Dealing With Sin In The Camp Series

Dealing with Sin in the Camp

Series: A Biblical Guide to Wilderness Survival

September 11, 2011

Sin is a problem. In fact, it's a BIG problem in our day and age...but most of us don't even know it! Sin diminishes my potential, it destroys my life, it causes pain and sickness, it breaks up relationships, and decimates marriages, it wrecks societies, and worst of all...it jeopardizes the eternal destiny of millions. Sin was responsible for over 3000 being murdered in a single moment on this day 10 years ago.

Sin is everywhere, but in our day and age...it's nowhere. That's because, no one wants to admit that what they're doing is a 'sin'. It's amazing, even though the horrible results of sin are everywhere, nobody wants to believe it's them! It's like littering... have you ever run across anyone who admits to being a litterbug? ("Yes, I was the one who threw that McDonalds bag out the window!"). No one wants to admit they're the culprits, but if you drive down any highway you'll see it's ugly effects! The same is true of our society... we see it's ugly murders, it's missing children, it's cheating and it's corporate greed...but nobody wants to take responsibility. In our home we called him, "Mr. I Don't Know". (remember him?)

* Who left the TV on all night? I don't know!

* Who forgot to put the milk back in the frig? Now it's spoiled! I don't know! "Mr. I Don't Know" strikes again!

I'm finding that fewer and fewer people want to use the word 'sin' in their vocabulary today. It's like it's 'sinful' to talk about sin! Even worse, if you have the audacity to mention that they might actually be committing a 'sin', you're quickly accused of being narrow minded, judgmental and insensitive. In some peoples mind 'sins' are just a figment of our imaginations. There really aren't any standards of right and wrong, and so just do what you feel in your heart is okay for you. It's more important that you 'believe' you're a good person...whether you really are one or not.

* Nobody commits "adultery" anymore...they just have 'affairs". Having an affair sounds a lot more gentle and acceptable.

* There are no more "black lies" anymore...now we only tell "white" lies, and that's okay.

* We don't cheat people...we're getting justice for how they've treated us.

* Homosexuality isn't a sin anymore...it's an alternative lifestyle.

* Killing unborn children has become "pro-choice".

We've redefined, refined and dumbed down sin so much that nobody commits it anymore! /// Now here's the problem with that...(and I want you to listen real carefully)...If there is no more sin, then we're no longer sinners...and if we're no longer sinners...we don't need salvation...we need "recovery'. And here's the real tragedy...if we don't think we need salvation...we'll never ask for it. And if we never ask for it...we'll never receive it! Which means we have millions of people today on the destructive path towards hell, that don't even know it! That's why God says in I John 1:8-10... 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him (God) out to be a liar,and his word is not in us."

Just so there's no misunderstanding...let me try and make it real clear. Here's how the bible defines sin... 'sin' is when I voluntarily separate myself from God, by deciding..."From now on...I make the rules... not Him!" I decide what's right and what's wrong, and live my life according to my own rules. In doing that, I become my own God. Self replaces God. And that's why you've heard me say before that, "Sin is an "I" problem". In fact, if you look... "i" is the middle letter in the word 'sin'!

Now, the funny thing is... the bible assumes we know what sin is. It talks about it all the time, but very rarely does it ever 'define' it. Why not? Because according to Genesis, "we were made in the image of God'. One of the results of being made in God's image is that, 'like God' we have the innate ability to tell the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. For example, nobody has to tell us that 'murder' is wrong. We know it's wrong. Who told us that? Nobody! We just know it! In fact, we know that a lot of other things are wrong too! How? Because God hard-wired a 'sin detector' in every one of us... it's called a 'conscience'. And everytime you sin, whether you admit it or not... you know it. Now you can try and break your 'conscience', or 'turn it off' if you want, (and you might even think you've succeeded)... but it's impossible to do...in fact, the best you can do is to just cover it over, or ignore it.