The Bible is full of sin issues. Idolatry is at the top, of course. It's a big problem from God's perspective and, arguably, the source of all other sin issues because we tend to make ourselves the idol we worship. Okay. No one is squawking about fixation on idolatry. But what's next on the "big sin" list?
Well, of course, the Roman Catholics have their "seven deadly sins". I don't know the source. Solomon has his own list of the top seven:
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. (Prov 6:16-19)(I'm not entirely clear on the difference between "a lying tongue" and "a false witness", but, hey, it's a list.)
There are three very disturbing sins listed in Scripture. One is "blasphemy against the Spirit" which "will not be forgiven" (Matt 12:31). There is the refusal to forgive in which case the Father will not forgive your sins (Matt 6:15). And there is "sin that leads to death" (1 John 5:16) which is ominous but unclear. Any sin that has a "you will not be forgiven" or "leads to death" tag on it is pretty dangerous.
James writes, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." (James 2:10) That's a pretty bad thing. So any sin makes us guilty of all. (That makes real sense if the singular command is "Love God" and any failure to do that in any aspect is a violation of the singular command.)
Now, some people complain that "there are only 6 verses on homosexuality", so we shouldn't worry about it. Fine. If you want to go on sheer volume, sexual sin is pretty high on the list. There are texts on homosexuality, bestiality, incest, rape, prostitution, and adultery. There are passages warning against even thinking about sex with a married woman. Some of this is described with words like "abomination" to express God's feelings about them. Paul writes, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God." (1 Thess 4:3-5) Get that? It's is God's will for your sanctification--abstain from sexual immorality. Not many other sins get this kind of press or this kind of high level of attention from God. In Paul's first epistle to the church at Corinth, he has the famous passage warning about who will not inherit the kingdom of God. In it, he lists 9 sins that are evidence of exclusion from the kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-10). Of these fully one third of them are sexual sins.
It is true that the Bible has a lot to say about what God thinks is right and wrong. We agree on that. I'm told the Jews had 631 rules to follow. Jesus boiled them down to "love God" and "love your neighbor", but the New Testament is still filled with such things. And certainly sexual sin is only part of it. But if you wanted to ask what God's Word is "fixated" on in the nature of sin, I think that "sexual sin" would certainly be a contender for the top 10. So maybe being "fixated on sexual sin" is a wise thing rather than something to avoid.
7 comments:
I was remembering an essay that I had to read in a college history class. It was "God Is On The Side Of The Strongest Battalion". Of course the essay clearly mocked the idea that God had anything to do with who wins wars and battles and such. In fact God has nothing to do with anything because God doesn't exist... you see?
But I've been thinking a lot about that lately. The writer saw God as an oversized man. He was being myopic. Had he pulled back a little I think perhaps he could have considered that the creator of the universe could have easily made sure that the side that he wanted to win would have the strongest battalion... if he wanted to. But he also forgets that history is filled with underdogs also winning wars. We have witnessed, for example, 2 percent of the population go from deviants to glorification in just 50 years. Of course, it's always easy to tear things down than to build them.
My point is that the commenter is being to myopic. Sex is not a thing God gave us for the mere enjoyment of it. It is also procreation. That said, I wonder what the commenter would have to say about the holocaust that the sexual revolution has brought about in this land, with a little sinning on Saturday night, and a little murdering on a couple of weeks later. And I wonder what the commenter would say about the pain and suffering brought about in the inner cities because of fatherlessness? A little sinning on Saturday night, no big deal, God's cool with it, but to hell with the offspring that comes as a result.
And what about the loss of intimacy that comes with all the free for all sex. Sorry little Johnny, but your mom and dad's addiction to sexual excitement has trumped need for a stable family and purpose. So in short, we will be screwing, and you You poor soul, are, if you will excuse the expression, SCREWED. Now go out and rob a store or something. We're busy!!
I've got nothing to add to that.
The problem is that it isn't the Christians who are fixated on sexual sins, foremost being homosexuality. It is the homosexual activists who are thrusting their beliefs upon the Christians, and using the force of law to punish Christians who don't want to participate in their activities. So what is thrust upon us is what we are fighting back against. If adulterers were trying to force us to sanction their activities, we'd be fighting that. If robbers wanted to force sanction of their activities, we'd be fighting that. It is downright hypocritical (as well as ironic) for them to claim we are fixated on one sin, while it is THAT sin they are forcing on us.
As for some sins being worse than others, I think it is very telling about sexual sin that Paul pointed out that "all other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."
Yes, Glenn, it only makes sense that we stand where the attack is taking place. They're saying, "You're fixated on where we're attacking." Well, yes, we are. And we should be.
Oddly enough, the law being protested in Indiana has nothing to do with sex. It has to do with religious freedom. That appears to be COMPLETELY missed in Indiana and the surrounding environs (anyone paying attention to what's being said).
Who's really fixating on sexual sins then?
Very good point.
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