By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #249 ~
You may wonder why I keep talking about sin. Because it’s accelerating, it’s hyperactive, it’s on overdrive in our country. And it’s not just growing, it’s becoming much more wicked and perverted. We see all this evil in our schools, government, families, media, music, movies, and yes, even in our churches. Depravity is on full display, and is being celebrated and applauded. (Rom. 1:18-32). As a Christian, you need to understand this subject of sin and sinners so that you spiritually survive, and so that you live a godly, fruitful, victorious life. Don’t stop reading this post just because it’s not one of those feel good subjects. You must hear these truths so you can know how to live in this wicked world.
Here are several things you need to know about sin and sinners.
1. Sin is our biggest problem, for it results in spiritual death, and ultimately results in physical death, and if not righteously dealt with, eternal death, forever and infernally being separated from the living God. (Ezek. 18:4, Rom. 3:23, Matt. 25:46). Our root sin, our central sin, is not loving and worshiping God, our Creator, but instead, loving and worshiping the creation. Jer. 2:5, 13; Rom. 1:19-25
2. If you don’t see that sin is the #1 problem in a person’s life and the world at large, then you will wonder why evil and devilish things are happening. You may feel sick to your stomach. You may be extremely sad. You may be disgusted. You may get discouraged as you see our country growing more sinful. You may get scared by what’s taking place. You may get angry at the evildoers. Or you may feel hopeless, and want to just give up. But what does God say? “The men of Issachar understood the times, and knew what they should do.” 1 Chronicles 12:32, Isaiah 1
3. If you don’t realize that sin is our fundamental problem, then you may think that other bad things in our society are the real problems when, in fact, they are the result of sin. Rom. 3:23, 6:23
4. If you don’t know that sin is our real problem, then you won’t see the need for Jesus Christ, that He’s the only answer to sin. Christ came to earth to die on the cross to defeat sin and death. Only He can solve our sin problem, along with every other problem. Only He can set a person free from their sin. John 8:31-32, Rom. 5:8, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 3:18, Titus 3:3-8
5. If you forget that sin is the core problem, then you will forget the fact that Christ is the only answer, and get off track, and focus on fleshly and worldly solutions, things that may relate to education, racism, equity, inflation, the border, climate change, etc. But these are superficial answers, only band-aids, and they don’t get to the root, they don’t really solve our problem of sin. Psalm 146:3-5
6. Knowing that sin is our main problem should motivate you to fulfill a key aspect of God’s will for your life, which is being a witness for Jesus Christ, telling people how they can be delivered from sin, death, hell, and the devil, telling people how they can know God and Christ. Acts 1:8, 26:15-18
7. We live in the end-times which means this sin problem will get dramatically worse before the coming of Christ. “… lawlessness is increased…” (Matt. 24:12-13). Keep this in mind as you think about the future, as you carry out God’s purpose for your life, and as you persevere to the end of this evil age. 2 Thess. 2:3, Rev. 13
In this world of sin and sinful people, how should you think, how should you live?
1. Love God by living a holy life, by living like a child of God. Resist temptation, confess sin, walk in the light, and be a godly and righteous Christian. Rom. 6-7, Eph. 4, Col. 3, 1 Thess. 4, 1 John 1
2. Know that God is sovereign over sin and sinful people, over evil and evildoers. God allows and uses sin for His divine purposes and glory, and also for your good. Acts 2:23, 4:27-28; Rom. 8:28
3. As you live in this evil age, and in an increasingly sinful world, keep trusting God and keep looking to His word. Ps. 37, Ps. 119:81-88, Heb. 11
4. Be a light to the lost, be the salt of the earth, be Christlike in your words and actions. Show unbelievers what a believer looks like by being kind, gentle, patient, and forgiving. Matt 5:13-16
5. Love your enemies. Like Christ, be compassionate and patient towards sinners, for they are truly hurting – they’re lost, blind, empty, sad, deceived, and caught in their sin. Matt. 5:44, 9:36; 2 Cor. 4:4
6. Pray for sinners to be saved. Ask God to open their hearts so they see and are convicted of their sin and their need for Christ. Ask God to have mercy on their souls. Matt. 5:44, Rom. 10:1
