An Introduction to Sin
"IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU ARE TOO . . .", well, since you are old enough to be reading, you were introduced to sin a long time ago and it's a little late for the formalities now.
Nevertheless, Dear Reader, we would like to . . . (actually we'd rather be fishing, but we have an obligation to you due to Isa. 58:1, soooo . . .) . . . we present to you "Sin". Not in pictures, (lest we be guilty of violating numerous state and federal laws, and of tempting you to the sin of "lasciviousness"), but in a way that, hopefully, will illustrate the extent of the "darkness" of the world around you. And there are several good reasons to do this.Please note that this is not a "To Do" list to help someone who may have overlooked a sin that she/he intended to do but hadn't yet found the opportunity. Nor should it be considered a "challenge", to see how many you can accomplish before Death tells you, "Time's up!". It is meant to be informational, but not in the sense of, "Hey, have you tried this one?!?".
Regrettably, someone out there is going to use this list as a measure of their "righteousness", saying, "Aha, I have never (pick one): 1) Told a lie; 2) Stolen anything; 3) Eaten a human baby; or 4) Had an evil thought), therefore I am (pick one: 1) Okay; 2) Righteous [in comparison to a child-molesting, mass murderer];or, 3) Glory bound for heaven, Hallelujah!".
This list is not meant for that purpose because salvation is not a game of sin comparison, where the lowest comparative score wins. Paul said those who played this game were "not wise", or more precisely, they are "fools" (2 Cor 10:12). The penalty for sin is death, and one size fits all (Eze. 18:4, 20). Unlike human laws and some "church traditions", there are not different penalties for different sins.Which specific actions and thoughts are sin? What is considered sin in one religion or denomination is sometimes a required activity in another. And what is preached is not always practiced by members or even by the church hierarchy. (We could give specific examples from personal experience but this is common enough that it should not be necessary here.) So whose definition should we use?
We all know that there are some really bad people in the world and that some of them do really horrible things to others, but for the most part, aren't most people basically "good" people?
Not according to the statistics. And not according to God. This situation, or "state of the world" actually fulfills a prophecy and is a "sign" of the "end of the world".The initial price of sin varies. The final payment is the same. However, the God who gave us life and the opportunity to choose between living forever, or not, has made arrangements to cancel that final debt, if we qualify. He'll even help us to qualify. But, since most sin provides an initial positive reinforcement, many people seem to ignore the long term costs and often, even the immediate costs.
Some teach that Christ will not return until the whole world has been "converted" to Christianity. When we understand the extent of the sins of "this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4), it becomes obvious that at the present rate, Christ would never return.
So this "catalog" of sins has been prepared for several reasons.
1. The first reason is to point out the current "state" of mankind, specifically the people of the United States, but in general, all mankind. If any original sin is done here, it is soon copied by the rest of the world. Many Americans feel that we have a "superior" society here and by comparison to some, that appears to be true. A pig can look pretty good if all you have to compare to it are mangy, diseased rats. But place the pig next to a herd of majestic thoroughbred horses, and the pig is obviously just a pig. Comparisons "among ourselves" are a form of self-deception (2 Cor. 10:12). If we claim to be "Christians", then our standard should be Christ, who did not sin.
[Note: We are not calling anyone pigs, rats, or horses. God and Christ used the analogies of a dog returning to its vomit (2 Pet. 2:22), asses who can't recognize their owner (Isa. 1:3), and freshly painted crypts containing rotting corpses (Mat. 23;27-28). If we were into comparisons, which would be wrong, then a pig and a horse aren't all that offensive.]
This first reason also involves Isa. 58:1, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and . . . their sins."2. The second reason is to consider the failure of mainstream "Christianity" to make a difference in the world, or even in the individual lives of its followers. Hypocrisy on every level is one of the main reasons many reject corporate worship systems and "church" organizations. Others tolerate it or ignore it because they haven't found anything better yet.
