Regarding Efforts To Justify Sin

Daily Bread

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This praise song spurs my thoughts as I bid you good morning. It reads,

“Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above”

And is it not true? Is not our God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is He not an “awesome God?” The answer is, “Yes! Yes, He is!” All praise and honor and glory to our God, to our “awesome God!”

Our Scripture text comes from the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth,

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6:9=11 – NASB)

I know of a man who was told by his son, “Dad, I’m a homosexual.” The dad was stunned by his son’s confession, having always been of the mind that this particular practice, this life-style choice, was wrong. He proceeded to look deeply into the matter and he has come to the conclusion that his son’s homosexuality is not wrong. And not only has he settled this with himself but he also wants to settle it with others! He wants to table the subject with those around him, and in doing so I am told he becomes very persistent in his effort to establish that there is nothing in the Bible that condemns the homosexual life-style. I am told he is well-versed on the matter and can be very persuasive in debating it.

I sense that this is a man whose research and conclusions seek to satisfy self. His constant desire to discuss the subject and his attempt to argue it to acceptance are the signs of a man who deeply desires to take that which has been framed in an unfavorable light and debate it into a favorable one. A Christian man that I know, who has talked with him on the subject at some length, has told me this father is very knowledgeable on the subject, and, very persuasive.

It is clear from Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church that many within the fold were being influenced by false teachers, by worldly views, influenced by the flesh instead of the Spirit. Thus they were practicing or accepting the practice of that which is “unrighteous.” Maybe their arguments were also persuasive, being offered as a means by which to justify sinful behavior. The apostle Paul sternly rebukes the acceptance of this and warns,

“Do not be deceived”

This literally is a command to do something continually . . . “Stop being continually deceived!” The attempts by men, whether outside the church or within it, are not to warp God’s teaching on sin. Paul goes on to present a list of things the Corinthian church was having to deal with, practices that they were evidently struggling with, probably seeking to find some human explanation that would justify these things. But Paul would not have any of it! He sternly warns that his list of sins are “unrighteous” behavior, so “stop being deceived” by those who say differently. Instead, know that,

“. . . the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God”

Those who live in and practice and are identified in accordance with his list of sinful practices,

“. . . shall not inherit the kingdom of God”

. . . and, as far as you Corinthian believers are concerned, “such were some of you;

“but you were washed”
“but you were sanctified”
“but you were justified”

. . . and all of this was done “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.”

“Stop being continually deceived” about these sinful practices Paul writes and know that you “were” once identified by them “but” that is no longer the case. And realize this, that those who practice these “unrighteous” behaviors “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (cf. Ephesians 5:1-17)

No matter the many attempts that might be made to get us to justify sin, the disciple of Christ is to stand firm, confessing that the Scriptures reign supreme! They are the final authority in all matters pertaining to life and the practices of life!

Have a good day brethren . . . and as you walk know for a fact that you will be challenged, tempted to give your okay to that which God condemns. Don’t be deceived! In such circumstances hold fast and wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

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