MY OBJECTIONS TO A SINNING RELIGION by George Crumbly
John 8: 1-11
Sunday AM April 20, 2003
Sheridan Arkansas
Easter Sunday
Uncle Buddy Robinson wrote a book years ago titled "My Objections to a Sinning Religion". I’m afraid there are many in the church today that call themselves Christians, yet are living in sin. How many times do we have to stress that God does not bless sin. Sin separates us from God.
(I’ve pastored people that were living in sin and would get all excited because they thought god was answering their prayers and that He was blessing them)
My heart is heavy to see folks get serious about sin. I believe the nations biggest problem is not poverty, aides, or STD’s but sin.
(A rat will leave signs to let you know how big a rat problem you have....Man will leave signs to let you know how big of a sin problem you have)
John 8: verses 1-11
The scribes & pharisees brought this lady to Jesus that had been caught in the very act of adultery. You see the bible says not to do it....if & when you do, you are guilty of sin. The Mosiac law called for this woman to be stoned.
People today use this scripture as a passage to have a "sinning religion". Of course we know what happens when we sin, the bible tells us that it separates us from God. WE should look at the last part of the text where Jesus told the woman in adultery to "go and sin no more." Another words Jesus is telling her to QUIT SINNING.
We need to call sin exactly what it is SIN. The easiest way to describe sin is: WHEN WE DO WHAT GOD SAY’S NOT TO DO. WHEN WE DON’T DO WHAT GOD SAY’S TO DO. Sin is not a problem, or a disease or an addiction or something we struggle with, IT IS SIN. Some of the things the Lord has laid on my heart today:
A.) ADULTERY: (Exodus 20:14) "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Our lady in the text today was caught in adultery. Adultery is when man & women have sexual relations outside of marriage. T.V. shows portray and condone this kind of behaviour every day. Guess what? It is sin. (Knew a lady one time that was hurting because her husband was having an affair, she worked hard to save her marriage then after so long she "joined the crowd" by having her own affair.)
B.) FORNICATION: (I Corinthians 6:18) "Flee fornication." Had a good preacher friend a few years ago said when he gave his pastor’s report that he had a lady (a leader) in his church that was not married but she was sleeping with a man in the church. More & more people today are chosing to live together rather than get married. This is fornication and it is sin.
C.) SHUN EVIL: (I Thessalonians 5:22) "Abstain from all appearance of evil." If it looks bad then don’t do it. Pastored a lady one time that stayed with a man (neither were married) even if they say nothing is going on, guess what? It looks bad. Had a man one time that was a leader in the church he was going to, he was out in the country one day & needed ice. The only place he could get it close was a liquor store so he ran in for a minute & someone saw him going in & told the preacher. This man said the preacher set him down & told him that it did not look good him going in the store. If it looks bad....chances are it is!!
D.) LYING: (Revelation 21:8) "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death." It doesn’t matter what color the lie is, whether it is red, white or black a lie is a lie. It doesn’t matter if it benefits you or not, a lie is a lie.
E.) CURSING: (Ephesians 4:29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." (Colossians 3:8) "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, bladphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." What is in the heart will come out of the mouth. One of the things I had before I was saved was a filthy mouth, but praise be to God He delivered me from that filthiness.
F.) IDOLATRY: (Exodus 20:3) Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." The bible also says about Idolatry to not "bow down thyself to them, nor serve them." What is it that gets most of your time? Your money? Your interest? We do live in a very idolatrous time. People do serve other gods.
The bible says not to steal, yet folks steal from God thru tithes & offerings every week.
The bible says not to hate yet folks sit in church week after week with prejudice in their heart or bitterness for others.
The bible says to provide for our families, if we don’t we are worse than unbelievers.
The bible says to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding.
We could go on & on & on with things that God tells us not to do or things that God tells us to do. The bible says: to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin." Sin is forbidden.
(Romans 6:12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
(I Corinthians 15:34) Awake to righteousness, and sin not..."
Sin is inexcusable. God gives us the POWER to live above sin, yet if we do sin we have an advocate with the Father. We can’t be what God intends for us to be if we are living in sin.
(Galations 5:16-17) This I say then, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
Where do you stand today? Jesus died to save our sins and to empower us to live the life He wants for us to live. To have a Sinning Religion is to live a defeated life for Christ.
