Acceptable Sins

“Acceptable” Sins

Chuck Sligh

April 7, 2013

TEXT: Song of Solomon 2:15 – “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”

INTRODUCTION

OPENING ILLUS. – A few years ago, Susan’s had a splinter in her foot. It was just a tiny, tiny splinter that I could not find, not matter how hard I looked. Left untreated, it became increasingly a problem until finally she had to have foot surgery. Little things can develop into BIG things!

Big sins are sometimes easier to deal with than little ones. We often take special care to watch for the big sins. But it is the little things that you have to watch out for too.

Our text says it is the LITTLE FOXES that spoil the vine. And it is the “little” sins that sometimes can cause us to fall.

Many Christians are guilty of just overlooking the little sins. As long as they don’t get drunk, or rob a bank, or commit adultery, they feel all right about themselves. And we end up with our own little list of “acceptable sins.”

Now when I say “acceptable sins,” I don’t mean that they’re acceptable to God. Habakkuk 1:13 – “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:…”

I don’t mean they are acceptable to God. I mean they’re acceptable to us. But because they are NOT acceptable to God, we need to deal with them in our lives.

Let’s look at six of these so-called acceptable sins today.

I. WORRY

Matthew 6:24-34 – “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Philippians 4:6-8 – “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Illus. – Several years ago, I had a disagreement with my sending church, and because of it, they called us off the field. In the end, we were able to resolve our differences and were able to stay on the field. But my, for a while, I struggled with worry. Finally, I realized I was sinning by worrying about the situation. So I decided to simply give the whole situation over to the Lord and stopped worrying about it, and it was then that the Lord worked it out for His glory. All the things I worried about did not come to pass, so that was a tremendous amount of emotional energy wasted!

II. WHITE LIES

Psalm 119:163 – “I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.”

Ephesians 4:15 – “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: “