Getting Serious About Sin

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT SIN

INTRODUCTION: THINGS HAVE RADICALLY CHANGED IN THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN AROUND. I AM SURE REGARDLESS OF AGE, MOST EVERYONE CAN SAY THAT. WE IS MOST SIGNIFICANT TO ME IS THE WAY IN WHICH ACTIONS THAT USED TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED AS SINFUL, HAVE SLOWLY MORPHED INTO ACCEPTABLE ACTIVITIES OR EVEN RECLASSIFIED AS ILLNESS; WHETHER MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, OR IN SOME CASES PHYSICAL.

THE END RESULT IS THAT SIN IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE ACCEPTABLE IN OUR SOCIETY BECAUSE AS THE CONCEPT OF SIN MORPHS, IT PROVIDES A N EVER GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE OUR PERCEPTION OF RIGHT AND WRONG, AND THEREBY ADJUST OUR PERCEPTION OF GOD (FROM JUST TO MEAN), AND OUR PERCEPTION OF RIGHT AND WRONG.

BACK IN 2014, CHRISTIANITY TODAY HAD AN ARTICLE ON 10 SINS WE TAKE LESS SERIOUSLY. HERE ARE JUST A FEW BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE RUN OUT OF THE CHURCH!

THE LOTTERY. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN GAMBLING WAS VIEWED AS ONE OF SOCIETY'S MOST GODLESS ACTS... TODAY A QUICK SCROLL THROUGH SATURDAY-AFTERNOON SOCIAL MEDIA TELLS US THAT MANY CHRISTIANS SEE NO HARM IN THE OCCASIONAL BET ON THE HORSES OR THE FOOTBALL, OR IN SPENDING A FEW LOOSE COINS ON A LOTTERY TICKET OR SCRATCHCARD. THE LATTER PRACTICALLY COUNTS AS GIVING, RIGHT? THE BIBLE DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY CONDEMN GAMBLING (ALTHOUGH IT SAYS A FAIR AMOUNT ABOUT OUR ATTITUDE TO MONEY), SO PERHAPS IT'S MORE A QUESTION OF WHERE WE'RE PLACING OUR TRUST WHEN WE PLACE THAT BET.

A BIT OF A SWEAR. RUDE WORDS ARE NO LONGER SHOCKING IN OUR CULTURE - AN IN-CONTEXT F-WORD WON'T TAKE A FILM ABOVE A 12A CERTIFICATE. IN THE CHURCH TOO, WE'VE BECOME MORE RELAXED- MOST OF US SEE SWEARING AS AN IRRELEVANT CHARACTER AT WORST. IN FACT, MANY OF THE CHURCH LEADERS WHO WE HOLD UP AS 'COOL' ENJOY A BIT OF A SWEAR, EVEN IN THEIR SERMONS, AND SOME OPENLY DEFEND THE FACT. PAUL TALKS ABOUT NOT ALLOWING UNWHOLESOME TALK TO COME OUT OF OUR MOUTHS - BUT MAYBE HE DIDN'T MEAN SWEARING ANYWAY.

GAME OF THRONES. THIS IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST SHIFTS. THE AVERAGE 90S CHRISTIAN WOULD HAVE AVOIDED 18 CERTIFICATE FILMS LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE AVOIDED FREDDY KRUEGER FROM A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. TODAY, WE POSITIVELY BRAG ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH TV SHOWS FULL OF SEX AND VIOLENCE. OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE IN ORDER TO SPEAK PROPHETICALLY INTO IT - BUT SOME OF US ARE TAKING THAT ASSIGNMENT REALLY SERIOUSLY...

SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE. THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS TO GET A BIT MORE SERIOUS. PLENTY HAS BEEN MADE OF HOW PURITY PLEDGES RUIN WEDDING NIGHTS - BUT ON THE FLIPSIDE, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE OLD PERCEIVED WISDOM ABOUT 'KEEPING YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR' AND 'NOT TOUCHING WHAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT'? A FRIEND RECENTLY TOLD ME OF HOW SHE SPLIT WITH HER BOYFRIEND - A WORSHIP LEADER AT A LARGE LONDON CHURCH, AFTER HE PRESSURED HER TO SLEEP WITH HIM. HIS ARGUMENT? 'OH COME ON! EVERYONE'S DOING IT!'

THE INAPPROPRIATE JOKE. PERHAPS LESS IMPORTANT BUT FAR MORE PREVALENT - THE NATURE OF THE HUMOR SHARED BETWEEN MANY CHRISTIANS HAS GONE DOWNHILL. SOMETIMES THEY'RE A BIT RUDE (JUST DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK ON POINT 2), BUT OFTEN THEY'RE ALSO CRUEL OR EVEN PREJUDICIAL.

ALCOHOL. CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES TO ALCOHOL HAVE GENERALLY RELAXED - AGAIN FROM A STARTING POINT THAT PERHAPS ALIENATED US FROM OUR CULTURE. BUT HAVE THEY RELAXED TOO FAR? OF COURSE, ONE GREAT ARGUMENT FOR COPIOUS DRINKING IS THAT JESUS BROUGHT OUT MORE - AND BETTER - WINE AFTER THE GUESTS WERE TOO INEBRIATED TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND THE CHEAP STUFF. ON THE OTHER HAND, HOW IN CONTROL ARE WE OF THE IMPRESSION WE MAKE ON OTHERS AFTER FOUR JÄGERBOMBS AND A BACARDI BREEZER?

TRANSITION: SO, MAYBE ITS TIME TO RETHINK, REREAD AND REDISCOVER WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY ABOUT SIN. WHERE BETTER TO START THAN RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW

I. SIN IS A VIRUS

a. COVID-19

i. CAME INTO A POPULATION, THAT WAS NOT AFFECTED BY IT BEFORE

ii. STARTED IN ONE AREA AND WENT GLOBAL

iii. CAUSED ILLNESS AND DEATH

iv. HAS LINGERING EFFECTS EVEN AFTER IT IS UNDER CONTROL

b. THE PATTERN OF A VIRUS

i. A VIRUS SUPPORTS ITSELF BY INJECTING ITSELF INTO THE GOOD CELLS OF OUR BODY AND TURNS THEM INTO LITTLE FACTORIES THAT REPRODUCE THE VIRUS

ii. IT REPROGRAMS THE CELL – IT CHANGES ITS PURPOSE

II. THE VIRUS OF SIN

a. THE ORIGINAL ENVIRONMENT OF GOD WAS PERFECT

i. GOD AND THE ANGELS

ii. LUCIFER INTRODUCED SIN

1. ISAIAH 14:12-16 (NIV) HOW YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O MORNING STAR, SON OF THE DAWN! YOU HAVE BEEN CAST DOWN TO THE EARTH, YOU WHO ONCE LAID LOW THE NATIONS! 13 YOU SAID IN YOUR HEART, "I WILL ASCEND TO HEAVEN; I WILL RAISE MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD; I WILL SIT ENTHRONED ON THE MOUNT OF ASSEMBLY, ON THE UTMOST HEIGHTS OF THE SACRED MOUNTAIN. 14 I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS; I WILL MAKE MYSELF LIKE THE MOST HIGH." 15 BUT YOU ARE BROUGHT DOWN TO THE GRAVE, TO THE DEPTHS OF THE PIT. 16 THOSE WHO SEE YOU STARE AT YOU, THEY PONDER YOUR FATE: "IS THIS THE MAN WHO SHOOK THE EARTH AND MADE KINGDOMS TREMBLE,