Alienation
“Being alienated from God (whether by choice, training, or circumstance) is true death, because God is the Source of life. Life is His gift, allowing us to discern our pitiful condition and return to the Lifegiver, to participate in eternity. We are made alive to God through union with Christ.” (Dynamis 10/22/2108)
“That’s the strange thing about sin. People think of sin as a rebellion against God. Some people even like to think that sin is a way of preferring things to God. And in a way it is. But the irony is that if you close your eyes to the light by which you can see the world—the only way you can see the world as it is—then you lose sight not just of the light but also of everything else. Sin, even though it might be motivated by our wanting to get hold of something, to snatch it away from God, in the end always alienates us from things just as much as it makes us strangers to God.” (Heiromonk Maximos)
“Christian love moves in two directions, towards God and towards its neighbor; and in self-love [sin] it finds its chief adversary, which must be fought and conquered. It is self-love that alienates man from God, preventing him from sincerely giving himself up to God, and it is self-love that shuts up a man’s heart against his neighbor.” (Anders Nygren)
“Human beings face two fundamental problems: We are alienated from God and separated from each other. God’s plan of salvation addresses both of these issues. He reconciles us to Himself through the Cross, and He reconciles us to each other in the church." (Colin Smith)
“Dishonest people soon begin to believe the lies they construct around themselves. Then they lose the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies. By believing your own lies, you deceive yourself, you will alienate yourself from God, and you will lose credibility in all your relationships.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1 Samuel 15:13-14)