Inescapable Sin

“Things will be different this time, I promise!”

Anyone who has had a loved one struggle with addiction has probably heard these words before, or words much like them. As compassionate human beings, we sense the pain they feel, we clearly see their struggles, and we wish fervently to believe that their words will prove true… this time. We desperately want them to overcome their dependence on drugs, alcohol, gambling, or whatever else may be actively ruining their lives… this time.

The problem is, we’ve seen it all before, and it always seems to end up the same way. Sure, for now, they seem repentant. For now, they seem to realize the damage that their addiction has done to themselves and the people around them. For now, it seems like they truly want to change.

But we know how this always ends. Don’t we? Or… do we? Now, before you get all up in arms, assuming that I am disparaging those who suffer from addiction, please read a bit further.

The problem the addict faces, we who have never been diagnosed with an addiction also face. The enemy which stands before the addict is the same enemy which stands before every human being, every moment of our lives: the temptation to sin.

The Sins You Love to Hate

“Well, I’m not perfect, but at least I don’t do THAT!”

You’ve heard these words many times before. Honestly, I’d be willing to bet that you’ve said these words before, or at least something which expresses a very similar sentiment. We all have! And no wonder! On a daily basis, just going about our normal routines, it’s a near certainty that we will see or hear about some of the awful things going on in the world.

Things that we know are wrong.

Things that offend us.

Things that hurt our feelings.

Things that hurt other people.

But then there are some things that really get to us. Things which we would never, ever do. Things that we would never even imagine doing. Things which are so vile, so disgusting, so inherently evil that we wish God would just reach down and smite the people who are involved!

They deserve all the worst punishments that we can think of, and yet they keep getting away with this insanity.

How infuriating!

How dare they??

How can they not understand that what they are doing is horrific? It’s not only a violation of God’s law, but it flies in the face of nature itself! A little common sense should tell you that this is wrong!

These sins are a lot like villainous characters in movies, in that you love to hate them. These are the ones that you think of as being particularly bad, and you feel absolutely justified in railing against. They are the ones that you really (if you’re being totally honest) don’t think should be forgiven at all.

Those are things that no Christian would ever do, anyway.

Right?

Unknown Sin

So far, we have discussed the usurping sin of taking the Lord’s name in vain and the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Today, we examine unknown sin: instances where we commit sins of which we are completely unaware.

Photo by Ann H on Pexels

You undoubtedly have heard the phrase, “Nobody’s perfect.” I would argue that there was one exception to that rule, but we (meaning humanity) nailed that individual to a cross roughly two millennia ago. Nevertheless, I’m sure that we would all agree that the sentiment is true today. The Bible states the situation quite concisely…

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23

Most of the time, we think of sin as happening at a decision-making point; we are faced with a situation where we must choose between two options: one which clearly honors God versus one which we would probably enjoy, but, for whatever reason, would put us clearly outside of God’s will. The problem is… life isn’t always so clear-cut. Sometimes, we may not even realize that we’re doing anything wrong!

Think back to your childhood. Did you ever get into trouble for doing something? Of course, you did! Were you ever asked, “Why did you do that?” Of course, you were! And I guarantee that you remember responding with, “I don’t know,” at least once. As (perhaps jaded) adults, we typically respond to a child who claims ignorance as a defense with disdain. “Oh, you know better than that!” But if I really search my memories, I’m certain that there were, in fact, times where I did things without thinking about whether they were good or bad. I just wanted to do it, and so, I did it.

Unforgivable Sin

Last week, we discussed the usurping sin of taking the Lord’s name in vain. In our investigation, we uncovered the seriousness of this sin; breaking the Third of the Ten Commandments…

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”  Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11

Image by Adis Resic from Pixabay

The explicit statement that God will not hold guiltless (will not forgive) anyone who takes His name in vain is a particularly unsettling thought. That’s a very steep penalty, especially in light of the New Testament, where salvation from our sins is based on the crucifixion of Jesus. Christ’s blood covers the sins of all who believe in Him, but we previously discussed why an outward statement of faith is not necessarily a true statement of what is in one’s heart. Even the New Testament mentions one sin that will not be forgiven. The unpardonable sin is revealed to us in Matthew 12:31, “…every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven…”

It might be easy to conclude that since both testaments mention a sin which will not be forgiven, the two sins in question must be the same. I have heard this argument made in sermons from time to time, but I believe it to be based on a misconception, much in the same way that people misunderstand what it actually means to take the Lord’s name in vain. Let’s explore the reasons why these verses refer to two very different sins.