Dear church,

Even small sins come with a cost. And it is usually more than you think. 

To move a property marker meant two things to the ancient Israelites. First, it cut land away from a person – and land meant life. Deprived of land, a man would struggle to feed his family. 

Second, moving a property marker was an offense against God. The land was God’s gift to his people. And each tribe had its portion of land. The land was to remain with those tribes, and the families that comprised them, throughout the generations. 

Even this seemingly small sin wasn’t so small. And so we ought to dispense with the notion of “small” sins. Instead, we ought to recognize Christ died for all of them, just as he would have died for only one of them. God’s love extends to every sinner – “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). 

When you consider the actions you take each day, think about the unseen effect of those actions. In what way might you be hurting other people – either now or later? In what way might you be running your life contrary to God’s will, subverting his established order?

God is sovereign. He brings justice where it is required. And he ultimately will set things right. Our lives ought to be marked by his righteousness.

Chris