Some Exciting Thoughts On Sin
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: What is sin and how does forgiveness work?
This message only partially covers the subject. It should clarify some questions on what constitutes sin and what part repentance plays. For instance, when talking about sin, one could mean a specific act, such as shooting someone; or a person could intend sin to refer to a state or condition, such as being in a broken relationship with God. One of the most beautiful acts of forgiveness was Jesus forgiving the woman who committed adultery (John 8:1-11).
a. Can you sin in the dark? What is considered sin differs from denomination to denomination. For example: one church claims dancing and gambling are sins. The next church will declare only gambling a sin. And still another church will say neither of these examples is a sin. One could categorize sin into two kinds with various degrees of seriousness within each category. For example: there is a sin of ignorance, where the sinner isn't aware she or he committed a sin. Someone could make a racist remark ("They can't help it if they're black!") and not be cognizant it was a racist statement. It is wrong so it is a sin, even though the sinner is ignorant. It is a sin partially because the sinner should know better. So it is possible to be in the dark or ignorant about the sin. Then there is the willful sin, where a person knows it is wrong and does it anyway. Whether a sin of ignorance or willfulness, some sins are worse than others: murder is worse than theft and injuring someone worse than littering.
b. Can a sin that is not a sin still be a sin? Let us reverse the situation of the sin of ignorance mentioned above or do the converse of it. This time we'll say the act is not a sin in the eyes of God. For example, God may not consider dancing wrong at all. However, if people still believe that dancing is wrong and then dance, they have sinned. The dancing wasn't technically wrong, but since they assumed it was, they were willing to disobey God by doing something they thought God disapproved of.
c. Can you enjoy sin more by getting the punishment over ahead of time? This would be considered corrupt "indulgences," where you could pay the priest to be forgiven for sins you were about to commit. This was one of the grievances Luther had against the church in his day. The answer to the question is: "Yes, you may enjoy your sin more by falsely assuming you are already forgiven; however, the catch is that you aren't forgiven. There has been no real repentance." Similarly, Jesus says to forgive someone seven times (any large number) a day if he continues to sin against you and continues to ask to be forgiven (Luke 17:3-4). Forgiveness is possible under these conditions theoretically, but practically, the repentance probably isn't real, consequently the forgiveness never happens.
d. How to sin and still be a Christian. If you tell me I have sinned and I am no longer a Christian, that wouldn't necessarily be true. All Christians sin. That doesn't mean we are no longer Christians. We have simply back-slidden and need forgiveness. A preacher cannot say, "You drink or you smoke; therefore you are not a Christian."
This message only partially covers the subject. It should clarify some questions on what constitutes sin and what part repentance plays. For instance, when talking about sin, one could mean a specific act, such as shooting someone; or a person could intend sin to refer to a state or condition, such as being in a broken relationship with God. One of the most beautiful acts of forgiveness was Jesus forgiving the woman who committed adultery (John 8:1-11).
a. Can you sin in the dark? What is considered sin differs from denomination to denomination. For example: one church claims dancing and gambling are sins. The next church will declare only gambling a sin. And still another church will say neither of these examples is a sin. One could categorize sin into two kinds with various degrees of seriousness within each category. For example: there is a sin of ignorance, where the sinner isn't aware she or he committed a sin. Someone could make a racist remark ("They can't help it if they're black!") and not be cognizant it was a racist statement. It is wrong so it is a sin, even though the sinner is ignorant. It is a sin partially because the sinner should know better. So it is possible to be in the dark or ignorant about the sin. Then there is the willful sin, where a person knows it is wrong and does it anyway. Whether a sin of ignorance or willfulness, some sins are worse than others: murder is worse than theft and injuring someone worse than littering.
b. Can a sin that is not a sin still be a sin? Let us reverse the situation of the sin of ignorance mentioned above or do the converse of it. This time we'll say the act is not a sin in the eyes of God. For example, God may not consider dancing wrong at all. However, if people still believe that dancing is wrong and then dance, they have sinned. The dancing wasn't technically wrong, but since they assumed it was, they were willing to disobey God by doing something they thought God disapproved of.
c. Can you enjoy sin more by getting the punishment over ahead of time? This would be considered corrupt "indulgences," where you could pay the priest to be forgiven for sins you were about to commit. This was one of the grievances Luther had against the church in his day. The answer to the question is: "Yes, you may enjoy your sin more by falsely assuming you are already forgiven; however, the catch is that you aren't forgiven. There has been no real repentance." Similarly, Jesus says to forgive someone seven times (any large number) a day if he continues to sin against you and continues to ask to be forgiven (Luke 17:3-4). Forgiveness is possible under these conditions theoretically, but practically, the repentance probably isn't real, consequently the forgiveness never happens.
d. How to sin and still be a Christian. If you tell me I have sinned and I am no longer a Christian, that wouldn't necessarily be true. All Christians sin. That doesn't mean we are no longer Christians. We have simply back-slidden and need forgiveness. A preacher cannot say, "You drink or you smoke; therefore you are not a Christian."
