I'll Take Sin Lying Down

 

I’ll Take It Lying Down

It is unbelievable how many folks indulge in sin. It’s like eating a cookie before dinner. It’s only a little guilty pleasure. It’s okay to enjoy. Yes, it’s bad for you. Yes, it will ruin what is good for you. Yes, it can be habit forming and lead to worse things. It’s just a cookie. What harm can it do? Sin is a whole lot more than a cookie. We are never taught to embrace sin.  In fact, we are taught the opposite. Why? Sin is corrosive, destructive, and deadly. We have no reason to tolerate sin. God never did. In fact, Christ was sent so that we may have forgiveness and eternal life (Acts 2:37-­38; John 14:5­6). So, why are some of us tolerating it in the church and in our personal lives? Why do we put up with the “little guilty pleasures” of the flesh?

Satisfying Company

     It is carnally satisfying to appeal to your fleshly desires (Rm. 1:18­32). Sin is pleasing and requires you to do nothing. There is no end to the sin you can enjoy. Don’t we like the company of folks that see sin that way? But, that’s a worldly way of living and thinking. On this side of the cross, we all know that sin cost your life, freedom, salvation, and hope (Rm. 6:23). 

Sin is Expensive 

    Every addict will attest to the cost of sin. 1 Cor. 5:11-­13 says that we are not to keep company with a person who is living in sin. We should not surround ourselves with those people. If we say we have fellowship with Him, but walk in darkness, then we lie and the truth is not in us. Why give up fellowship with the Godhead and the body of Christ for “guilty pleasures”? If “we walk in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6­7). God is not with us if we transgress the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9). Others can be brought down because of your sin (Gal. 6:1; Col. 2:8; 2 John 11). Why would you want to be a part of it? Is it really worth the momentary, destructive pleasure of sin?

 

You Are Made Righteous by Christ

    Christ is righteous (1 John 2:1). We are made righteous by Jesus when we submit to His gospel (Rm. 5:19, 6:16,18; 1 John 2:29; 3:7).  In Him, we are to live as He did (1 John 2:6). Jesus did not tolerate sin. He dealt with it (Rm. 6:10; Luke 19:10).  He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  So, when we do sin, we need to confess and ask for His forgiveness. We should never allow it to go unchecked in our lives. Did God do that?

The Old Man Is Gone

     All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17) and everything contrary to Christ is impure. Anything outside of Him is sin. There is no end to the evil we can commit. The life before we obeyed the gospel was full of sin. We were consumed by it from every white lie to every greedy action. Our old self was so full of sin that it had to be put off and cast away (Col. 3:9­-10; Col. 2:11). You are a new person renewed in knowledge of God and that person of sin has been dealt with. Why pick it up again? 

It’s OK! There’s Grace

    Some would argue that it’s okay to sin. They teach that there is grace and we can’t avoid that much sin anyway. You can have your “guilty pleasures”.  There are even “sin” cards so you can have your one free sin a week. Just because we have forgiveness doesn’t mean we have a pass to sin (Romans 6:1­4). We are in Christ and sanctified in Him. We should not abandon truth, change the law of God, and tolerate sin in our lives and others. Sin is already bad enough. It’s mercilessly enslaving the world. Why jump back in chains yourself? Why would you want to? How dangerous are those “guilty pleasures” you enjoy? What should keep you from doing it?

Wrapping It Up

    When we begin to tolerate sin we will eventually fall away if we don’t repent.  We are tempted by our own evil desires and when that desire has conceived it will give birth to sin. Full grown, sin brings forth death (James 1:12­15). When we tolerate sin we gamble on the promise of eternal life. We will begin to make excuses or manipulate the Word so that we can sin. Then, we will stop growing in the Word and start becoming masterminds at manipulating it to meet our momentary cravings. Don’t tolerate any sin in yourself, your family, your home, or your congregation. It only takes a little bit before you are consumed in it again (1 Cor. 5:6). Then, you will spiritually die!

What changes do you need to make?

What do you need to repent of?

How do you see those “guilty pleasures”? 

Why  shouldn’t you tolerate sin?