We’re so good at putting a spin on sin, that we almost don’t think we sin or that there is even such a thing anymore!
The word sin is seldom used. We might hear someone say, “I made a mistake,” or “I wasn’t thinking when I did that,” or the all too famous, “It wasn’t MY fault.” We say everything we can think of besides the word “sin.” We justify, lie, blame others, etc. but the truth is: that is all just a spin. When we sin there is only one person to blame and that is ourself.
Sin (according to Webster) is defined as “an offense especially against God; a weakened state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.” Perhaps the reason we don’t use the word “sin” much anymore is because we have conveniently, even as believers in Jesus, talked ourselves right into thinking we’re not wrong, we’ve not wronged anyone, and why would Jesus really even care.
The problem is this: He does care, and He knows when we sin. Furthermore, so does everyone else. It’s like the big hole I had in my kitchen ceiling that needed to be fixed. For years I left it. I didn’t want to deal with the mess of dry wall, sanding, and repainting. I didn’t even have to fix it; I just had to clean the mess. So after a while, I didn’t even notice the hole. Everyone who walked in however, did notice it. Yep – big hole…asking themselves, “I wonder why nobody bothers to fix that. It’s a mess.” The reason? It was just plain easier to leave it alone than to deal with what it would take to clean up the mess and fix it. It’s not bothering anyone and who really notices?
Sin is just like that. When someone walks into a room with their adulteress – everyone sees it. They see the sin. They also recognize that they don’t want to do the work to fix the marriage they’re still in because, you guessed it, it’s just too much work to clean up the mess. There are other sins. Fill in the blank and put your own sin spin to the test.
Gossip? We don’t want to stop talking badly about someone because it’s easier just to keep the lies going and it feels good. It feels good to be better than the person we’re gossiping about. It feels good to be “one up” in knowing something no one else knows. (Sadly it’s usually a lie…)
Lying? We don’t want to stop because we sound good. We sound “big.” We like knowing (or thinking we do) information no one else does, and who cares if we’ve stretched the truth a bit? It’s okay if we steal a person’s reputation or character. What does it matter to us? It’s not my reputation!
Stealing? People’s reputations, items from work; clothing from stores….it’s not hurting me personally, right? Someone else can pay for it. Other people can afford it.
Well, some day, the spin on sin will affect you. Suddenly it won’t be you who’s doing the sin and hurting others, soon you will be the one betrayed by an affair or a friendship, or it will be your business from which someone steals and it’s not only going to hurt and devastate you, it will have a ripple effect on others. Suddenly there is a sting to sin because it touched you.
Let’s start to call it what it is. Let’s hold others accountable by helping them stop their sin instead of pampering and coddling them through it. Help them grow up and take responsibility rather than demanding what they think are their rights. We all totally understand forgiveness and God’s redemption but let’s not forget that He can and will provide consequences – and not always in the same way in which sin was committed. The consequence will be manifested somewhere. We can mock sin (“Fools mock at sin,” Prov. 13:9) and think we’ll never get caught, that God doesn’t care, or that others don’t notice or aren’t affected by it. But He does notice and “God will not be mocked” (“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7)
Whatever you need to do to fix the mess, get started. Make apologies and stop sinning. Turn around and away from the sin. Flee from it. They’ll be a mess to clean up but it can be done.
And when that gaping hole in your heart, like my ceiling, gets fixed…things will look a lot better, and it will be noticeable and oh, so very worth it.