From the ArcaMax Publishing, Billy Graham Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/billygraham/s-360679-432683
Q: I've heard preachers say that when a Christian sins our fellowship
with God is broken. Is this true? And does this mean God cuts us off
and won't have anything more to do with us until we repent and get
things right? -- Mrs. T.D.
A: It is true that sin puts up a barrier between us and God, and cuts
us off from the fellowship He wants us to have with Him. The Bible
says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins
have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear" (Isaiah
59:2).
But this doesn't mean God cuts us off and refuses to have anything
more to do with us -- not at all. He wants us to come back to Him and
have our fellowship with Him restored -- and He does everything He can
to wake us up and bring us to repentance. Sometimes the only way He
can do this is by making us so miserable that we finally realize what
we've done and turn back to Him. Sometimes He quietly shows His love
to us even when we don't deserve it, hoping to awaken us to His
goodness.
One way to see this is to think about what happens in a family when
someone wrongs another member of the family. That person is still a
member of the family; nothing can change that. But a barrier has come
between them and the rest of the family; their fellowship has been
broken. The only way back is confession and forgiveness. The same is
true with us.
Don't let sin come between you and God. God loves you, and Christ died
to take away our sins. When we do sin, however, we need to confess it
and seek God's forgiveness at once. The longer it goes on, the more
the devil rejoices.
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Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C.,
28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.