That's one of those tunes that no matter what
the word said, it would just move you to hear
it. It's gorgeous. There was a day when America
legislated against sin. When its people wept,
mourned, and repented because of sin. However
today, We condone sin. We pass laws to approve
it. We laugh at it. And when I say we, I'm including
many of God's own people. We have forgotten the
seriousness of sin. We have forgotten what sin
is and what its consequences are. So today I
want us to think about that as we continue the
S .O .S. series. Let's think about the seriousness
of sin. I would like you to open your Bible with
me to the book of James, the first chapter. For
God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself
does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted
when he is carried away and enticed by his own
lust Then when lust has conceived it gives birth
to sin and When sin is accomplished it brings
forth death Sin is serious It is serious to society
It is serious to families It is serious to individuals.
Above all, sin is serious to God. I'd like for
us to begin today by asking the question, what
is sin? Because we live in a day when the definition
of sin has been lost. What is sin? Is there such
a thing? Well, even some psychiatrists like Carl
Menninger a number of years ago who wrote a book
about sin, recognized that there is such a concept
even in a secular world. Now they would define
it differently than we might from the Word of
God. But what is sin? Well, sin is not the same
as temptation. James clarifies that for us. It
is one thing to be tempted. Temptation can be
resisted. When it is not, temptation does then
lead to sin. Sin is defined in a number of ways
in the Bible. Let me just suggest several of
them to you quickly. One is that sin is error.
James 5 verse 20 says that a sinner can be saved
from the error of his way. The word error is
a Greek word from which we get our English word
planet. We call these heavenly bodies planets
because they move around the solar system. That
term was not selected haphazardly. They were
seen in the telescopes wandering in the heavens
and so this term was applied to them. They are
wandering around the heavens. Sin is wondering.
It is error. It is forsaking the right path.
Secondly, sin is omission. Again, James says,
the one that knows to do good and does it not,
to him it is sin. So sin can be omission of something
that we know to be right. It is failure to do
what is expected. Thirdly, sin is lawlessness.
John gives us this definition in 1 John 3 verse
4. Sin is lawlessness, he says. In other words,
it is defection from God's righteous standard.
It is to live without restrictions from God upon
one's life. It's lawlessness. 1 John, again,
chapter 5 verse 17, it says sin is unrighteousness,
or unrighteousness is sin actually. In other
words, sin is the absence of what is right. And
finally, the word sin that we commonly see in
the New Testament is a word that means departure.
Harmartia is the word. Literally, it meant in
its origins, to miss the mark. And it was a word
that an archer might use regarding a shot that
he would take at a target. And because of something
being wrong with the arrow, perhaps the feather
was not properly placed or the shaft was a bit
warped, it would miss the mark. That is the word
that God uses by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit to define sin. It means the mark The target
is out there and we are, as it were, shot at
it and we miss it because of something that is
warped and wrong inside of us. A definition of
sin might be this. It is the lack of conformity
to the character of God. Sin is any lack of conformity
to the character of God. A little girl. proudly
announced to her mother, I'm like Goliath. I'm
nine feet tall. Her mother looked down at her
and said, well, honey, what makes you think that?
The little girl replied, well, I made a ruler
and measured myself with it and I'm nine feet
tall. You see, that's what man does. He says,
I'm okay, but the problem is he's made his own
ruler. You see, sin is any lack of conformity
to God's character. That's the ruler. It really
makes very little difference how we define sin.
It makes little difference what categories we
put it into, because ultimately sin is measured
against God. Sin is any lack of conformity to
the character of God. The Bible speaks of it
in three ways. It is a state. It is a position
that we have before God. Ephesians chapter 2
verse 1 speaks of us being dead in sins. It is
a position that we inherit from our great great
grandfather Adam. He passed it down to us and
to every generation preceding us and we pass
it on to our children. It is a state that we
are born into, just as we are born by our natural
parents as citizens of whatever country they're
a part of. In our case, most of us, the United
States of America. And that is our state. That
is our standing in the world. We are citizens
of the United States. So when we are also born
from our parents, we inherit a spiritual position.
a spiritual state, a standing before God, and
it's said to be in sin. Now the proof of that
is seen in the fact that the Bible also describes
us as being sinners in nature. We were by nature,
says Paul in this same text. the children of
wrath. We were by nature the children of wrath.
And so sin is not merely a state or a condition
that we are born into. It is a nature, something
inside of us. It is a capacity or an inclination
that is inherent in us from our birth to sin.
