Sin is not an entity. Sin is not a
disease though we may use phrases like, “suffering from a sin sickness” or
suffering because of sin. The world describes those enslaved to alcohol, for
instance, as a disease. Drunkenness and addiction are a sin that can lead to the
medical condition of cirrhosis of the liver which is a disease. But drinking
alcohol is not a sin; drinking in excess is another matter. Excess is different
with people; I get that. Some can handle more than others and not be
intoxicated, depending on several factors like weight, gender, body fat
percentage, and eating, et al. But excess is when an individual becomes intoxicated
by alcohol. When that person’s control is influenced
by the alcohol it is sin (cf. Eph 5:18 on the matter of control).
All states have a legal limit on the
amount of alcohol consumed to determine if someone is capable of operating a
motor vehicle safely. If the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is above .08%,
you are considered by the law to be DUI. The best answer to the question of how
many drinks you can have before driving is none
to be on the safe side of things. There is a myriad of situations where there
is no designated driver available, and an unwise choice is made to drink anyway.
Whether getting tipsy or dogged drunk is for social reasons like watching sports or hanging out with friends or co-workers at the local watering hole or drowning out the stresses of life doesn’t matter. The lives of innocent people are being put at risk due
to the impaired judgment of alcohol, not to mention the driver when getting behind the wheel intoxicated. One of my
professors lost his only son to a drunk driver. DUI is stupid, senseless, a deadly
sin, and a problem in our society. There are enough hazards on the roads, drugs
for example, as it is without adding driving under the influence of alcohol.
Even though the Bible does not teach
total abstinence or forbid its use, it definitely condemns abuse (cf.: Prov 20:1
23:29-35; Isa 5:11 1 Cor 6:12; Eph 5:18; 2 Pet 2:19). I personally do not drink
based on a non-religious decision and do not avoid or condemn others of social
drinking. I do not drink because I think it is wiser for me to avoid the
dangers of partaking in alcoholic beverages, though I do not have a history of
abuse or addiction. On the religious side, I avoid the possibility of causing
offense or being a stumbling block to others, but that is a personal decision I
have committed to, not something I expect from others (1 Cor 6:12).
I had mentioned
this before, but when Beverly and I are having dinner with couples who drink
socially, they seem to be uncomfortable with us teetotalers because they feel
we are judging them! Knowing my position on the matter; it’s ridiculous to feel that way. Maybe
I should always wear my Orbison sunglasses at dinner engagements so they will
not think I am giving any social drinkers the evil eye? Beverly would just call me a nerd. I think it would be fun to pretend to have celebrity status. Yeah, she's right; I'm weird, in a fun way.
Well, I didn’t intend to get that deep
into “alkeehol.” Sin is actually a choice of the heart. It is a decision based
on wrong thinking that results in non-compliance to God’s standard of
righteousness. It is essentially missing the mark of that standard by contrary behavior
that stems from wrong thinking. Apart from Christ, a person will always miss the mark of God's standard of righteousness (Rom 3:10, 23). I have talked about this in other articles at greater length. We are sinners not because we sin but sin because we are sinners
(Rom 5:12). We were there in Adam making that decision to violate the one and
only prohibition in the Garden. We all fell that day (cf. Heb 7:9).
With the fall of us the whole universe
was impacted, animate and inanimate (Rom 8:20-22). Physical death is a legacy
of being a sinner (Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:22), a legacy of making a costly wrong
choice that reverberates today, apparently unbeknownst to some of our political
leaders at the highest levels of government, but the worst of the curse from
this disobedience was spiritual death, being separated from God forever (Rom
6:23), unless?
Unless God took the initiative to close the gap between God and man spiritually! In His grace and mercy, He did by providing skins for coverings for Adam and Eve (Gn 3:21) which foreshadowed our redemption in Christ (Heb 10:4; 9:12). This is the first physical death recorded chronologically. Job was the first book to be written in the OT, but obviously, the Garden scene had a historical precedent.
Unless God took the initiative to close the gap between God and man spiritually! In His grace and mercy, He did by providing skins for coverings for Adam and Eve (Gn 3:21) which foreshadowed our redemption in Christ (Heb 10:4; 9:12). This is the first physical death recorded chronologically. Job was the first book to be written in the OT, but obviously, the Garden scene had a historical precedent.
The world does not like the S-word. It
is a biblical characterization. If one rejects the authority of God and the
authority of the Scriptures or anything “religious,” the S-word has to go. We
must keep religion out of governmental matters, and the separation of church and state,
right? Wrong. That would be like separating emotions in all decisions. No one
is neutral no matter how much they claim to be objective. None of
us are untouched by bias, even though that prejudice may take the high road.
God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. What do we tell God, “Hey,
God! Stay out of the political section of my life; everything else is okay?” We
are to see all of life through the
scope of Scripture, to see it as God sees it and respond to it as He does, not
to succumb to an atheistic mindset of the neutrality of government. Ever find
one that is neutral, let me know, and I will retract my statement. The current
sitting president is obviously not a representative head of neutrality.
