Sin!

What kind of thoughts does the word “sin” invoke in your mind? Is it spoken about in your home? How about in your church? It’s my guess that you probably don’t stand around the water cooler at work and talk about the latest sin in your life like you would talk about your favorite movie. I even heard recently that the discussion of sin is a dying breed – and not just among non-believers.
Now this post isn’t going to be about bashing others as I have to take a close look at my own heart (you may remember the adage, “Take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye – see Matthew 7 or Luke 6).
What I am finding to be truly interesting (if you find reading through what seems to be endless genealogies to get to the meat) is the comparison that can be made from reading the Old Testament books of the Bible that talk about Israel’s kings and life as we know it today. The book of Chronicles (as you may have guessed by the name), chronicles the lives of the kings of Israel from the time of King David to the Babylonian captivity (about 1000 BC to 586 BC). During this time, the Israelites were locked in a vicious cycle of following the LORD God, being blessed by Him, forgetting Him and turning away, being overrun by the enemies for their sinful behavior, crying out to God for deliverance, and being delivered by God only to start the cycle once more. Unfortunately, the primary cause of this cycle was Israel’s leadership – her kings.
But, What does this have to do with us? you may ask. Just as Israel followed her leadership when it came to sin and repentance, we (or more specifically, I) have the same tendency. When our leaders are following after the LORD, we mostly do the same. And, when they are not, well, you know what happens.
So, all of this boils down to a book that I am reading by Jerry Bridges, called “Respectable Sins.” (If you would like a book that is full of “meat and potatoes” for your trip in February, Mr. Blacksheep, this would be it.) Bridges says in the preface to the book, “The motivation for this book stems from a growing conviction that those of us whom I call conservative evangelicals may have become so preoccupied with some of the major sins of society around us that we have lost sight of the need to deal with our own more “refined” or subtle sins.” And though I have never had to deal with the sin of adultery or murder in my life, Jesus himself said that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to judgment (Matt. 5:22). So, even though I do not have to deal with the “biggies,” I still have to confront the anxiety that I sometimes experience, the frustration that life isn’t moving forward fast enough, the pride that wells up inside me for whatever reason, or the occasional lack of self control. In his book, Bridges, confronts each one of these “respectable sins” and more. However, he doesn’t leave us hanging with the hopelessness that we may feel by being bombarded by the truth, but gives practical insight into dealing with these sins.
So, if you side with the Pharisee in Luke 18 that prayed how thankful he was that he was not a robber, evildoer, an adulterer, or even, heaven forbid, the dreaded tax collector, than you need to get your life right with God. I know that I have and will continue to do so as the need arises (often on a daily basis).
May the LORD bless you on your journey of discovery.