7. Share the gospel with the lost. Tell them about sin, death, and hell. Tell them about Jesus, that He is the Lord, Savior, and coming King, that He is the bread of life and the light of the world. Tell them about His sacrificial and substitutionary death, and His resurrection. Tell them about heaven and hell. And share with them your testimony, what God has miraculously done in your life. Isaiah 53; John 1:12-13, 1:29, 3:16, 5:24; Rom. 3:23-26; Eph. 2:1-9; Col. 4:2-6, 1 Pet. 3:18
8. Don’t be angry with evildoers, with the wicked. Don’t be vengeful, don’t retaliate. God is closely watching each and every sinner and will deal with them in due time. He will either save them or judge them, show them mercy or show them wrath. Prov. 15:3; Rom 9:14-16, 12:19
9. Always stay close to Jesus. Be careful when you are with sinners, for you don’t want their sin to corrode your Christian life and result in you sinning against God. Psalm 63:8-10, 119:149-151; Jude 23
10. It’s an honor and a blessing to be persecuted by sinners, for Jesus was persecuted. “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary…” Heb. 12:3, Matt. 5:10-12, John 15:18-25, 1 Pet. 2:21-23
11. A key to living in this devilish world is hope, is knowing Christ is returning to earth to rescue and glorify Christians, to put an end to sin and the evil doers who promote it, and to begin reigning as King over this earth. You must have hope, for it will help you live a holy life, and motivate you to keep going for God. Romans 8:18-25, Hebrews 11
12. God will justly punish sinners. Some of this may happen during this life. But for all who remain in their sin, who never repent of their sin during their time on earth, it will be a dreadful, deserved, eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Matt. 25:41, 46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15
This last point, that God judges unrepentant sinners, is very important to understand. As I said, we should always love and pray for sinners, for those who don’t know God, for those who are opposed to Him and us (2 Cor. 2:14-17). But God won’t save every sinner, for many will stay in their sin, reject Christ, and forever be punished. What you must realize is that there are hundreds of verses about God’s righteous dealings with sinners, on earth and in hell. The whole Bible, book after book, talks about sin, sinners, justice, and wrath, especially the Psalms and Prophets, which are much more extensive in their discussion and detail of sin than other books.
Most of these Psalm verses are listed below. They talk about God’s present and future punishment of sinners. They educate you about God’s justice and wrath. They will help you be more holy and sober. They are an antidote to any wrong attitudes you may have about sin and sinners – like fear, worry, fretting, hopelessness, or unrighteous anger. And they remind you that sinners don’t win – they lose, and justly so. I strongly encourage you to read them, especially since we are living in a very sinful world, and are now in the end-times,
Psalm 1:6; Ps. 2:9-12; Ps. 3:7; Ps. 5:6-7; Ps. 6:10; Ps. 7:15-16; Ps. 9:3, 5-6, 15, 17; Ps. 10:15; Ps. 11:6-7; Ps. 17:13-14; Ps. 18:17-19, 48; Ps. 21:8-10; Ps. 25:19-20; Ps. 27:1-3; Ps. 28:3-4; Ps. 31:3-4, 8, 15, 17-18; Ps. 34:16; Ps. 35:1-8, 24-26; Ps. 36:11-12; Ps. 38:19-22; Ps. 40:14-16; Ps. 41:11-12; Ps. 44:4-8; Ps. 45:4-5; Ps. 52:1-7; Ps. 54:4-7; Ps. 55:15, 23; Ps. 56:4-7; Ps. 57:2-4; Ps. 58:1-9; Ps. 59:1-5, 12-16; Ps. 63:9-10; Ps. 64:6-8, Ps. 68:1-2, 21-23; Ps. 69:22-28; Ps. 70:1-3; Ps. 71:12-13; Ps. 73:16-20, 27; Ps. 75:7-10; Ps. 76:5-10; Ps. 78:42-52; Ps. 79:6-12, Ps. 81:13-15; Ps. 83; Ps. 91:5-10; Ps. 92:6-10; Ps. 94:1-11, 21-23; Ps. 97:1-3; Ps. 109:6-20, 29; Ps. 112:10; Ps. 119:21, 84, 118-119; Ps. 120:3-4; Ps. 125:5; Ps. 129:5-6; Ps. 135:8-11; Ps. 137:8-9; Ps. 139:19-20; Ps. 146:9; Ps. 149:5-9
Oftentimes, we read or hear about sinners in our country, sinners who are doing some of the most evil and perverted things, and who are encouraging others to do the same . And we want there to be justice, we want them to be punished for their sins. I encourage you to be patient, to pray for them, to ask God to have mercy on their souls. (2 Pet. 3:9-10). And if they don’t repent, they will be punished, justly and eternally so (Ps. 73:18-19). Indeed, there are degrees of punishment in hell. Matt. 10:15, 11:21-22; Heb. 10:20
Psalm 1:6 – “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Psalm 11:6-7 – “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.”
P.S. This subject of sin must be understood so you can deal with it in your own life, and so you can know how to relate and respond to the world around you. I cannot stress this enough. That’s why I encourage you to read and/or reread these other posts on sin and sinners – “Sinners and Saints in the End-Times”, “Living with Evil in the End-Times”, and “If the Foundations are Destroyed.”