Read Daniel’s words when God revealed to him the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (keep in mind this situation was a life and death matter, Dan 2:13),
Read Daniel’s words when God revealed to him the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (keep in mind this situation was a life and death matter, Dan 2:13),
“He changes times and seasons; he
removes kings [and presidents, inserted] and sets up kings [and presidents,
inserted]; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have
understanding” (Dan 2:21, ESV, cf. Rom 13:1).
God has permitted Obama to occupy the
executive branch of our government. I would go so far as to say we deserve him
for straying from the principles of Scripture in our individual lives (Jdg
21:25). Pray for our president that God would give him the wisdom to make
decisions pleasing to God according to Judeo-Christian principles, not pleasing
to man. Daniel’s praise to God didn’t specify whether these kings or presidents
or rulers of nations were wicked or righteous.
So, if they do not have the Holy Spirit living within them, how can they govern by Judeo-Christian values? They can’t; but rulers of nations will ultimately align, with or without their approval, to God’s sovereign decrees. God may allow bad things to happen through the governing powers, but all things will move toward a higher purpose to fulfill Rom 8:28. Yeah, we are pretty important to God!
So, if they do not have the Holy Spirit living within them, how can they govern by Judeo-Christian values? They can’t; but rulers of nations will ultimately align, with or without their approval, to God’s sovereign decrees. God may allow bad things to happen through the governing powers, but all things will move toward a higher purpose to fulfill Rom 8:28. Yeah, we are pretty important to God!
These political leaders think they are
in control with the power that accompanies the position, but biblical history
has shown that God is sovereign over the nations for he is the Creator who has
made heaven and earth (Psa 146:6). He was the one who put them in a position of authority (Dan 2:21). Man’s authority will not prevail over Him or
His Word (Dan 4:34, 35; Psa 24:1; Isa 66:1a)!
We who believe the Bible to be the
supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice must comply in
submitting to human authorities (national and local, secular and religious,
wicked or righteous) as part of our Christian testimony (Ex 22:28; Acts 23:5;
Rom 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet 2:12-17). It doesn’t mean we give up our rights as
citizens (cf. Acts 22:25). I’m not saying that is always easy and can prove to
be extremely challenging, but it is what it is if we are going by the Book. Pray
for the salvation of our president and that God would give him the wisdom to do the
right things by all men, to be a leader of all the people, not just to a few
who agree with his agenda (1 Tim 2:1-4; Jer 29:7). Read the reference of Isaiah
on how insignificant the surrounding nations who had oppressed Israel were in
comparison to the greatness and power of the LORD (Isa 40:15-17).
Getting back to the S-word, I want to
illustrate an abysmal ignorance of the dynamics of sin and the extremity of
political correctness by our secretary of state when Russia invaded Ukraine. I recalled hearing Kerry in a news clip commenting on a nation violating
another nation’s sovereignty by military invasion. I don’t have the source, but
he acted, at least on camera, as if things of this nature are things of the
past. It’s not the way we do things living in the 21st century! I
didn’t know civilization made a quantum leap in spiritual evolution since the 19th century?
Reflect upon that for a moment... Oh, and by the way, I am not attempting to play the role of a political pundit here, but I am applying the Word to any medium that stays away from using the word “sin” like the plague in their rhetoric. Again, God is interested in us doing the right thing in every aspect of our lives; He desires involvement and acknowledgment. There are no closed doors of the heart to God which is the seat of our cognition, emotion, and volition (cf. Mark 12:30; Prov 3:5-6).
Reflect upon that for a moment... Oh, and by the way, I am not attempting to play the role of a political pundit here, but I am applying the Word to any medium that stays away from using the word “sin” like the plague in their rhetoric. Again, God is interested in us doing the right thing in every aspect of our lives; He desires involvement and acknowledgment. There are no closed doors of the heart to God which is the seat of our cognition, emotion, and volition (cf. Mark 12:30; Prov 3:5-6).
We are to be a temple that is holy (1
Cor 6:19, 20; 10:31) with open windows and open doors for God, no intellectual barriers,
no emotional barriers, and no barriers of the will. God wants free access to
all rooms of our hearts. Isn’t the Holy Spirit living there already? Yes, and He knows what is in each room. He desires for us to willfully
leave the doors unlocked, no veils, and open windows. It is the will He is looking for to allow Him to flow through our hearts without Him having to exercise His omnipotent power. It’s a submission thing;
total access means total submission. It’s not worth making the last locked room
of the heart a bastion of defiance of “for me alone.” He let it all out there on
that cruel cross in our stead. We can do no less for Him in obedience to His
will.
