Sin is Sin
Sin is Sin, No Matter Where it Lives
by Michael Robinson
March 19, 2018
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Do you love God with everything or do you keep something for yourself? Many people who call themselves Christians believe that as long as they are not physically committing sin they are ok with God. Is that what Jesus teaches? God is not looking for people who live SELF RIGHTEOUS. He is looking for people who are RIGHTEOUS according to His guidelines.
Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you APPEAR to people as RIGHTEOUS but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Jesus is looking for disciples who worship Him with all of their heart, mind, soul, and body. We can not fool God and we should not try to fool ourselves. God says we are to examine ourselves to see if we are really followers of Christ. Many of us do righteous looking works on the outside, but inside we are sinning against God.
Philippians 3:8-9 I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
So what does Jesus teach about sin? Matthew 5:21-32 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,…But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman (or a man) lustfully has already committed adultery with her (him) in their heart. “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife (husband), except for sexual immorality, makes her (him) the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman (man) commits adultery.
Are you an unmarried person having sexual thoughts about a man or woman? Are you carrying a grudge in your heart toward a brother or sister, while acting on the outside like everything is alright? Are you sexually lusting after someone even though you are married?
This is sin to God too and we must repent and stop doing it. Some of us think that our thought life is just a fantasy and God does not care. But we are judged for what we think and what we do. Jesus is not letting us get away with a sinful mind and heart just because we do not physically sin.
Jesus’ message is repentance of the heart and that repentance should materialize in our minds, souls, and bodies. Anything less is living a life of a Pharisee. Do you want to be a Pharisee? This is what Jesus says about the Pharisees: “do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach…These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Is your heart far from Jesus?
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Matthew 7:21-23 True and False Disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
God loves us, but His love will not cover up our unwillingness to obey Him. Only true repentance is acceptable to Him.
Just because you are not fornicating with your body, does not excuse fornicating with your heart. That applies to the spiritual and carnal.