Formed and reFormed from Sin
Movie Scene –
In the film "
So the driver takes the group leader aside and attempts a five sentence introduction to metaphysics: "Man," he says, "the world ain't s'pposed to work like this. Maybe you don't know that, but this ain't the way it's s'pposed to be. I'm s'pposed to be able to do my job without askin' you if I can. And that dude is s'pposed to be able to wait with his car without you rippin' him off. Everything's s'pposed to be different than what it is here." (from Cornelius Plantinga Article “Sin – Not the way It’s S’pposed to Be”)
With that phrase, I think Danny Glover’s character is giving us a good definition of sin. In short, sin is the feeling that “the world ain’t supposed to work like this.”
- Friday I sat in a room with a family in tears and a beautiful lady whose body is ravaged by cancer
- The world isn’t supposed to be like that
- An estimated 300,000 American children are at risk every year of being exploited sexually in the sex industry.
- The average age of entry into prostitution is 12-13 years old in the
- The FBI coordinated a cross-country sting in February 2009, with local and federal law enforcement.
- The world isn’t supposed to be like this
- The fastest growing criminal industry in the world is human trafficking
- 2.5 million people are bought and sold every year
- Again,
- The world isn’t supposed to be like this
1. Sin Isn’t What We Do, Its Who We Are
If you ask most people “What is Sin?” They’d talk about “sins”
- Murder
- Gossip
- The Seven Deadly Sins
- Pride, gluttony, lust, sloth, anger, greed, envy
That’s not how the Bible talks about sin.
A. Sin is The Opposite of Shalom
If a good way of talking about sin is “Its not supposed to be this way” then it might be helpful to see how things are supposed to be.
God created the world “Good”.
- Genesis 1, Good, Good, Very Good
The world should look like it was “…as designed and intended by God, both in creation and in graceful transformation of creation. They are supposed to include peace that adorns and completes justice, mutual respect and goodwill, deliberate and widespread attention to the public good.” (Plantinga, p.2)
Big word for this is “Shalom”
- Universal Flourishing, Wholeness and Delight
- Natural Needs are Satisfied
- Natural Gifts are Fruitfully Employed
- Life is a joy-filled adventure
God would preside in the unspeakable beauty for which human beings long and in the mystery of holiness that draws human worship like a magnet. In turn, each human being would reflect and color the light of God's presence out of the inimitable resources of his or her own character and essence. Human communities would present their ethnic and regional specialties to other communities in the name of God, in glad recognition that God too is a radiant and hospitable community of three persons. In their own accents, communities would express praise, courtesies, and deferences that, when massed together, would keep building like waves of a passion that is never spent. (Plantiga p.5)
B. Sin Resists God’s Work In the World
God is in the business of restoring the world, renewing this sense of “Shalom”
- One sure-fire way to identify “sin” is to see where people work against God’s work in the world.
In the summer of 1973, a British journalist named Jonathan Dimbleby filmed a dispiriting report of hunger in
"You want to help?" the minister asked.
"Please do, but you must pay."
And [the benefactors] said: "What do you mean, pay? We give help! And we're supposed to pay?"
"Yes," says the minister, "those are the regulations. Do you want to help in such a way that our Empire gains nothing by it?"
- That’s an easy one to spot.
What about the time when we chose not to confront someone because even though we know that a person we love is hurting themselves, its easier to just not get involved.
C. Sin Flows from the Heart
Example:
Greed is a one of the 7 Deadly Sins
- Rulers in
We can go through life counting all the specific instances of greed in our lives.
Or we can look at our hearts.
1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
- Money is God’s #1 competitor in your heart
- The problem isn’t the fact that you’ve made some greedy decisions
- The problem is that you have the sort of heart that would choose the cheap and easy comfort of money over the deep, powerful but difficult comfort that only God can give.
- So don’t repent of your greedy actions
- Ask Jesus to Change your greedy heart
Titus 1:15 – “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.
Here Paul is echoing the words of Jesus.
Mark 7:15-23 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Both Paul & Jesus are standing in a long history of the Bible.
- Sin isn’t unexpected actions done by good people
- Sin is the logical overflow of unclean hearts
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. - Proverbs 4:23
If the spring is filled with e-coli and disease, the water isn’t good to drink
If the spring is filled with pure water, the water that comes from it is clean.
Andy Stanley’s book “It Came From Within”
2. Tension between “They’re Sins” and “My Sins”
I think most of us can agree with this.
The problem comes in when we have to talk about sin.
Paul is commanding Titus to speak boldly about sin.
One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, - Titus 1:12-13
How do we do this?
A. Many Churches Aren’t Speaking of Sin Well
Jerry Bridges book “Respectable Sins”
Sociologist Marsha Witten analyzed 47 sermons on the prodigal son
Book “All Is Forgiven”
Two errors:
- #1 Deflate
- Cushion the blow
- Make people feel good about themselves
- #2 Deflect
- Look at people “outside our circles who commit flagrant sins such as abortion, homosexuality, and murder, or the notorious white-collar crimes of high-level corporate executives. Its easy for us to condemn those obvious sins while virtually ignoring our own sins of gossip, pride, envy, bitterness and lust, or even our lack of those gracious qualities that Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit.” (Bridges p.19)
Either none of us sin...or “they sin”
The right answer is that We All Sin, Especially me.
B. Story about Homosexuality and Pornography
Denominational Debate
Friend not wanting to fight on that front
If we used that standard for every pastor using porn, we’d loose 80% of our pastors
Fine!
I’ve installed anti-porn software on my computer
C. If We Get This Wrong, We Loose Our Credibility
3 Week Attendance Spike after 9/11
Stetzer Research
- I do not think Christians would approve of my lifestyle
- 39%
- Church is full of hypocrites
- 67% / 75%
- Christianity is more about organized religion than love people and loving God
- 77% / 83%
- Christians get on my nerves!
- 46% / 44%
- I would be willing to listen about Christianity
- 89% / 75%
- If a church presented the truth in an understandable way, I’d be willing to listen
- 63% / 47%
- If a church cared about me as a person, I’d be willing to attend
- 58% / 38%
- Christianity is more about organized religion than love people and loving God
- 67% / 75%
D. If We Get This Right, We Can Save Real People from a Real Hell
Sin is a violation of God’s law
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. - James 2:10
Breaking a law = breaking THE LAW
99% is an F
Humanity is getting a failing degree
Only Jesus can fix it
3. How Do We Deal With Our Sin?
Belief
To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. - Titus 1:15
“defiled and unbelieving”
1. Believe the Gospel
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. - Colossians 2:13-14
2. Believe in the Holy Spirit
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. - Romans 8:13
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18
3. Believe in Your Responsibility
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. - Philippians 2:12-13
“Work as if it all depends on you;
and yet trust as if you did not work at all.”
4. Believe that God’s Word Can Address Specific Areas of Sin
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:11
5. Believe in the Power of Prayer
6. Believe in the Power of Christian Community
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10