Does anyone remember the days when we hid our sin from others in the community because we knew that it would not be accepted by most of the culture?
I do, I remember a day when we were ashamed of our sin against God. The moral lines were very clear and bold for all to see. Even non-believers had a much higher standard than the believers of today.
In the 60's and 70's most of us indulged in many things that we didn't want those around us to know about. After becoming born again we immediately wanted to stop that which the Lord hates because He now lived inside of us.
Sadly the day has come when there has been a reversal. Now the culture supports the sin and reviles anyone who will call it sin.
I see this as a time when the sin is growing out of control, there are no societal restraints on it. Few people among us who are regular church goers have a hatred for sin anymore.
When we have become the crazy fringe who rejects the notion that "anything and everything goes" in the culture we know the culture is gone.
In recent months I have felt the sting of those who rejected my counsel about sleeping with people they are not married to as well as those who deeply entwine themselves in relationships that do not honor God.
We expect non-believers to do these things, the problem is those who are rejecting God's principles are those within the church. That is not bad enough, but they have the support of other people who say they are Christians.
Why would a person or a culture confess their sinfulness when the entire society around them is comfortable with just about every sin.
The days of conviction of sin are over for the most part. Now we live in a day when what used to be conviction and shame over sin has turned into anger at anyone who would chastise for that sin.
We are living in the days of Noah, when everyone did what was right in his own eyes and no one would tolerate correction.
We were all sinful before we became born again, no one becomes a Christian authentically without confession of sinfulness.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
1 Corinthians 6:10-11 "10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. "
When the entire Christian culture has adopted the stance that we should not tell the truth about sin to our brothers and sisters, we have lost the culture. When the entire secular culture has made it hate speech to correct or instruct in the ways of God, we have lost the culture.
Our hope now is not to save the culture, our hope is to pray and reach those who have not yet heard the gospel. We cannot help them learn about God without mentioning their sinfulness.
We cannot maintain friendships and quality relationships when we cannot admit our own sin. Sin separates us from God and it separates human friendships too.
If you feel the sting of rejection for chastising believers for sin, then we know the culture is lost. We expect rejection from unbelievers, but we expect believers to listen to truth and want it.
Could it be that most people who are in the church gatherings today have never been born again, the very reason we are not seeing lives changed dramatically. When someone becomes born again by the Holy Spirit, they are changed so dramatically that the way they think is completely opposite of how they thought before.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
One last warning from God:
Matthew 7:21-23
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Perhaps Matthew 7 is one of the most frightening verses in the Bible. Those who thought they were headed for heaven only to be turned away at the gates and on their way to hell. Ponder it deeply to see if you are one of these people.
