Sin and Legalism
Sin and Legalism
Continuing our lesson on the seriousness of sin, we now look at three reasons why sin is serious.
Can you find fault with the following statement? “When Jesus died on the cross, he made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven, so now sin has ceased to be a serious problem.”
Firstly, we take sin seriously because we understand that God hates sin .
"You, Lord, have loved righteousness and hated iniquity" (Psa 45:6-7, Heb 1:8-9).
Imagine a person whose life and nature was characterised by any five of this list of sins: adultery, murder, blasphemy, profanity, pride, idolatry, sorcery, drunkeness, envy, jealousy, heresy, perversion, theft, extortion, kidnapping, lying, perjury, lawlessness, rebellion.
Would you want that person as your friend? No way, nor would God. These things manifestly deserve God's condemnation as "sins" and deserve to be treated seriously.
If God hates sin, then it must indeed be serious. Moreover, what God hates Satan delights in. Those who practise sin please and serve the Devil (1Jn 3:7-10, 2Th 2:7-12).
Secondly, we take sin seriously because of the consequences of sin .
The wages of sin is everlasting death (Rom 6:23). Jesus will say in judgment: "Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire" (Mtt 25:41,46). Nobody will ever say anything more serious than that.
Consider the enormous number to whom Jesus will utter those words (Rom 3:9,23 5:12, 1Jn 5:19). This death toll is terrible, as serious as anything can be.
Thirdly, we take sin seriously because it caused the death of Jesus.
Fortunately God has made a way by which anyone can escape eternal death. One might say, "Oh good! That makes sin a lot less serious, doesn't it!" But think!
God had to give his unique and beloved Son to die cruelly upon the cross and to shed his blood so that we should not perish (Jhn 3:16). The Just for the unjust had to humble himself and lay down his life (1Pe 3:18 Php 2:5-8). If we will behold the Lamb of God being led to the slaughter, surely we will see the seriousness of sin (Isa 53:3-6).