I couldn’t quite decide how to start this post, so I’ll do it with a question: What is your response when blatant sin crosses your path? I’m not talking about the powers of evil here, just obvious sin. Are you sad? Disturbed? Self-righteous? Moved to action? Something else?
Maybe here’s a more uncomfortable question: What is your response when you see sin in your own life? Are you repulsed by it? Devastated? Upset with yourself? Making a mental note to do better next time? Begging God for mercy?
How we react to sin tells us a lot about how we see God and especially how we see the death and resurrection of Christ. A Christian can see sin as a defeated foe. Does that mean that we’re perfect? No, even the Apostle John told his listeners, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). But when we see sin, we know that it has no power over us under the New Covenant, and we’re finally empowered to reject sin and choose righteousness (see Romans 8).
Under the Old Covenant, if something holy touched something unholy, both items became unholy. Under the New Covenant, the unholy becomes holy just by coming in contact with the holy (Jesus, for example). Sin does not defile us when we’re under the blood of Jesus.
Yet we don’t necessarily live in this reality. When we run across sin, sometimes it’s repulsive because it’s so not like God. The repulsion can make us turn to fear instead of remembering that we are more than conquerors and bright lights in a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15). Other times, we treat sin like it’s some kind of infectious disease. Below are examples of how we might act out our fear over sin (some true, others fictional).
- While strolling through a national park, we come across a piece of indigenous art. Our first thought is that it’s made for their horrible religion and we quickly continue on our way.
- Our thoughts wend their way into the possibility of lying to our boss. Immediately, we believe that we’re a horrible and unrighteous person to think that way, and we become terrified of our own minds – which become our enemy instead of the “evil rules and authorities of the unseen world…” (Ephesians 6:12) and we forget that we can take that thought captive and make it obedient to Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
- We see two men holding hands. Not only do we look away, but we make sure we don’t make eye contact, and almost slink past them.
- The school sends out a letter saying that they’re going to have a séance, and of course your child is invited. Your first thought is, “My child is going to give his life to evil!” instead of, “Lord, protect my child and give him/her the strength and courage to stand strong in You, séance or no séance that happens in his/her school.”
- Someone at church admits to being a porn addict. We’ve loved this person, spent time with them, and even benefited from the wisdom they’ve shared with us over the years. Yet suddenly, when we know the truth of what’s been happening that entire time, we want nothing to do with the person and even wonder if they should be kicked out of the church for their sin.
- In the grocery store, we hear someone take the Lord’s name in vain. Our response is to hurriedly push our cart to a different aisle so we won’t be associated with the person cussing.
If you notice, in most of these situations, our actions are wound up in not being associated with the sin and therefore the sinner. We’re afraid that if we smile at someone who might be a sinner, they’ll think their sin is just fine. Or that everyone will associate us with sinners (Jesus didn’t seem to mind that, BTW). Or that we’ll be brought into sin just by being near it manifesting in others’ lives. We can’t deal with our own sin or others’ sin because we’re scared of it.
The truth is that we’ve got to break up with our obsession with sin. Should we sin? Of course not! Should we keep a watch on ourselves, lest we be tempted (Galatians 6:1)? Of course! But by being afraid of sin, we’re placing it on a pedestal higher than the abundant life Jesus died for. For that matter, we’re making that sin more powerful in our lives than Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.
Next time you’re tempted to shy away from or even be fearful of sin, I challenge you to look that sin big and bold in the eye. I think you’ll find that the sin has a lot less power than you thought before. And even if you still are repulsed by it, you can deal with it instead of letting it rule your thoughts, your emotions, and even your life.
