Sin, More Than A Bad Choice!

I write this as someone who knows the devastating consequences of sin. In many a congregation today we have changed from a biblically based paradigm to a goal orientated philosophy of ministry stemming from a situation ethic. This is largely evidenced by our "Seeker Sensitive" church model. We have seen a gradual shift in our language surrounding matters of sin and misconduct. One of the more re-occurring phrases describing sin is that it is "a bad choice." While sin certainly can be a bad choice, it does not adequately describe the full impact of its consequence. Sin effects our conscience, character, community, conduct and inevitably our destiny.

It affects our conscience: we deliberately violated God's holy standard, therefore violating our relationship with our creator. We lose our confidence in toward God and like Adam and Eve find ourselves hiding from His presence. We violate the principles of which we claim to affirm as being true, therefore creating a ethical contradiction, which simply stated make us hypocrites.

It affects our character: Sin changes us, it destroys our moral character. In our society we want to commit adultery but don’t want to be called adulterers, we want to steal but don’t want to be called thieves, we want to commit fornication but don’t want to be called fornicators, we want to lie but don’t want to be called liars. The reality is our character is defined by our moral practice. If we commit perversions we are perverts. If we commit hypocrisies we are hypocrites.

It affects our community: because of sin’s personal effects our personal efficacy is destroyed in communicating to others the truth we affirm but in private or practice deny. Others can see or gage the legitimacy of genuine conviction or passion. If anyone affirms that their personal sins are not affecting their propensity for evangelism or declaration of the truths they affirm but deny in practice, what principle are they affirming?

It affects our conduct: With repetitive action comes a callousness of sensitivity to the wrong doing only paving the way for deeper depravity.

Please examine the words of Paul the Apostle to the first century Church in Rome:

¹¹ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:11-14

It is time to awake out of our sinful choices and pave the way for the next generation to have an inheritance of righteousness. Sin is far worse than a bad choice it cost God his son and Christ his life.