Sin - An Impolite (but necessary) Topic for the Church

God's Honest Truth About Sin

(1 John 1:10, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 21, 2016)

[10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Why would anyone say that he had never sinned?

Human beings have been created in the image of God and have inherent dignity and worth. Yet through the sin of one man, Adam, a destructive treason against the Almighty entered this world. The entire story of the Bible is based on these opening truths presented in Genesis 1-3. See also Romans 1-3. To deny the existence of sin entirely or to say that we have not sinned is to reject the Bible and the cross. The facts of Jesus only make sense if He is our sin-bearer. If we say that we have not sinned, we cannot have a true profession of faith in Christ. People without sin do not need a savior.

Why would anyone claim that they had not sinned? People who deny sin in general or their own sin in particular may have not really heard the Christian message. That message deals a serious blow to the bloated pride of independent human beings. Perhaps others who deny that they have sinned do not know how to deal with their sin, that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

The discussion of sin is not necessarily viewed as a polite topic today. It is also almost universally considered illegitimate for the church to make any judgments concerning sin. While vengeance belongs to the Lord alone, and Christians are supposed to be kindhearted, the church is the one organization on earth given by God to speak authoritatively concerning sin, both in general as we teach biblical doctrine, and in particular as we help people. (Matthew 16:18, 18:15-18; John 20:21-23)

The Holy Spirit, Jesus tells us, was sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). The church has been given the authority to declare sins forgiven (John 20:23). We need to let God be true, even if that means that everyone else is a liar (Romans 3:4)

What has God said about the universality of sin among human beings?

After sin entered the world through one man, we see the march of this dreadful soul disease in Genesis 4-5. Just prior to the flood, the Lord gives us this assessment of the condition of mankind: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) Later in the history of Israel, when Solomon was praying at the dedication of the temple, he said, “there is no one who does not sin.” (1 Kings 8:46) In the wisdom literature of the Old Testament (Psalm 14, 53) we learn that as mankind seeking some honest standing in the presence of the Almighty, “no one living is righteous” before God. The prophets confirm that our own assessments of our condition may be wildly inaccurate, since “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) The apostle Paul states succinctly the overwhelming teaching of God's Word: “All have sinned.” (Romans 3:23)

What does the Word of God say about sin and the coming age of resurrection glory?

The good news is that it is not the Lord's intention to leave us in this sad condition. Paul writes in Romans 6:17-18, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

This hope of heartfelt obedience to the Word is very good news indeed, but it is only a step toward an even bigger fulfillment of the promise that the Lord made in Genesis 3:15 that He would utterly defeat sin through the One He called the “Seed of the woman.” The greater goal of the Lord is a new world where righteousness reigns.

While there is so much that the Bible teaches on this Christian hope, we must be brief and quote another famous verse from Romans 8 and a following verse that is not as frequently quoted or even known: “[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

What does it mean that we are destined to be conformed to the image of Jesus? The ancient longing reflected in the Old Testament writings will finally come to pass, and we will be holy as He is holy.

The verse that follows Romans 8:29 is also informative, telling us that the plan of God for His elect image-bearers is that they would be glorious: “[30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Even now, those who go to be with the Lord after our lives here below are “made perfect” according to Hebrews 12:23. Certainly the final kingdom of heaven is a place without any sin. (Revelation 21:1-2 and Ephesians 5:27)

It is of utmost importance for us to immediately affirm two essential Christian truths: 1. Christ is at the very center of the Lord's victory over sin. 2. The church right now is called to be holy by the power of the Word and Spirit of Jesus Christ. If we deny sin we are calling God a liar and the truth is not in us. Without the truth of God, the living Word, both Jesus and the Scriptures, the church will never be holy.

How do we get that word in us (John 8)?

We must hear the Word of God in a spiritual way. We must settle in the Word as people eventually settle in a new town that they intend to call their home. Jesus spoke of this to the crowds that were listening to His teaching. “[31] So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

If we hope to be a holy church with the truth of God living in us, we must live in the Word. A consistent pattern of attendance in worship together is the first step for a person that wants to be a part of a community of Christian hope – the hope of a new world without sin. Even when we sing together on the first day of the week, we do what we must to “let the word of Christ dwell within” us. (Colossians 3:12-17)

God does not lie about sin. We regularly deceive ourselves on this and many other matters, lying to our own hurt. Far better to find out God's honest truth and to let it accomplish its good work in our lives.

Old Testament Reading—2 Samuel 3:26-39 – Joab, David, and the Murder of Abner

Gospel Reading—Luke 5:1-11 – A sinful man as a catcher of men