Tag Archives: Sin

Mocking God

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In today’s world, there is a clear, consistent, and overt desire to disparage God. We mock him, reject him, trivialize him, and profane his name. This acknowledgment by disrespect seems to be a sad indication of his existence and evidence that society at large has no fear of him.

The latest spectacle of profanity was the desecration of the spirit of the Last Supper of Jesus by a group of perverse and deviant men in the Olympics opening ceremony.

As appalling as this was, we are to keep in mind that we are all sinners, and we are no better than these lost souls in the eyes of God. No man is righteous; we are all headed to judgment and condemnation when we stand before Him on our own merits. Read Romans 1:10 We all need a savior from the wrath to come, and it is Jesus Christ who rescues us. Only by faith in him are we deemed righteous and reconciled with God. Read Romans 6:22-23 So we pray that God changes them and opens their eyes to the evil in their hearts. Turning to Christ is their only hope to escape an eternity in hell. Read John 14:6 My bet is that they ride their lusts into the fire.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:7-8

Sadly, this disgusting display is not uncommon. God is routinely disparaged as our deteriorating culture embraces depravity and lust. God tells us clearly that his patience has a limit and that judgment of the ungodly is coming. Read 2 Peter 3:7

The Sinning Christian

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The Bible teaches that those saved by faith in Christ are deemed righteous in the sight of God. Romans 4:5-8 We are told that our old self has been put to death; Romans 6:6-7 we are now free from the bonds of sin; Romans 6:18 and are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:22 

Yet every Christian continues to sin until the day they die; critics of the faith call this hypocrisy. They see Christians declare themselves righteous by the grace of God, headed to Heaven, and then continue to live just as they always have. They believe it is absurd that Christians think they can willingly sin, then ask for forgiveness, and everything is fine with God. They claim Christians are no better than anyone else and that our faith and the God we proclaim are a sham. They say we are frauds, and sadly, what we see in the congregations of professing Christians today certainly lends credibility to their accusations.

Christians are not inherently better than non-Christians. Becoming a Christian does not make someone more righteous or moral than they were before, but they certainly desire to be. Man’s proclivity to sin is not extinguished when someone becomes a Christian. Instead, the great challenge of mortal life is to resist temptation and live in obedience to God. This is a test that Christians consistently fail as they wrestle with sin throughout their lives. However, this does not diminish God’s validity or disqualify one’s conviction in their faith.

Why do Christians sin?

Christians sin after committing to Christ because they still live in their humanity, struggling with lust, covetousness, pride, and all the other unrighteous errors until they leave this world. Romans 7:14-24 Our salvation and reconciliation with God are credited to us through righteousness by our faith in Jesus, not by righteousness inherent in ourselves. Although considered righteous before God, the Christian remains a sinful person during his mortal life.

Addressing our sin with God.

A Christian’s sin is already forgiven, but we must acknowledge or confess our sins and then repent. The recognition and confession of one’s trespass against God are made directly to God. There is no need for an intermediary or priest. Jesus is our advocate with the Father. After confession, we must then repent and stop sinning.

Willful sinning without repentance indicates someone still headed to Hell. Christians aim to please God, live obediently to his will, and would never intentionally sin expecting forgiveness. Doing so, they only fool themselves because they cannot fool God, as he knows the true intentions of the heart.

What is the difference between the saved Christian and the Profane man?

If everyone sins, what sets a Christian apart from anyone else? For sure, in today’s society, it can be difficult or even impossible to spot a Christian in a crowd. Sadly, few lives have been visibly transformed enough to make a clear distinction, but there are meaningful differences between those in Christ and the rest of the world.

First, Christians are aware of their sin. As they grow in faith, their awareness of sin and desire to repent increase, and their daily need for forgiveness deepens their gratitude for God’s endless mercy. Those not in Christ are often unaware or unconcerned about their error.

Second, Christians struggle with sin as their conscience convicts them of their wrongdoing. Sin profoundly troubles a Christian; the repentant believer is filled with regret and remorse. The good news is that a Christian who diligently seeks to live by the word of God will grow and improve over time as the Holy Spirit sanctifies them. The lost are not bothered by sin, though they may experience pangs of guilt or alarm from a conscience that has not yet been thoroughly seared or hardened. The profane man enjoys sin.

Third, Christians are forgiven by the work Jesus accomplished on the cross. Those who are sincerely penitent acknowledge their sins to God, commit to repenting, and follow through. Thankfully, God’s mercies are new each day for those in Christ. But the unrepentant, godless person is not forgiven. Instead, he accumulates offenses that magnify God’s wrath against him on judgment day. Romans 2:5-6

Fourth, Christians fear God. Knowing God, understanding his righteous authority, and recognizing that we will stand before him to be judged for our deeds are powerful deterrents to sin if we keep that truth in view. The lost have no fear of God. To them, God is an irrelevant, fictional character to be dismissed and even mocked. But in the end, they will learn the true meaning of woe.

What is the impact of sin on the Christian?

The most regrettable consequence of sin, even though forgiven, for the faithful Christian is a damaged or ruined testimony to God. Hearing the words, “How can you call yourself a Christian and do or say those things?” deeply grieves the Christian soul.

Our Continual Struggle with Sin

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I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:21-25

When we are saved, we are justified in the eyes of God. Our sin is forgiven, and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. We are transformed into a new life and the old, dead sinful man is left behind. We are in Christ and a new creation by the grace of God. The Christian’s inner person is holy and ready for heaven. We are ready to stand blameless before God and our Lord Jesus.

But, while here on Earth, that inner person is still in sinful flesh. We will struggle with the sin and wickedness of our humanity for all our days; until we meet Jesus. Our brief time here is a grand test and though sin no longer owns us, it is still present and working against our spirit providing the opportunity for faithful obedience or failure. When believers sin we do not lose our salvation, but diminish our relationship with God. I do think that those who habitually sin, enjoying forgiveness and then returning right back to sinful pleasure bring into question the validity of their salvation.

For if after they have escaped the pollutions (defilements) of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:20-22

If you struggle with sin, then know that the Holy Spirit is at work in you. Those without Christ seek the pleasure of sin and there is no struggle. Our sanctification by the Holy Spirit is a work in progress throughout our life, and it is through Jesus Christ that we will be finally delivered. Until then, we go on serving the will of God, as our flesh struggles against us. Thankfully, though we are “wretched men,” the mercy of God does not end and is fresh every morning. Read Lamentations 3:22-23 For us, there is no condemnation.

Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Sin

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For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. I John 2:16

To sin is to transgress the divine law of God. Often repeated is that the penalty for unrepentant, unforgiven sin is death. Sin is manifested when we are enticed by our own lust and act on it, either in our minds or in the flesh. Lust is an immoral, illicit, unrighteous, or unholy desire or appetite. John tells us that sin resides in one of these three categories:

  • The lust of the flesh – this is the lust that is easiest to grasp, that is physical desire. It is adultery, fornication, pornography indulgence, gluttony, and pleasure.
  • The lust of the eyes – this is covetousness, the lust for things you want. This is often the root of many sins, like murder, adultery, theft, lying, hating your brother, etc.
  • The pride of life – this is the opposite of humility. Hubris, to put yourself ahead of others and even God. This is to violate the number one commandment – to worship only God.