Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Whatever Happened to Sin?
(Part 2)
Intro.
1. Review Part 1.
2. These days, sin is redefined out of existence.
3. If sin is not real, then what becomes of the death of Jesus for the sins of the world? Why the sacrifice? Why the sorrow, anguish and death? Rom. 11:26-27; Isa. 53:5-6
4. Furthermore, if sin is not real, then why would the gospel be real? Why preach a gospel of salvation from sin (that is not real)? Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18
5. If sin is not real, and the gospel is not real, then why be a Christian at all? 1 Cor. 15:19; 1 Pet. 4:16-18
6. Faithless people redefine sin, but that does not make it any less real.
I. SIN IS NOW DESCRIBED AS:
A. Ignorance. "I didn't know! I can't be held accountable!"
1. Ignorance of God's will often leads us into sin, but failing to know and grow is not necessarily equivalent to sin; 2 Pet. 1:10; 3:18.
2. God has set us on this earth with the positive responsibility to seek after Him, Acts 17:26-28.
3. Ignorance does not remove our responsibility and accountability to God, Lk. 12:47-48; Acts 3:17; 1 Tim. 1:12-13.
4. Learn the truth and live it! Matt. 11:28-29; Jno. 8:31-32 (36)
B. A Sincere Mistake. "I thought..."
1. Saul made sincere mistakes, and they were sin, Acts 26:9-11 (23:1).
2. The view that sin is only a mistake distorts our view of repentance and forgiveness; As if we may simply say, "I'm sorry" and all is forgiven. cf. Saul, Acts 9:6, 9; 22:16
3. Zacchaeus was careful to correct every "false accusation" with fourfold restoration, Lk. 19:8-10.
C. A Misunderstanding ("I didn't understand").
1. Judas didn't understand Jesus; His unbelief was sin (Jno. 6:64, 70).
2. He let Satan into his heart, and he became a traitor, Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-5 (Jno. 13:2, 27).
3. We are commanded to understand the will of the Lord, Eph. 5:17.
D. An Accident ("I didn't mean to").
1. This is an attempt to remove the freewill and responsibility of sin.
2. Sin begins in the heart; It is no accident! Mk. 7:21-23
3. Saving faith is not an accident, either! Rom. 10:17; Heb. 10:36-39
E. Spiritual Immaturity.
1. Immaturity is not sin, for we all start there, 1 Pet. 2:2.
2. Immaturity is not an excuse when we sin, Acts 8:20-24.
3. Spiritual growth to maturity is expected of us, not using immaturity as an excuse to keep sinning, Heb. 5:12-14.
F. Mental Illness (or some other psychological pathology).
-Of course there is mental illness; that we do not deny. But, when it is used to conceal and camouflage sin it is a stumbling block to righteousness.
1. The murderer, the pedophile, rapist, etc. ... Psychology often redefines personal accountability for these sins. No longer are they sin, but expressions of deep-seated traumas and negativity, resulting in mental disorder pathologies.
2. Example: "According to the American Psychiatric Association, until 1974 homosexuality was a mental illness." (Homosexuality: The Mental Illness That Went Away, Phil Hickey, Ph.D. on Behaviorism and Mental Health website) God always said it is sin, 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
3. Thus psychology removes sin and the efficacy of "repentance" of sin from usage, opting instead to propose psychoanalysis as the path to recovery instead of godly sorrow that produces repentance, 2 Cor. 7:10.
G. Emotional/Spiritual Weakness.
1. The weak need special attention, no doubt, Heb. 12:12-13; 1 Thess. 5:14.
2. The weak are to feed and grow, 1 Pet. 2:2.
3. But, spiritual weakness cannot become an excuse to ignore sin or redefine it in the case of the spiritually weak, Heb. 5:12.
Conclusion
1. Sin is a terrible thing. If sin is in our lives we ought to be afraid! Acts 24:25 (Heb. 10:31)
2. Jesus died because sin exists. It is real, and deadly. Life from your sin is available, but only in Jesus, through His gospel.
By: Joe R. Price
Posted: March 25, 2016