You may have heard it said that sin separates individuals from God, and this is indeed a biblical truth. Isaiah 59:2 says,
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that he will not hear.
The result of this separation from God is death because without a relationship with God one cannot enter into his promise of eternal life. This is why unless we recognize that sin separates us from God, we cannot fully grasp the power of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. According to Romans 6:23,
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But why does sin separate us from God?
To understand this, we must understand the nature of God.
The Bible tells us that God is love (John 1:4:8); it also tells us that God is holy (1 Peter 1:16) and that he is just (2 Thess. 1:6, Psalm 7:11, Psalm 25:8-14). All of these characteristics of God depend on one another, for in order for a truly holy God to be loving he must also be just. Because sinners are not holy, all-loving and just, like God, they cannot be in fellowship with him.
[More about God’s nature: What is God Like? 5 Attributes.]This is why Jesus’ sacrifice is paramount. Without his making a way for humankind to be reconciled to God through the forgiveness of sins, there would be no way for us to enter into fellowship and eternal life with the Creator.
Also see:
More about the Truth of Jesus
Can You Be Forgiven?Know God Personally