Dr. Allan Moseley of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary ate lunch with a friend who asked, “Have I ever told you about my name?”

Moseley replied, “No, Bill, you have never told me about your name.”

He said, “My full name is William Ott Farris. My father’s name is Ott Farris; I’m named after him and a man named William Caddy. Caddy was my father’s best friend during World War II. They fought side by side in the Marines in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

“One day William Caddy said to my father, ‘Ott, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.’

“The next day, my father and William Caddy were in a foxhole together. A hand grenade landed between them. William Caddy jumped on the grenade. It exploded and killed him, but his act saved my father’s life. When I was born, my father decided to name his first child after the man who died to save his life.”

The fact is, we’re in a battle and a hand grenade has landed beside us. That hand grenade is dangerous, destructive sin. God hates sin so much He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the ultimate price for our sin once and for all. That shows the seriousness of sin!

However, we often downplay sin. We flirt with sin, rationalize sin, attempt to justify sin, rank sins, and possibly attempt to cover up sin. Yet God finds all sin offensive. Sin hinders our relationship with Him.

Several years ago, New Orleans pastor Fred Luter preached in Georgia and compared how we view sin to how God sees sin. He called this “The ABCs of Sin:”

“Man sees sin as accident; God sees sin as an abomination.

Man sees sin as a blunder; God sees sin as blindness.

Man sees sin as chance; God sees sin as choice.

Man sees sin as disease; God sees sin as death

Man sees sin as error; God sees sin as enmity.

Man sees sin as fascination; God sees sin as fatality.

Man sees sin as a game; God sees sin as gruesome.

Man sees sin as habit; God sees sin as hell going.

Man sees sin as innocent; God sees sin as immoral.

Man sees sin as a joke; God sees sin as judgment.

Man sees sin as know how; God sees sin as a knockout.

Man sees sin as looking; God sees sin as lust.

Man sees sin as mischievous; God sees sin as misery.

Man sees sin as natural; God sees sin as nauseating.

Man sees sin as opportunity; God sees sin as opposition.

Man sees sin as performance; God sees sin as pathetic.

Man sees sin as quota; God sees sin as quicksand.

Man sees sin as rational; God sees sin as repulsive.

Man sees sin as safe; God sees sin as scandal.

Man sees sin as a treat; God sees sin as treason.

Man sees sin as usual; God sees sin as ugly.

Man sees sin as vivacious; God sees sin as vulgar.

Man sees sin as weakness; God sees sin as wretchedness.

Man sees sin as an x-citing; God sees sin as X-rated.

Man sees sin as yummy; God sees sin as yukky.

Man sees sin as zealous; God sees sin as a zero.”

How do we proactively deal with our sin?

First, be watchful (I Peter 5:8). Realize we confront a devious enemy who wants to see us fail.

Second, stay prayed up and focused. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus spent time in prayer agonizing over what was ahead. He asked His disciples to pray, but, instead, found them sleeping. He told them, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation . . . the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Prayer is essential because our flesh is weak.

Third, hide God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11).

Fourth, when temptation comes, flee. When Potiphar’s wife threw herself at Joseph (Genesis 39), Joseph fled. That decision demonstrated Joseph’s loyalty to God outweighed any desire of the flesh.

Fifth, depend on the Spirit daily (Galatians 5:16). Walk in the Spirit’s power.

Sixth, realize God still forgives (I John 1:9, Psalm 103:12). Bring your failures to God and receive His forgiveness.

William Caddy gave his life for his friend. That’s what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). That’s how seriously God takes our sin.

David Chancey lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, and serves as transitional pastor of Griffin Church, Griffin, Georgia. View more of his writings, including his books, at www.davidchancey.com.