Since my memory is not so good, I did an internet search on Kerry and came across his statement on politico.com by Reid Epstein on March 2, 2014. He quoted Kerry as saying, “You just don’t in the 21st century behave in 19th-century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text.” He is further quoted (abbreviating it), “It is serious in terms of sort of the modern manner with which nations are going to resolve problems” (http://politi.co/1fzZxyp).
Since my memory is not so good, I did an internet search on Kerry and came across his statement on politico.com by Reid Epstein on March 2, 2014. He quoted Kerry as saying, “You just don’t in the 21st century behave in 19th-century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text.” He is further quoted (abbreviating it), “It is serious in terms of sort of the modern manner with which nations are going to resolve problems” (http://politi.co/1fzZxyp).
One comment on this article asked the
question, “Oh John…what planet do you live on?” There was a lot of truth to
that sarcasm, a scary truth. Leaders do not use the word “sin.” Is it because
it is either a political firebrand or the action is not viewed or characterized as “sin” or both? For me, Kerry’s statement of 21st-century behavior for a
nation can easily be seen as applicable to the individual as well. Why? Because
a nation is comprised of people! Allow me to answer why leaders of nations and
people individually still act in “19th-century fashion” in the 21st
century. You are going to call me a Simple Simon for saying it, S-I-N.
This central truth is what makes the
Bible relevant to us today. Some people struggle with the idea of whether the
Bible is relevant in the 21st century; it is an absurd idea to even
ponder. For one, people like that don’t read the Bible. Two, there is a good
chance they are unregenerate, and three, the heart of man is the same
yesterday, today, and tomorrow until glory time. The heart of man in Adam’s
day, David’s day, Daniel’s day, Jesus’ day, and in our day is totally depraved.
This means we may be pretty on the outside, but inside, we are born sinners
(Psa 51:5).
Should we accept Christ as our Lord
and Savior we become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), but no matter how saintly we
become, no matter how knowledgeable of the Bible we are or going to be in the
future, our old sinful nature will be as ugly then as it was before we were born
again. We may be saints, but we are sinners saved by grace, saints until the
rapture or death.
Why did Vladimir Putin invade Ukraine?
Because he is a sinner who doesn’t know Jesus. Why will we physically die if
the rapture doesn’t come in our lifetime? Because we are sinners though saved
by grace (Rom 5:12). Why is creation moaning and groaning as a woman in childbirth? Because of the curse God placed upon creation (Gn 3:17; Rom 8:20-22). Why do we groan? Because of sin (Rom 8:26;
7:24; Psa 38:4, 9-10). Why do we make evangelistic overtures? Because humanity
is lost without Christ. Why do bad things happen in the world? Because sin is a
rebellion against the authority of God Almighty.
For me, the best evidence of our
sinful condition was Jesus hanging on the cross to pay the penalty of sin on
our behalf (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 3:18; 1 Jn 2:2). How do we answer others who ask
us why we do what we do? What’s our “because?” Jesus is our Because. John said,
“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1
Jn 2:6). How is that? Holy (1 Pet 1:15-16) and carrying our cross (Mk 8:34). If
we claim to abide then be reminded that the crosswalk involves sacrifice and
suffering; holiness involves being set apart unto God and keeping from sinful
thoughts and behavior,
Whoever abides in Him does not sin.
Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (1 Jn 3:6).
This passage doesn't mean as believers we achieve any state of sinlessness on this side of eternity. This will only happen in the future when we are glorified in heaven. What it does teach is that whoever keeps on abiding in him does
not keep on sinning, and whoever keeps on sinning or lives a life of sinning lacks
the spiritual vision and spiritual knowledge of Jesus Christ. Making a practice
of sinning habitually and constantly is proof that this person has not experienced salvation (1 Jn 3:4).
Did you see my name within those parentheses? I mention that so you wouldn't think that I was slipping in my personal opinion. It is what it is, the truth from God's Word.
Perhaps we should mimic the world concerning the S-word today in one sense, which is, avoiding it like the plague, not in our speech, but in our walk for the joy set before us! Calling sin – sin is not a sin; it is biblically correct any time in all times (cf.: Isa 51:6; Mk 13:31). For the record let me say what the root cause of all our problems is – SIN. I know the world won’t agree with me, but what about you who profess to be a Christian? We know the power of the Gospel can change a man (Rom 1:16) and make him a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). So, let me ask you, “What’s in your heart?” You do what you do because? <><
Perhaps we should mimic the world concerning the S-word today in one sense, which is, avoiding it like the plague, not in our speech, but in our walk for the joy set before us! Calling sin – sin is not a sin; it is biblically correct any time in all times (cf.: Isa 51:6; Mk 13:31). For the record let me say what the root cause of all our problems is – SIN. I know the world won’t agree with me, but what about you who profess to be a Christian? We know the power of the Gospel can change a man (Rom 1:16) and make him a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). So, let me ask you, “What’s in your heart?” You do what you do because? <><
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