Year of Exposure Day 13: Condoning sin is sin.

Year “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. The religious leaders questioned the man severely, trying to determine who had the audacity to heal him on the Sabbath. After his grilling from the religious leaders, the man who had been healed, had another encounter with Jesus.

“Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you."”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As we see, Jesus, warned this man that he should not sin anymore; because doing so, would make him vulnerable to something even worse happening to him, than having been an invalid for 38 years.

At another time, a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, was brought before Jesus for judgment, the crowd intending to stone her.

“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]]”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As we see, Jesus disperses the woman’s accusers by telling them that they could stone her only if they were without sin themselves. But note, He then tells this wayward woman, to go and sin no more.

Jesus never said or did anything, indicating His conflating loving the sinner, with loving sin.

Indeed, nothing Jesus said, or did could be construed as approving sin, much less celebrating sin.

Paul offers this:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬, ‭21‬, ‭24‬-‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We see that Paul is expressing that those who engage in sin, as well as those who approve those who engage in sin, bring the wrath of God upon themselves.

Now, why are we discussing the condoning of sin? Part of the “falling away” of the Church, is a result of the conflating of being loving and not judging, with condoning, tolerating, or even celebrating, sin.

Often, just speaking about the truth of there being good and evil, is attacked as being fear-mongering.

In our opening scripture Paul again points out that the Christian should not be a partaker of sin, but rather be an exposer of sin. This certainly cannot happen if we don’t exhibit the truth in our own righteous lifestyle.

Let us be reminded that Jesus did not back off of saying things that would now be critiqued by some Christians as being “unloving” and “fear-provoking.”

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Finally, make no mistake, we have no excuse for mistreating people who do not choose to live righteously. We should pray for their salvation and treat them with kindness in every way that is pleasing to God.

With that, do not be led into the deception that not condoning, or even not celebrating sin, is “unloving.” The most truly loving thing we can do for the sinner, is to lead them to the cross—or back to the cross—of Christ. His blood can wash away all sin!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!