all God has done; they panic and complain bitterly. Unless we trust God fully, we will grumble. This world cannot satisfy us; we are incomplete. We were created to be one with God and until we abide in Christ and He abides in us we will yearn to be satisfied. We cannot be satisfied until we rest in the Lord—along with all our friends and family. Meanwhile God is a patient God and He turns not away from us with a stone ear. Nay, He solaces his children and gives gifts to bring joy and to renew our spirits.
Trusting and recognizing God in situations relieves stress and brings peace and goodness to the outcome. We are made strong in Christ. Jesus tells us to bless those who curse us. Instead of reacting with road rage try praying for “offenders” to get safely to their destination. Instead of being irritated by noisy babies at mass, consider the church teeming with life. When faced with overwhelming difficulties, realize a powerful witness is forming as the difficulty is overcome. God brings good from waiting in long lines or being stuck in traffic when we use these opportunities to pray. When we “offer up” our suffering for the benefit of others we remove the enemy’s claim to glory for our defeat and give glory to God for our perseverance in the face of destruction. God pours abundant grace our way that we might survive.
As His Child, the everlasting joy of the kingdom of God can be felt on earth as it is in heaven. The joy of the kingdom is based on the freedom to love and to be loved in total awareness. Truly this is the base of joy. Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth; happy are those who are called to his supper table. Woe to those who, though invited, reject the gift that is offered. The Lord has mercy on all those who call His Name in their pain. He looks upon his sinful children with forgiveness in His heart and He beckons them to gather near to Him for forgiveness through repentance. Through Christ, barriers to grace are overcome. Baptism, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick (Healing) were instituted by Jesus to break loose the tourniquet, the effect of sin, and allow the flow of grace to penetrate our lives. His righteousness allows us the chance to be good and holy. No one is perfect except the Son. Abide in Him to come to our Father. Jesus has brought Peace into the world. Forgiveness, Penance, Reconciliation, Grace, Salvation: These things protect you as life and order is again restored unto the Kingdom of God.
We cannot wait until we are “perfect” to seek the Lord. We are like the man who approached Jesus and said, “Lord I am not worthy!” Although we cannot attain perfection, we are called to strive towards it. The sacraments allow us to abide in Christ. As we abide in Christ, his righteousness protects us and changes us. We are given faith and the opportunity to respond with it. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, God uses our free will choices to break barriers.
Sweet child of Jesus, you cannot take away the sin of the world but you do continue battle the effect of it. Show your love to others, forgive others; show how much you take joy in Jesus, your Savior. Eventually, you will see the difference. Be patient and caring with those you love. Continue to encourage them. This is a real gift that you can give.
We live in a time where the vines, the effects of sin, have tried to overtake the path. Many have lost their way. “Fallen-away Catholics” is the second largest category of Christians in the United States. There are some Catholic political leaders who believe that abortion is acceptable! We must not be the “blind leading the blind”. We must learn the Way of Christ. Then we can truly say we are followers of Christ. Christ calls us to trample the path so others can see it. Dear child of the Most High God, each one’s journey is made easier when the path is trampled firm. Stay to the path where the Lord has led others. Continue to forge and broaden the path for those yet to come. The strong must help protect the weak. The strong have been made so in faith, using the tools God has provided. Share the good news of the kingdom to the weak and thus the Body will grow in strength as they love and honor the Lord in all things in this life, in this world, and in the tomorrow promised in the ages of yesterday. God (Jesus) commanded us to share his love with others. By this evangelization or sharing of the Good News, we take what has been done for us and do it for others. By the Church, the family or Body of Christ, we are empowered to pass on the blessings handed down to us.
This podcast, taken from my book, Lenten Logos, is not an exercise for fact finding or for “head knowledge”. It is taken from things that the Holy Spirit taught me about Lent. It is designed to open your heart to understand God’s love for you. As your mind is renewed and opened to the Lord, more and more will Truth be made clear.
The Holy Spirit is upon you, teaching you in wisdom and in faith so you may go into the world and teach others. We thirst for knowledge of God but until our minds are renewed and darkness is cast out we cannot know him. God’s love conquers all. Those that cooperate with the Holy Spirit will come to understand the meaning of life and death and will come to know the Father’s Glory as they join in communion with the ancients in giving praise to the Father.
Turn your face to the Lord. Seek his presence in your lives. Reach out to him in prayer and supplication. Continue to walk in His ways; if you do not know the Way, learn it; if you cannot find the Way, ask for help; if you cannot follow the Way, repent.
If you would like to read the blog of this episode you can find it on my website: PatriarchMinistries.com. You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner. I invite you to subscribe—it’s free! And come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there is always more!
Praise you Lord God, thank you for the grace to overcome the effect of sin in our lives and thus the effect of sin in the world! Amen
