Can Sin Separate Us From God?

A common phrase in modern preaching is, “Sin separates you from God.” It’s often delivered with good intentions — a call to turn from sin and come back to God. But when we hold that idea up to the light of Scripture, especially in the revelation of Christ, it begins to crack. While there are Old Covenant passages that speak of separation, such as Isaiah 59:2, those statements were directed toward Israel under the Mosaic law. But that is not the reality of the New Covenant.

From the very beginning, God’s pattern has not been to run from sinners but to move toward them.

Think back to Adam in the garden. When Adam ate from the tree and hid in shame, God didn’t retreat into heaven and cut off all contact. He came looking for him: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). The distance was in Adam’s perception, not in God’s posture. Adam believed he had to hide; God came close.

Fast forward to the Gospels, and we see this pattern in full display in Jesus. If sin truly separated people from God in the absolute way we’ve been told, then the incarnation, God becoming flesh, could never have happened. Yet here He is, sitting at the table with tax collectors and sinners, sharing meals and telling them stories about the Father’s heart. In that culture, table fellowship meant acceptance and belonging. Jesus didn’t keep His distance until they “got right.” He drew near to them in their mess.

Paul makes the same point crystal clear: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s ultimate act of reconciliation happened when humanity was at its worst. The cross is proof that sin was never an insurmountable barrier for God, it was the very reason He stepped into our world.

God Runs Towards Sin

Consider the woman caught in adultery. The law said she should be stoned. The Pharisees wanted judgment. Yet Jesus stooped down, shielded her from accusation, and said, “Neither do I condemn you.” (John 8:11). Forgiveness and acceptance came first and transformation followed.

The same is true for the thief on the cross. He had no opportunity to repent in the traditional sense, no chance to make amends, no record of religious devotion. Yet Jesus turned to him in that final moment and said, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Even in his dying breath, inclusion was granted without separation.

And when the disciples wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan village for rejecting Jesus, He rebuked them: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55–56). Even outright rejection didn’t push Jesus away. His mission was restoration, not retaliation.

Here’s the truth: sin can distort our view of God, harden our hearts, and damage our relationships with others, but it cannot make God turn His face from us. Matter of fact, Paul declares that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). And in Romans 8:38–39, he goes even further — nothing, not even sin, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

The idea that “sin separates us from God” is not to the reality of Gods truth. The barrier is gone. The veil is torn. God’s posture toward you is not “Come back and I’ll love you”, it’s “I came to you because I already love you.”

Sin never made God walk away from humanity, it made humanity walk away from Him in our mind. From Eden to the cross, the story has always been the same: God moves toward us, not away. The barrier is gone. The veil is torn. Nothing, not even sin, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

The Distorted Perception

Many people were taught (like I was) that our sin doesn’t separate God from us, but it does separate us from Him. But here’s what I’ve learned: even that is an illusion.

I know because I lived it. For years, I knowingly walked down destructive paths and lived in habitual sin. Yet every day, God still spoke to me: “I’m right here whenever you’re ready.” And when I finally turned, He cleaned up my mess quickly. He never left me, not even for a second. The separation I felt was real in my perception, but it wasn’t the reality.

Think about it: a son can ignore his father and not engage with him, but that doesn’t erase his sonship. He’s still family.

That’s what the veil was, not God blocking Himself off, but a distortion in how we saw things. Scripture says, “when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” (2 Cor. 3:16). Sometimes it just takes a small turn to realize He’s been right there all along.

And this matters.

• Because when we mess up, we don’t have to run from God — we run to Him, knowing He’s the one who helps in our mess.

• Because if we preach separation, we paint a distorted picture of God and make people think they need to “get it together” before He’ll fellowship with them.

• Because reconciliation is not about God finally engaging with us — it’s about us turning to see the One who has been engaging us the whole time.

  
  

That’s the gospel I’ve come to know. That’s the reconciliation we’re called to announce.

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About the Author

Serge Da Rosa is co-founder of Urban Eden Community, a ministry dedicated to helping people discover their God-given identity and walk in the freedom of the new creation. Alongside his wife, Kristy, Serge facilitates weekly gatherings in Tulsa, Oklahoma that center around authentic connection, growth, and kingdom expression outside the walls of traditional religious systems.

Serge’s passion is to see people awakened to their union with God. Through weekly community gatherings, work in addiction recovery, community events, writing, teaching, and the Kings And Priests Podcast, he speaks into themes of identity, grace, purpose, kingdom and governance with clarity, depth, and hope.

Whether through a conversation, a gathering, or a written word, Serge’s message remains the same: You are in perfect union with God, empowered with God's Kingdom. 

To learn more, connect with Serge, or support the mission, visit www.UrbanEdenCmty.com

Email us: urbanedencmty@gmail.com

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