Poster Archive : October 2012
Message: Sin Kills
Bible verse: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Sin is a smirk word. Have you noticed that so many public figures and media commentators just can’t say ‘sin’ without smirking? Why is this? It’s probably got a lot to do with that great Australian fear… being called a ‘wowser’. Wowsers are those irksome moral police who are against fun, invent rules and love to ban things like alcohol, dancing and sex. So, mock sin and no one will accuse you of moralising.
But there’s more at play than fear. There’s also a sense that sin is where the most delicious life experiences can be found. Who wants to be one of those prim and proper people who miss out? We should grab all that life offers now because this life is all we have! Is it any wonder our leaders work so hard to warn us about the dangers of smoking. We’ve got to suck the marrow out of this one life.
Recently Fairfax Media ran several articles with provocative headlines that bear out this view of life and sin. ‘Adultery can save your marriage: academic writes the new rules of marriage’. The academic was Catherine Hakim, a British social scientist who casually asserts that, ‘Sex is no more a moral issue than eating a good meal’.
In another article titled, ‘Seven deadly sins - they can be really good for you’, Melbourne experimental psychologist, Simon Laham, argues that acting sinfully keeps your mind edgy and focused and that’s a good thing. Why? Because it’s, well, good to be focused. His focus naturally, is on this life and this life only.
The superficiality of these articles is both staggering and sad. But this is the level of public discourse in our country when it comes to talking about God and the Bible. In fact, God’s guidelines for life are a loving gift to help us. Living God’s way is the best way to live and rebelling only does damage. And that’s what sin is, rebellion. We’re all rebels and God is entitled to hold us to account for our treatment of Him. But judgment isn’t the last word with God. The good news is that, whilst ‘the wages of sin is death’ … ‘the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (from ‘Romans’ in the Bible). So, while there’s still time, stop and ask Jesus for help.
Prayer: Dear God please help me to stop sinning. Please forgive my sin through Jesus Christ. Amen