And that leads to the third way the New Testament
speaks about sin. It's a position or a state.
It's a nature. An inclination, it is a deed.
It's an act. We act out what we are by our natural
birth. Because we are sinners, we therefore sin.
It doesn't apply that we become sinners because
we sin. It's just the opposite. We are sinners,
therefore we sin. Our nature is to sin. And so
Paul says in this same text again, we lived in
the lusts of our flesh. What is sin? It is any
lack of conformity to the character of God and
it is the curse of the human race. Why is sin
so serious? Let me give you two reasons why it's
serious. Because of what it does to us and what
it provokes in God. What does sin do to us? In
the first place, sin deceives us. Hebrews 3 and
verse 13 warns about the deceitfulness of sin.
Sin promises us certain things, but it does not
deliver. Sin says that we can be involved in
this activity or we can have that goal that's
wrong. And there are no consequences to it. It's
a lie. And we soon find out that we've been taken.
Sin implicates. It endangers. It brings bondage.
It wastes. It erodes. Sin hardens the heart.
It tempts. It tantalizes. It entices. But it
does not deliver. It deceives. It is by its nature
deceptive. Sin says if you will just do this,
then you'll be satisfied. Sin says if you just
involve yourself in this, it'll be enough. But
you're never satisfied with sin. You never have
enough with sin. It deceives. The picture that
is used by James of enticing is the picture of
a fisherman. Some of you went fishing a few weeks
ago upon Lake Malax, had a wonderful day, not
many fish, and I didn't even go. I can't be blamed
for it. Some of you were skilled fishermen. You
knew exactly what bait to put on there, what
lure to use. You knew what depth you were fishing
at. You knew the kind of fish you wanted. And
somehow that day they just weren't biting. They
were smart fish. They were not enticed onto your
hook. That's the picture that James uses. He
says that lust and sin put the bait on the hook.
They hold it out there for us. And it says, oh,
if you'll just try this, you'll enjoy it. Oh,
if you just have some of this, you'll be satisfied.
And if we take that hook, we are fooled. Sin
deceives. That's why it's serious. Secondly,
sin disgraces. Righteousness exalts a nation,
we read earlier, but sin is a reproach or a disgrace
to any people. Why is sin serious? Because it
disgraces the sinner. It brings shame and guilt.
Sin ruins reputations. It tarnishes names. It
makes people ashamed to be out in public. Ask
some of the politicians or other leaders of our
area who have been caught in sin. in recent months.
Look at your own record when you've been caught.
When I've been caught in sin. Sin disgraces.
It's serious. Thirdly, sin destroys. It's serious
because it destroys lives. It's serious because
it destroys families. It's serious because it
destroys whole nations. Nations become footnotes
in history because of sin. The United States
is on its way there right now. Because of sin,
our nation is quickly losing its leadership and
its greatness in the world. And we should not
be surprised should there come a day when the
United States will not only be a second -rate
power, but will not even matter in the course
of history in the world. Relegated to nothing
more than a footnote in that time and the reason
because of its moral collapse and decay. Sin
destroys on every level. It destroys character.
It destroys people in their vocations. It destroys
people in their friendships. It destroys them
in their loves. Sin destroys. That's why it's
serious. Then finally, sin damns. James says,
Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
Romans 6 -23, the wages of sin is death. Why
is sin serious? Because it damns the soul. It
brings judgment from God. Ezekiel 18 -3, the
soul that sins shall die. God doesn't delight
in that, but that's the way it is. That's the
moral justice of his universe based upon his
character. The soul that sins dies. Sin is serious.
But we're inoculated to it. We watch it on our
videos. We tune it in on our televisions. It's
made a joke of and we laugh about it. And no
longer do we take it seriously. Although it destroys,
it disgraces, it deceives, and it damns. Sin
is no joke. It's time to stop laughing. Because
of what sin does to us. But consider also what
sin provokes in God. The Bible says that God
is angry with sin. Psalm 7 verse 11 says that
God is angry with the wicked every day. This
is the response of His holiness to that which
is antithetical to Him. It offends Him. God hates
sin. Psalm 45 verse 7. He loves righteousness
and hates wickedness. Do you know the primary
reason that God hates sin so? It is because of
what it does to us whom He loves. God hates sin
because He sees what its fruits are in the lives
of people for whom He has great compassion. God
is angry with sin. God hates sin. God judges
sin. Romans 1 -18, the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men. Why is sin so serious? I'll tell you
why. Because of what it provokes in God. It provokes
in Him anger and hatred and judgment. How can
sin be escaped? Sin, after all, is a crime requiring
justice. Sin is a debt demanding payment. Sin
is a stain necessitating removal. How can sin
be escaped? Sin is so serious that someone must
die because of it. That's how serious it is.
