Whatever Happened to Sin?
Has the concept and understanding of sin gone the way of the do-do bird? Extinct? In many circles it would seem so, and none seem more sad than the local church. Many churches still believe in the concept of personal sin, and teach it. But so few professing Christians seem to understand the biblical teaching of sin and its consequences. Both the articles above bring this fact to light, but many have a warped understanding of sin. We seem to categoize it according to societal norms and practices instead of the absolute standard that God set in His Word, the Bible.
Just review some of the research in the articles above. A new survey by Ellison Research in Phoenix finds 87% of U.S. adults believe in the existence of sin, which is defined as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective." Topping the list are adultery (81%) and racism (74%).
But other sins no longer draw majority condemnation. Premarital sex? Only 45% call it sin. Gambling? Just 30% say it's sinful. "A lot of this is relative. We tend to view sin not as God views it, but how we view it," says Ellison president Ron Sellers.
We expect God to make us happy, not holy, and ignore our sin, when, in fact, God never ignores sin. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to deal once and for all with the problem of sin so that we could be freed from its chains. We must see sin as God sees it - black, horrid, miry muck that only brings destruction. It is when we view sin in this way that the deliverance of Jesus reveals its true meaning. With a casual view of sin colored by my own twisted opinions, why do I have need of a Savior?
This past Easter, I wonder how many were brought face to face with the reality of their own personal sin and Christ's offered deliverance? Not enough I am sure. Watch the video below. Would Jesus have gone through this for nothing?
