The longer I live, the more concerned I become about how the average Bible-believing, Jesus-loving church in America picks and chooses what sins they consider “especially bad.” If you engage in those sins, you can’t attend their church – or maybe you can attend, but you’ll endure either messages about how you’re in sin and going to hell or else feel the accusing eyes of the people around you. (Or both.)
Now, I’m not advocating that we should make sinners feel comfortable. To quote the old song, “A sin is a sin no matter what shape it’s in.” We’re called to put off our old self, including sinful desires (Ephesians 4:22-24). We’re called to be holy (set apart for righteousness) (1 Peter 1:16). Tolerating sin shouldn’t be on our to-do list (or in our unintentional practice).
That all said, it’s become culturally acceptable for us to dismiss our own sins and pick other sins that will send the people we don’t like packing to hell. I get it. We’re so used to our own sins that we barely think about them anymore – until Jesus shows up, and suddenly we want nothing but Him. But before Jesus shows up, we look around, see something that makes us uncomfortable, find a Bible verse that condemns it, and the next thing we know, we’re applauding as these people (made in the image of God, I might add) are condemned from the pulpit and on social media.
A few examples of sin that are tolerated or even condoned in our churches: Lying (mentioned twice in Revelation (21:8 and 22:5) – I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen far too many pastors who will lie to protect their church or position and require their staff to do the same), slanderers (1 Corinthians 6:10; how many YouTube videos exist simply to slander other believers?), disobedience to parents (Colossians 3:20; it’s very much in fashion at the moment to dismiss your parents and even go no contact because of the pain you’ve experienced – whether your parents are healthy people or not), unforgiveness (1 Timothy 3:3; this one is more tolerated than condoned), etc.
Here’s my question for you: Why are we willing to say, “Oh, they drink too much (see 1 Corinthians 5:10), but God’s still working on them” and then turn around and think about someone having sex outside of marriage and condemn them to hell? Both of these are considered sins that will keep people out of the kingdom of heaven according to Galatians 5:19-21. Why will we tell a “little white lie” to make ourselves look good to our friends and then preach that those who take part in Wicca will go to hell? (See the same verses in Galatians.) How about engaging in discussions that create factions and divides between Christians or family members and then wonder if the murderer in the courthouse can be saved (Galatians 5:20; Revelation 22:15)?
My point is not to make you feel guilty or even to accuse you of sin. Far from it. My point is this: If God can forgive you for being selfish (Galatians 5:20), then He can forgive a homosexual (1 Timothy 1:10). When we judge, we forget how we have been forgiven (Matthew 18:21-35).
My second point is this: It wouldn’t hurt us to ask God to reveal to us the places in our lives where sin has become so normal or so comfortable we might not know it even exists. It might even be part of our culture. (I recall a season a few years ago where I was convicted about a specific way my culture spoke. It was an interesting tightrope to continue honoring people who spoke that way while not participating in it!) But I promise you: Putting off sin will be worth it in the long haul in your relationship with God, both now and when it comes to heaven.