Every sin demands death. Either the death of
the sinner or the death of the Savior on behalf
of the sinner. If you want to understand the
seriousness of sin, all you have to do is to
think back to the cross that was on Calvary on
that Good Friday where the Lord Jesus Christ
hung. nailed there, bled, suffered, and died.
That tells us the seriousness of sin. Sin demands
death. It is a wonderful occasion for God's love
to be demonstrated. That's the marvelous thing.
Despite the fact that it demands death, it's
also an occasion for God to step in and to intervene
and to show and demonstrate His love for man.
For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. God demonstrated His love for us in that
truth. How can we escape sin? By coming to the
Savior. Sin is so serious that God has provided
the only release from it. And He has provided
that at awful personal cost. The death of His
only Son. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
escape from death and sin has been provided for.
Justice has been satisfied. Payment has been
made in full. The stain has been removed. Sin
can be escaped. But there are some people that
Jesus will not save. Did you know that? Despite
the fact that he died for sinners on the cross,
there are some people that Jesus Christ will
not save. A Christian physician received his
training in part at the Mayo Clinic. He was a
Christian. And after that training, he gave this
illustration sometimes when he talked. He said,
when I was in residence at the Mayo Clinic, A
lady who had suffered for many years came for
an examination. We found that she could be helped
through surgery and proper medication. Before
leaving the clinic, she suggested that her husband
have a checkup, although he appeared to be in
good physical condition. At first, he refused,
saying, I'm not sick, I'm perfectly healthy,
I don't need a doctor. Does that sound like any
men you know, ladies? But, at his wife's insistence,
he finally yielded and received the tragic news
that he had a cancerous tumor in his chest, which
would soon end his life. Since it had not affected
any nerves, he experienced no pain, yet he was
a dying man. Many sinners are likewise deluded
into thinking they are spiritually healthy when
actually they are inflicted with the deadly disease
of sin that can doom them. forever. Who are the
people that Jesus will not save? It is those
who will not recognize that they need to be saved.
It's those who laugh at sin. Those who mock sin.
Those who love sin. Those who enjoy sin. Those
who refuse to acknowledge sin. Those are the
people that Jesus Christ Himself cannot save.
How can we escape sin? Well, we must never see
it as a harmless pastime. We must never see sin
as just a bad habit. We must never evaluate it
as merely an innocuous activity that doesn't
hurt anybody else. We must never allow it to
become merely an excused attitude that we harbor.
Sin, in whatever form it is, is dangerous, destructive,
and damning. You know, people used to realize
this. It's hard for us, as inculturated as we
are, to realize how much people used to recognize
what I'm talking about today. Listen to the words
of one person who wrote a couple of centuries
ago in America. I confess my sin, my frequent
sin, my willful sin. All my powers of body and
soul are defiled. A fountain of pollution is
deep within my nature. There are chambers of
foul images within my being. I have gone from
one odious room to another. walked into no man's
land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the
secrets of my fallen nature. I am utterly ashamed
that I am what I am in myself." Can you imagine
somebody saying that today? One Christian writer
put it this way in a prayer. O Lord of all hypocrites,
grant that I may not be an evangelical hypocrite,
who sins more safely because grace abounds, who
tells his lusts that Christ's blood cleanses
them, who reasons that God cannot cast him into
hell for he is saved, who loves evangelical preaching,
churches, Christians. but lives unholy. Of all
the hypocrites, grant that I may not be an evangelical
hypocrite. It is easy for us, on an occasion
like this, to talk about the sins of America,
to point outwardly to society and to those sins
that are so prominent flagrantly displayed, boasted
about in parades, and to condemn those who are
involved in these sins. But it's harder for us
to look within, as did this person who wrote
this prayer, and to see within our own hearts
the hypocrisy that is there. How we have fun
with sin. How we excuse sin. How we embrace sin.
We have accommodated ourselves to its presence.
