Safe Sins

Text: I Corinthians 6:9-11

 

I.         The lengths people will go to justify their sins is sometimes amazing

            A.        It is a rare person who will say that something they are doing is a sin and that it shouldn’t be done.

            B.        More common is to dress up the sin so that at least some versions of it seems only minor.

                        1.         White lies – lies told with good intentions

                        2.         Polite swearing - cursing done with modified words

                        3.         Safe sex – fornication with an attempt to prevent conception or disease

            C.        If men had their way, most sins would not be called sins at all.

                        1.         Given the current trend in denominations, this is where the world is going

                        2.         In the secular world, psychologists and sociologists have moved many sins into categories of disorders, disease, or a genetic disorder.

II.        What is a sin?

            A.        I John 3:4 - Sin is the transgression or breaking of law

            B.        There are laws defining what is right and wrong and sin is the violation of those laws - Romans 4:15

            C.        The result of sin is death - Romans 6:23

            D.        It is a chain, law -> sin -> death - I Corinthians 15:56

            E.        Instead of recognizing sin for what it is, people search for excuses as to why it is not their fault that they sin.

                        1.         The problem is that God places the responsibility for sin squarely on the shoulders of the sinner - Ezekiel 18:20

                        2.         Sin and its consequence of death does fade away if a person finds someone or something else to blame.

III.       Can something that was once a sin, be made a sin no longer

            A.        Redefining sin doesn’t make it any less of a sin.

                        1.         The law that defines sin hasn’t changed - Psalm 119:89; I Peter 1:25

                        2.         Just because a person rejects the Bible’s definition, he will not change the Judgment - John 12:48

            B.        Ignoring sin doesn’t make it less of a sin - Ecclesiastes 8:11

            C.        Calling a sin “cute” or saying that love makes it acceptable doesn’t make it not a sin - Romans 1:32

            D.        Saying that we are more sophisticated, more modern, or more advance doesn’t make it less of a sin

                        1.         There is nothing new - Ecclesiastes 1:10

                        2.         Lies, cursing, fornication, polygamy, homosexuality are not modern day problems, they are all problems mentioned in the book of Beginnings – Genesis

                        3.         Our technology doesn’t alter the nature of the problem.

                        4.         What has happened is that we have allowed evolutionary ideas to influence our thinking. We have been fooled into thinking that society is self-improving, instead of seeing the reality – that it is self-destructive - II Timothy 3:13

            E.        Man has neither the authority, the right, or the ability to define sin - Jeremiah 10:23

IV.      God does not change - Malachi 3:6

            A.        God’s word is Truth - John 17:17

            B.        His Truth doesn’t change - Mark 13:31

            C.        Sin is not God’s fault. God warns us what is deadly. It is our sin which separates us from God - Isaiah 59:1-4

            D.        Is it normal, glamorous, exciting, or acceptable to be separated from God and lost for all eternity? - Galatians 5:21

V.        There is no safe sin - Colossians 3:5-7

            A.        Jesus came to save the world from sin - Luke 19:10

            B.        When he comes again, it is to judge the world - II Timothy 4:1

            C.        And what will he find on his return? - Luke 18:7-8

            D.        When people seek to alter God’s law, His definition of sin and righteousness, do they really believe God? - Matthew 7:21

            E.        What about you, do you believe God?

            F.        Whether you do or not, you will stand before Him in judgement - I Peter 4:5-7

            G.        It is not a joke, it is a deadly serious matter - Luke 13:3