3. The third reason is to inform. Scripture is specific about which acts constitute sin. But some organizations have much longer lists which include such subjects as how you dress, your underwear, whether you dance, moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages, limits on whom you can talk with, limits on asking questions of the leaders, rules about whom you can date or marry, how much money you are required to give to the church, having the minister make all your family's important decisions, whether or not you handle live snakes, which words you use to refer to God and Christ, medical issues for you and your family, the use of makeup, rituals of standing, kneeling, entering, leaving, and other "physical motions", and much, much more. Most of these lists are mutually contradictory. Some are self-contradictory. Most of these "commandments" are not based on scripture but on hermeneutics (the individual's interpretation of scripture) and on human "traditions", which Christ condemned (Mat. 15:3, 6; Mk. 7:8-9, 13; Col. 2:8).
4. Another reason is to encourage. That may sound strange considering the negative aspects of sin, which constitute the bulk of this series of articles. And if one is depending upon peer acceptance as a measure of his righteousness then this trip may seem discouraging. The realization that one's feeling of "righteousness" has been based on comparison with people who don't really know what sin is, or who make up their own definition of "sin" (or of "is") should be frightening (1 Cor. 10:12). To believe that one is part of a "righteous" majority whose numbers alone will bring about the return of Christ, only to discover that the majority is not righteous at all, should bring one's whole belief system into question (Mat. 7:21-23).
So where is the encouraging part? The fact that we are all in this together on equal terms (Rom.3:9-18). No one has any advantage over anyone else (Acts 10:34). No one is more guilty than anyone else. The fact that we have all sinned (Rom. 3:23) but God keeps his promises, including the one about "a way of escape"(2 Pet.1:4; 1 Cor. 10:13), just as he did for Noah (Gen. 6:7-8, 13; 7:23).The encouraging part is that you can face the reality of "this present evil world", which parallels that of Noah, where "the wickedness of man (is) great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (is) only evil continually," (Gen. 6:5, and prophesied in Mat. 24:12,37-39) and know that it does not affect God's promises to you. The whole world around you can "literally" turn into a hell, (if it hasn't already at your location, and it will everywhere according to Christ, Mat. 24:3, 21-22), where you may feel as though you are the only one trying to obey God. But none of this affects his offer of immortality and none of it has to affect your acceptance and the accomplishment of that, unless you allow it to do so.
In short. The world (its society, ways, and actions) stink. It is full of greed, vanity, selfishness, hate, violence and every imaginable evil. There is always a war going on somewhere and the world is never far from the brink of total world war. There is always famine, poverty, hunger, disease and children suffering, starving and dying somewhere. The world is between a rock (the increasing pollution of air, water, soil and food) and a hard place (the reality of overpopulation). An increasing demand for dwindling resources can only lead to war at some point.
Some think science can solve all our problems with new discoveries, but only if there is more money for research, and time to do it (although science hasn't solved any major world problems yet). Politicians promise that they will solve all our problems with more laws (and tax money), but no one really believes politicians. Philosophers hope human reason will choose a noble path, but in a "material world", the bottom line is profit, not reason. Some think that world peace and happiness is a matter of education and knowledge, but the truth gets lost and buried under bigotry, ethnic hate, religious hate, selfish interests and political lies.
Most of the world that claims to be "religious" also stinks because there is no appreciable difference between "corporate religions" and politics or business. Some people look at "corporate religions" and blame God for all the problems and evil in the world. But God did not create all the world's religions, or even the more than 38,000 denominations of "Christianity" (which are increasingly incorporating "pagan beliefs and practices" in the name of Christ). Just because thousands of "Christian" religions have few answers and no real solutions doesn't mean that God is confused or incompetent, or losing an imaginary "war" with Satan.
God is eternal. He offers a way to get out alive. He refers to it as the choice between life and death (Deu. 30:19).
Why would you choose death? (Eze. 18:31). You've already met sin, which is "death". Perhaps you didn't recognize it. This "catalog" is to help you recognize it and reject it, in all its forms.
Choose life!
M.H. and G.H. 2001, All rights reserved.