OVERCOMING SIN

Sin. In a world of moral relativism, where nothing is considered absolutely wrong, the word "sin" has been redefined. Things like lying, stealing, cheating, extra & pre marital sex, and homosexuality (to name a few) have been redefined as justifiable, permissible or totally acceptable. 1 The primary reason for this appears to be that we have forgotten just who we are sinning against. 2 To most, sin is only wrong if it hurts some other person, forgetting that all sin is an offense against our Creator. Not only is all sin an offense, an act of rebellion against God, it is also an offense with consequences. Some sin causes physical, mental or emotional consequences, but ALL sin bears the penalty of death. 3 To the lost, no matter how well they can conceal that sin 4 , or make it socially acceptable, they still cannot escape the ultimate and just penalty of their rebellion against God -- death. Yet, the good news is that God loved us enough to send His son 8 , Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sin; through His shed blood upon the cross. Through faith in Jesus Christ, confessing Him as Lord 5 , we are no longer objects of God's wrath. Moreover we have been given the gift of eternal life. For those that have been saved, we serve God out of love 10 - striving to please our Lord. As Christians we, more than any, should know that to fall, to enter into sin in thought or deed, is first and foremost an offense against the one who has saved us. Praise God that He is loving and willing to forgive. He only asks that we, with godly sorrow 15 , repent of our sin. A Christian cannot go on willfully and unrepentantly sinning against God 6 -- mercifully God has given us His indwelling Holy Spirit 7 and written Word 9 , along with the admonishment of brothers and sisters in the Lord, to convict us of sin. 12

Do you fear sinning for what others will think? Or do you fear sinning knowing that it will grieve your Lord? Have you gotten to the point where you have redefined sin? You can test yourself for this in a few easy steps...

It's not sin because...

(A) It's socially and/or culturally acceptable
(B) Lots of other Christians do it
(C) It doesn't hurt anyone
(D) No one knows about it or can find out
(E) My conscience doesn't bother me about it 14
(F) I can do it in private but not in public
(G) My pastor/teacher/leader doesn't say it is wrong 13

If you merge ANY of these seven statements with an activity (thought or deed) that scripture defines as being sin or incompatible with God's highest law (You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind 11 ), then you have fallen into Satan's trap of redefining sin.

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - 1 John 5:5

End References:

1. Summary of Sin: Exodus 20:3-17 (Romans 7:7,13)
2. Read of King David in 2 Samuel 11:2 - 12:15
3. Romans 6:23 & Romans 5:12
4. Numbers 32:23 & 1 Corinthians 4:5
5. Romans 10:9
6. 1 John 2:1 & 1 John 1:5-6 & 1 John 5:18
7. John 16:7-8
8. John 3:16
9. Hebrews 4:12-13
10. John 14:23-24 & 1 John 5:3
11. Matthew 22:37
12. Hebrews 3:13 & James 5:19-20
13. 2 Peter 2:1-3
14. 1 Timothy 4:1-2
15. 2 Corinthians 7:8-10


Written by Brent MacDonald of Lion Tracks Ministries. (c) 1992-1997.
Feel free to duplicate as long as the source is cited.