How Should You React To Sin?
By John Hendrix
The world has always been sinful. Relatively recent technologies, however, have brought us more exposure to sin. Or maybe it is just the increased population in my corner of the world that has brought the increase in contact. An elderly man once told me that he did not know that such a thing as homosexuality even existed until after adulthood. The political issue of “gay marriage” has cluttered the airways with a topic about which many of us would probably rather stay ignorant.
But no sin is new. The breadth of exposure—to me at least—is new. I was frequently exposed to drunkenness at a fairly young age. Some may still have never even had to deal with a drunken person. Some grow up amidst adultery, while others know this as just a distant rumor.
Perhaps, though, it is less and less true these days. Many, if not most, of us are “close” to sins such as immorality, drunkenness and drug addiction. How should we react to these and other sins? How should we behave towards the sinner?
Should we seek to escape all exposure?
Perhaps we could become some sort of Christian “survivalist.” Like the monasteries of old, we could seek out deserted corners of the world where we can live without seeing all the evil that is in a typical society of man.
I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)
The Corinthians lived in a society a lot like our own. Paul might have encouraged them to seek out a more wholesome city in which to live. Instead Paul said he did not mean for them to try and “go out of the world.”
I am all in favor of some “sheltering.” We do not purposefully expose ourselves to bubonic plague. Why should we expose ourselves to sin?
Well, I suppose a doctor might expose himself to plague. Why? He is trying to save lives. Are we trying to save souls?
And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mark 2:16-17)
Of course, you might say, that was Jesus. What about us?
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
God has set Christians up as “lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15) and does not want to hide His lights under baskets.
Of course a doctor takes reasonable precautions against infection and so should we. But the doctor does not abandon the sick to die somewhere away from his help.
Should we tolerate sin?
Toleration is certainly a popular word today. We are urged to tolerate different religions and different “lifestyles” that the scriptures identify as sin.
While I raise my children, I discipline them—I even spanked them when I thought necessary—trying to forcefully direct them in the right path (Proverbs 22:6). This is proper. “Toleration”—when it comes to my children’s misbehavior—is not in my dictionary.
But should I tolerate misbehavior in adults? Of course I should not try to “force” someone to do right, even if I could. I do not strive with those in the opposition (2 Timothy 2:24). But neither should I accept their behavior.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:11)
I cannot accept sin in my life or anyone else’s. I accept the fact that I cannot change you (while accepting full responsibility—with the grace of God—of changing myself), but do not look to me for approval or acceptance of the sin.
We should actually hate sin.
Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9)
Whether the sin is mine or someone else’s, I should not “tolerate” it, I should not “accept” it, I should hate it.
We should react to sin with love.
We certainly should not love sin, but we should love the sinner. Otherwise, we must hate ourselves.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
We are nothing without love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and cannot hope to please God. Love motivates the parent to change a diaper; love (I hope) motivates the doctor to treat the sick. Love certainly motivated Jesus to come and die in a sinful and hateful world. Love should dominate our reaction to sin.
If I hate or despise a person I will not care if he misses heaven for eternal punishment. If I “love my neighbor as myself” (Matthew 22:39), the very thought of a lost soul fills me with sorrow.
The obligation of love (the command of God) calls for “active engagement” with sinners in hopes that I can help.
We should react to sin with humility.
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
I am a Christian by God’s grace and power. This is not a club of the perfect or nearly perfect. This is an assembly of people who know that they are hopelessly lost without the grace of God. Such a group does not approve of sin, they will be shocked and disappointed by sin (in themselves and others), but they will not look down on the sinner, for the sinner is little different from themselves. They do not turn away from the sinner, either. They try to restore—to help in any way they can—”considering themselves”—who are just as capable of sin as anyone.
We should react to sin with disapproval, but also with love and humility. We react to sin like people who were saved from sin by God’s grace, not our own. We should react like our Father, who is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)