We are a worldly people. We have compromised
with this destructive, powerful principle that's
active in the world and present in our own lives,
our own bodies, called sin. What is needed today
above all else in America is a people of God
who are renewed in their hatred of sin. who hate
it first of all in themselves, who are willing
to see its stain within themselves, and are willing
to allow their hearts to be broken before God
in repentance. That's what America needs. It
needs a people of God who are first. willing
to confess their own sins. That we do sin, we
must acknowledge if we are honest people. The
Scripture tells us that if we say we have no
sins, we've deceived ourselves. The truth isn't
in us if we say we have no sin. It is there.
What we must do is learn to repent of it. We
must turn from it. We must cease harboring it
and nurturing it and enjoying it and realizing
what it is and what it results in. Turn from
it. A little girl accepted Christ as her Savior
and applied for membership in a local church.
One of the old deacons was interviewing her for
membership and said to her, were you a sinner
before you received the Lord Jesus into your
life? Yes, sir. Well, are you still a sinner?
To tell you the truth, I feel I'm a greater sinner
than ever. Well, he said, then what change have
you experienced? Well, she said, I don't know
quite how to explain it, but I used to be a sinner
running after sin, but now that I'm saved, I'm
a sinner running from sin. A very simple way
she put it right. Our problem today is that we're
not running as fast as we ought to be from sin.
In some cases, we've actually slowed down and
turned around. And today, we need to come before
God and recognize the seriousness of sin for
ourselves, our families, and our nation, and
repent of it and be done with it. I invite you
to bow with me in prayer. It's time to do business
with God. If we would ask God to bless America,
we must ask first that He bless us. If we would
ask that God bring repentance to this nation,
we must begin in our own hearts, acknowledging
our sins, understanding its seriousness, turning
from it. If you've not come to the Savior before,
we invite you to do that today. as an act of
faith in your own heart to receive Him so that
you might not have to experience the second death
which is the lake of fire, an eternal separation
from God, the place where all unforgiven sinners
will spend eternity. Someone must die because
of your sins, you or the Savior on your behalf.
Will you come to Him today and trust Him, invite
Him into your life and your heart, to live there,
to reign there? Christian friend, if you have
done that, what today would God be calling upon
you to do? Have you been tolerating sin? It will
surely bring you to ruin. Are you playing with
sin? It's not a toy. Are you walking right as
close to the line as you can without trying to
step over it? You're going to trip and fall on
your face. Sin is serious. Child of God, turn
from your sin today. Let's come before our Heavenly
Father with brokenness in our hearts. Father
God, we thank you that in the quietness of moments
like this, you do work inside of us by your Spirit.
Sometimes it's uncomfortable and painful, as
in the time when we talk about sin. Wherein we
have been willing to live with it, to excuse
it, to harbor it, We come before you with brokenness
and repentance and sorrow deep within Do a fresh
work in us Lord giving us renewed hatred for
it Let us fear sin father and run from it Let
us see it for all that it does in our world and
what it provokes in you Let us understand, Father,
the consequences and experience afresh Your mercy,
Your deliverance, and Your power in our lives
over it. Just as we wait upon God, I wonder if
You'd like to respond personally to the Lord.
I'm not going to have a come forward kind of
invitation this morning, but I would invite you
to stand where you are if your own heart is broken
today and you're saying to God, do something
fresh in my life. Give me a fresh hatred for
sin, a love for holiness. I invite you to stand
in dedication of yourself to God right now. When
you're seated, just stand to your feet before
we close in prayer. Father, I pray that you will
bless these who have stood in confession and
brokenness and in sincere prayer before you.
Some of us still haven't gotten it, Lord. Some
of us still haven't gotten it. We need to. Work
by your Spirit to bring about renewed holiness
in your church and the lives of your people.
May we be holy because you are holy. May we fear
and hate sin and run from it and live in the
light of your truth and holiness and power. For
Jesus' sake, we pray. I invite all of you to
stand with me. I'd like to read a prayer from
a Puritan, which will be our benediction this
morning. Listen to these words that we offer
to God through His pen. Let's pray. Give us a
deeper knowledge of thyself as Savior, Master,
Lord, and King. Give us deeper power in private
prayer. More sweetness in Thy Word. More steadfast
grip on its truth. Give us deeper holiness in
speech, in thought, in action. And let us not
seek moral virtue apart from Thee. For we have
no master but thee, no law but thy will, no delight
but thyself, no wealth but thou givest, no good
but that thou blessest, no peace but that thou
bestowest. We are nothing but that thou makest
us. We have nothing but that we receive from
thee. We can be nothing but that thy grace adorns
us. Query us deep, Lord, and then fill us to
overflowing with living water, pure and free.
Amen.