God hates sin, shouldn’t we? Jesus died to offer us forgiveness for our sins, not so we would have a free pass to keep on sinning, He didn’t die on that cross so we could receive a “Get out of Hell Free” card… But here we are a couple of thousand years later watching sin become glorified, watching sin be accepted, watching our government legitimatize, and legalize SIN in our culture, and sadly, it seems, very few churches or Christians are willing to speak out against it… Am I wrong? How many pastors today are teaching what the Bible says about condoning sin? Or better yet how many even mention sin at all? How many Churches… How many Christians have allowed the culture to normalize sin and just adapted themselves to it.
So, What Does it Mean to Condone Sin? It’s simple, Condoning sin simply means accepting sin and all it does, leading to pain, destruction, and separation from God.
The dictionary defines ‘condone’ as regarding or treating something bad or blameworthy as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless. Condoning sin means you accept, allow, and yes, even approve of that sin in your life and in the lives of others.
Sin is not only condoned in today’s culture... It is Celebrated… Look around, June is PRIDE month our nation has devoted a whole month to celebrate SIN… We live in a nation where many condone killing children through abortion… Many people rationalize sin and allow it to invade their lives and the lives of others.
Even Christians are afraid to speak out against sin for fear of being called names or being accused of “judging” others. We must Recognizing sin for what it is -- That's what Jesus, the disciples, and the Apostle Paul spent their life doing in order to help people repent from a sinful life. They weren’t “judging” them… They were trying to open peoples’ eyes to the basic truth that sin is deadly, and repentance saves. Yes, they suffered for speaking out against sin but look how many lives were saved because they loved people enough to help them recognize the need for change and turn from their sinful ways.
You know what? Silence about sin is condoning it. Sure, we all sin, but as Christians the Holy Spirit calls us to become aware of our sins, and ask forgiveness for them, and leads us to “Go and sin no more.” Jesus wasn’t judging the woman at the well when he pointed out every sin in her past, He was offering her a new beginning, He was offering living water. He didn’t Judge the woman who committed adultery as He wrote upon the ground… He offered her life…
Paul wasn’t judging the churches he wrote to when he pointed out their sins. He loved them enough to say the life you’re leading now is wrong, and you must repent. Paul, Peter, the disciples, and Jesus never condoned sin, and we, as followers of Jesus shouldn’t either! As believers we must take a stand for righteous living and encourage others to do the same. Their life depends on it.
What Does the Bible Say about Condoning Sin?
There will always be sin in the world and as long as Satan is allowed to roam around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, you will be enticed with sin that opposes God’s ways. That’s what sin is, it's going against God. You can say you’re a Christian till the cows come home, but if you willfully choose to sin, you’re controlled by Satan, not God.
We live in a culture that calls good evil and evil good, and to many of us have condoned sin for much to long… People want Justification to live a homosexual lifestyle, people want justification to shack up, people want justification to commit adultery, people want justification to lie, cheat and steal… Folks we live in a world where the minority rules the majority where morality and truth are concerned…
Scripture addresses sin and tells us not to entertain it, not to condone it, not to participate in it…but to repel it.
Here’s some scripture in case you need a refresher:
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Prov. 6:16-19
Do you ever feel like God isn’t listening? Maybe you’re condoning sin in your life, or maybe in someone else’s life?
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Heb. 10:26-27
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6
When people keep on sinning, it shows who they belong to.
God’s wrath against the sinfulness that we see tolerated today is reflected in the verses of Rom. 1:18-32.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they 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 have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 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. Rom. 1:18-32
So how do we avoid condoning sin?
1. Pray for God to Give Us Wisdom to Confront Sin
2. When we see a fellow Christian sinning, maybe cheating on their spouse, using drugs, cussing folks out, mistreating their family, sleeping around, we are called on to lovingly confront them, pray with them, and encourage them to repent.
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:1-2
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ Matt. 18:15-16
3. Don’t condone sin in your family or in your circle of friends.
4. Take action! It’s easier to look the other way and not want to get involved, but as we watch sin legalized, even codified, in our country, how can we as concerned Christian citizens condone sin? Speak out against it. Vote against it. Support candidates who condemn legalizing sin.
5. Overcome fear.It can be uncomfortable to take action against sin because you’re taking a chance of being called all sorts of unpleasant names . But if you live so that everyone knows you’re follower of Christ, who cares what they call you? Our goal is to please an audience of One, Jesus Christ,… not man.
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 1 Pet. 2:1 NLT
Staying Silent Is Condoning Sin...
With every law passed condoning sin, it not only affects us, but future generations. Avoiding the confrontation of sin isn’t the way of the Holy Spirit. When you encounter sin, you’ll be convicted to say or do something. God will give you the opportunity and the words. It’s up to us to humbly, but boldly, follow the Lord’s leading. He will put words in our mouth. Yes, God is a God of grace, but Paul puts it best in Romans 3:23-24 when he says
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Amen & Amen
