Whatever Happened to Sin?
by Bryan W Melvin on 06/22/10
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness?" Romans 1:18 NKJV There is an amazing thing about our modern times: no one thinks him or herself as a sinner much anymore. Yet, the bible boldly proclaims all are under sin (Romans 3:9). However, no one thinks this really applies to one's self! It has to be those really bad people, not me, is the modern mantra chanted today. Thus, truth is still being suppressed by unrighteous moral reasoning as was in the Apostle Paul's time. The bible is plain, the wrath of God remains on humanity. People do not like to think of themselves sinners and excuse themselves from being cast into that group making it difficult for Christians to awaken the lost to an awareness of sin, that God's wrath truly lays upon the lost. Why so hard? Simple, people justify themselves as not so bad, not perfect, and certainly not like Hitler. How can we as Christians awake the lost and bring forth revival in our midst? Yes, it is by the means of the cross that can awaken the lost to the reason why the wrath of God lays heavily upon humanity. What happened to Jesus during the 24 hour period before the cross exposes this very reason. Why are we so afraid to preach this in the manner that stirred so many to come to Christ as oft happened during days gone by? Jesus was betrayed, lied about, put on trial, falsely accused, spat upon, mocked, beaten, a crown of sharp thrones crammed into his head, whipped, stripped naked, nails driven into his hands and feet, his clothes divided and gambled over, he was derided, laughed at, made a spectacle of, tempted to act unjustly, chortled with contempt. What was being shown here? The main thing being revealed is what humanity really thinks of God as well as how we treat each other. We may not physically crucify people but, oh, how we mock, belittle, betray, gamble for others possessions, how we put on trial, in our minds or with our words beat, scourge others. And what would we do with God if he were to appear before us nowadays? Would we not also put him on trial if we could, are you doing so? Demand him to perform something so you would believed? Mock him? How about put him to death for all the unfairness of the world due to our actions, not his. How often have we derided God? Gamble away the clothes of righteousness he wants to give? How have we stripped him from our public square? Whip him with our words, and jam a thorny crown of contemptuous contempt for being such an evil God for letting bad things happen. How we falsely accuse God of evil, seeking words that will entrap him so we can say ah, ah, there is no God!
For that: "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." Romans 5:8-9 NASB Can you see why the wrath of God lays heavily upon humanity? You see, I think the definition of sin needs a revision for each new generation so people understand what it is. Sin is more than missing the mark; it is more than twisting good into evil. Sin also afflicts. How many various ways and degrees do we afflict others like how Jesus was treated? How many people do we let down, betray, lie about, swindle, tear down, put on trial, determine what value they are, demand from them, which in effect nullifies any good we think we may have? "But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?" Romans 3:5 ESV Could you, would you lay down your life as Jesus did to expose how sin afflicts in order to save a bunch of people who lie about you, put you on trial, falsely accuse you, spit upon you, mock you, beat you, place a crown of sharp thrones jammed into your head, whip, strip you naked, drive nails into your hands and feet, have your clothes and possessions divided and gambled over, deride and laughed at, be made a spectacle of, tempt you to act unjustly, chortled you with constant contempt, would you die for such a people in order to show them the error of their ways? In order to save a willing few from wrath that is justified in coming? To change out of such darkness, transform their lives and make them new creations? Adopt them as sons and daughters? I say a few because most want to remain in darkness thinking it be light. Would you do this for the few who would see the means by which the wrath of God becomes averted? Still permitting a choice to all, despite knowing many will use this very choice to always reject, mock, deride you, can we be really that just, equitious? Are we that self justified to think for a moment that we do not bring on affliction? How often do we as parents afflict our young with rejection, ignore them? How about those we come in contact with? Hurt in various ways? Do we afflict upon them forms of abuse, ridicule? Tear down another's hopes and dreams? Afflict with broken hearts, discard others for a price of a beer, drugs, fortune, fame? How do we bring affliction to the work place, how do we afflict by reducing others through our own personal political power grabs in the office or at home? Afflict by not taking time to help, or aid or even listen to those we know hurting in silence and despair? "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." Romans 5:10-11 NASB Would you do this for such an ungrateful people who only have contempt, doubt, and odium in their hearts for you? Jesus did and in doing so, he exposed the nature of sin which brings affliction into this world. Shackling us to live always in a state of afflicting! We screwed up the world. We can't fix it. We need help. This matter is bigger than ourselves, why, because no matter how much good we can do, our acts of affliction nullify all our good. We know we are not perfect but this will not get you into heaven or be able to help you stop from bringing on more affliction wherever you go. We need a savior: someone to save us from ourselves, who will provide aid to help us learn how to stop our afflicting. Jesus Christ is that one, who came to expose sin for what it is and does. He bore the wrath of God for us upon that old rugged cross. He broke the serpent's power of affliction over our lives making a public spectacle of this for us to see. Why? Because as the Apostle John wrote: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
"20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:16-19 NASB Don't be like the ones mentioned that love darkness more than light! That love affliction more than freedom! Those that chose this path are as Isaiah says: "If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD." Isaiah 26:10, ESV Such people as this cannot and will never enter heaven, or discover the promises of God because if such favor is shown to the afflicters, they will not learn how not to afflict in the land uprightness, which is heaven, because they'll continually deal corruptly by manipulating majesty of God's goodness/love for their own selfish ends. Heaven would no longer be heaven. You need to be the one who believes in Jesus Christ as savior, now, not later! The way to find the savior is to believe in him who came not to condemn you but to release you from your habitual afflicting of ruin so that you and God can become reconciled and discover together a profound love that transforms your very life with new meaning, hope, purpose, new destiny, new life, the life of God born within you, sealing you forever as his beloved, no more wrath weighing upon you. You'll be set free! Come, Flee from the wrath to come!
