The Face of Sin
1 John 3:4-9 Rev. R. B. Hughes
2 Cor. 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
I. INTRODUCTION
We are a visual people.
Communication is more effective with visuals.
Jesus taught … “Peter you are a rock …. The lilies of the field … more important than birds …. Look at this fig tree …. Can you see this mustard seed … this bread … this cup … widows two mites … look at this child … writing in the sand …”
The great teachers use visual aid to their benefit, and more importantly to the benefit of the listeners ….
We like to see … smell … touch …taste … hear …
The great teacher sue this to their advantage …
THIS IS THE BASIC STRENGTH OF THE “passion” movie.
It’s the visual for what we have read.
- The passion, the suffering, the love, the grace ….
In the background we see Satan … The great issue for director Gibson is “how do you put a face on Satan?” Interestingly enough he used the face of a woman and evil personified through distorted images of children …
How do you picture Satan? Evil?
- Charles Manson? Adolph Hitler? Sadam Hussein? Your neighbour? The Mirror?
For a short time this morning I want to use for a subject … “Putting a face on sin”
PRAYER
Read ……….. 1 John 3:4-8
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
This morning for a few moments I want to put a face on sin. Something you recognize.
I. THE BIBLICAL FACE OF SIN
When we say sin many think of the Bible. Is is a record of sin.
Throughout its pages we see sin. Not just theology BUT in the lives of people just like you and I.
Rom.3:23 ...... "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God"
Lets go back 6000 years to the Garden of Eden.
It is here that sin raises its ugly head in mankind.
Setting: They had no need. They were Physically alive, Spiritually alive, Safety & Security. They had each other, belonging , They had communion with God. Love. Acceptance
Into this perfect setting enters the enemy of our souls. The devil. Satan. Lucifer, thrown from heaven because of rebellion. Because of a desire to be God!
a) Restriction is unkind. Has He REALLY said? Are you serious?
b) Restriction is unreal. Doesn’t deny Gods existence. surely and surely not.
c) Restrictions are unjust. God just wants it His way …(keep you down)
They were God conscious NOW they are self conscious!
Then Enters Cain .. Kills his own brother over religion. (Sin crouching at your door)
A couple chapters later God is destroying His most precious creation – mankind.
Sodom And Gomorrah
Joseph’s brothers and their treachery.
Leviticus … blood from slain and offered animals would drench the white robes of priests and flow in the desert heat … stench …
Millions in the desert turning against God!
Story after story after story revealing the face of sin in Biblical proportions!
The Biblical face ….
All have sinned …. There is none righteous … One says he hasn’t sinned he is a liar!
There is no surprise to see sin prominent between the covers of Scripture
BUT yet the doctrine of sin has more empirical evidence than any other doctrine!
II. THE HUMAN FACE OF SIN
Remember the perfect Garden of Eden?
We’ve come a long way baby!
Any setting is a setting with the possibility of sin lurking. Why? People are there.
- From the Bar to the church! HELLO.
Yes there is the Joseph Stalin’s, Hitler’s, Bin Laden … then the Manson’s, Clifford Olsons, Barnardos .. Yes there is no shortage of examples that are world renowned for a human face of sin …
Lets get local … the work place … the schools .. local crime … local feuds … kids stealing … drugs … drunk drivers … sexual exploitation … mean people ….
BUT THE MOST UNNERVING FACE OF SIN I AM AWARE OF IS THE ONE I SEE IN THE MIRROR EVERYDAY.
- The selfish face … greedy … angry … mean … unfair … jealous … impatient..
- Everyday … sin shows it’s face in my mirror ..
Paul in his letter to the Romans laments “or what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. .. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice .. I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Oh there is a human face on sin BUT I don’t; have to look any further than the mirror!
Let me continue what Paul said .. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?…
I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
III. THE FINAL FACE OF SIN
Movie “The Passion of The Christ”
The reviewers that give the negative reviews ultimately allude to the hour of absolute torture that Jesus endured in the movie … which actually cover 12 hours.
Yes it is brutal …
No one likes the look of sin … the scenes in The Passion puts a face on sin. It looks you in the eye.
No one likes to look upon the outworking of sin … the face of sin … yes …
2 Cor. 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
It gives us an insight into the phrase uttered from the cross … “My God My God why hast THOU forsaken me?”
Forsaken of God … the cry of hell .. The outworking of sin .. THE FACE OF SIN and God turns His eyes from His only Begotten Son …
No one likes to look upon the face of sin .. Not you, not I, not God ….
You want to see the origin of sin? Go to the Garden of Eden.
You want to see the outworking of sin? Look around.
You want to see both the outworking of sin and the triumph over … LOOK TO THE CROSS AND THEN LOOK AT THE EMPTY TOMB.
LOOK TO THE FACE OF JESUS ..
WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US … RISING VICTORIOUS OVER SIN!
IV. CONCLUSION
The communion bread and cup … remember my death … remember the ultimate face of sin. REMEMBER IT UNTIL I COME!
It was a story about an Old Catholic woman that claimed to hear God speaking to her. This is a big claim in the Catholic Church, so they sent out their bishop to go see what he thought and evaluate the situation. He went to her house and asked her to prove it. “If God speaks to you, then surely he can tell you what I confessed in my confessions last night, I will come back tomorrow and I expect you to give me an answer. Ask God what I told you to and see what he says.” He left confident that he had disproved another so-called miracle. The next morning, he returned and asked her what God had told her about his confession from the night before. She replied, “God told me that he forgot.”
