Den Of Iniquity Series

Open: Our sermon series over the next few weeks is called “Christianeze” – Christian words that the world around us may not understand. And today’s sermon is on Biblical word: “INIQUITY”.

As I was preparing this sermon, one of the questions that came to mind was – how has this word been used in society? And suddenly I remembered the well-known phrase “The Den Of Iniquity”

That phrase (in turn) reminded me of this song from the 1960s.

I’m going to recite the three verses of that song and then I want to see if you can remember the title:

“Want some whiskey in your water? Sugar in your tea?

What's all these crazy questions they're askin' me?

This is the craziest party that could ever be

Don't turn on the lights 'cause I don't wanna see

Open up the window, let some air into this room

I think I'm almost chokin' from the smell of stale perfume

And that cigarette you're smokin' 'bout scare me half to death

Open up the window, let me catch my breath

The radio is blastin', someone's knockin' at the door

I'm lookin' at my girlfriend - she's passed out on the floor

I seen so many things I ain't never seen before

Don't know what it is but I don't wanna see no more.”

Name that tune: (once they guessed it, I sang the chorus)

“Mama told me not to come; Mama told me not to come

She said: ‘That ain't the way to have fun, son

‘that ain’t the way to have fun.’”

How many of you remember that song?

When I was growing up, that song told me what I already knew:

There’s certain parties you ought not go to.

Certain places… and activities your mama wouldn’t approve of.

But people went anyway.

High schoolers and college students and adults would go places no decent person should ever consider going. Places Mama wouldn’t want them to be at.

These were DENS of iniquity.

Now the word “iniquity” has gone out of favor in our culture so I had to do a little research on its meaning, and I found several sources that said things a lot like this description:

“The Hebrew word used most often for “iniquity” means “guilt worthy of punishment.”

Iniquity is sin at its worst. Iniquity is premeditated, continuing, and escalating.

When we give ourselves over to a sinful lifestyle, we are committing iniquity.”

(http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-iniquity.html)

As I read descriptions like that it occurred to me - that once a person reached a state of iniquity, they would have reached a place in their lives where…

• Evil IS normal.

• Where cursing/drugs/sex/ bitterness are just a way of life.

• In essence they’d reached a place where immoral things just "happen".

Romans 1:28-32 talks about that:

“…since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful;

they invent ways of doing evil;

they disobey their parents;

they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Now, it used to be that iniquity was something people chose simply because they were godless. They were committed to depravity because it was what they wanted to do - and they didn’t care what anybody thought.

But over the past few decades iniquity has gained respectability.

This video shows a talk conducted by a Christian apologist (Frank Turek) at national college.

What I want you to notice is how the student asks his questions and the reasoning he uses:

(Go from 0:07 thru 4:36)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWbxtJcnkI&list=PLYTFhHuEPWHuIQ3aeQ4-7xM3_W06awtKJ&index=30

Now, notice the rationale of that student.

He believed in a morality that left God out…

You remember what it said in Romans 1:28?

“…since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Now how does a person’s mind become “depraved?”

It becomes depraved because all morality (for them) becomes based on OPINION.

Once you leave God out of the picture, any OBJECTIVE morality is impossible.

Why?

Because there is no HIGHER form of morality you can point to.

Morality simply becomes whatever YOU THINK is right.

If you think rape or murder is OK… then it is OK for you.

ILLUS: Years ago John Leo, a reporter for US News and World Report, quoted a professor from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y named Robert Simon.