It's Not Okay to Be Okay with Sin

Do I hate sin enough? That question haunts me most days. In my pride and self-righteousness, I quickly downplay my actions. I hate other people's sin more than my own. I cut myself plenty of slack while being pretty stingy with my grace toward others. 

Like David’s description of the wicked ones, it is hard for me to search out the evil in my life and hate it (Psalm 36:2). Ashamedly enough, I even plan sin upon my bed (Psalm 36:4). Man, I already have a hard enough time fighting temptation and now I’m going to sit there and invite temptation into my day? 

HOW MUCH SHOULD I HATE SIN?

The Bible uses some pretty strong language for sin. God calls us to love what He loves and hate what He hates. So, what does He hate?  

The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Psalm 11:5 

For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Romans 1:18

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Isaiah 59:2 

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. Proverbs 8:13 

Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9

Part of the sanctification process involves God changing our desires to look more like His. Not only does He teach us to love righteousness but also to hate evil. After all, sin is the complete unbelief in God. Hell, the eternal home for sinners, is the absence of God.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2  

...You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:9-10

Loving God means utterly despising anything that draws us away from Him. Trusting God means living like His Way is better than our own. The Lord hates sin because it separates us from Himself. He hates sin because it hurts us! That's why He sent His Son to become righteousness for us so that we would no longer be apart from Him. 

As Children of God, we experience the fullness of God. His very Spirit is inside us and, one day, we will be even closer to Him in heaven. In heaven, sin will never steal our joyful intimacy with the Lord. 

So, if sin, big or small, cost Jesus His life, why do we insist on playing with it? If sin keeps us from that joyful intimacy with God, why do we look forward to it? 

IT'S NOT OKAY TO BE OKAY WITH SIN

The world wants to conform our thoughts to its own ideas about evil. Satan wants us to be wise to what is evil (Jer 4:22) and innocent of good (Rom 16:19). 

The entire world is against us. It wants us to condone the sin the watch in movies. It wants to make us think that song we are listening to is not actually affecting our relationship with God. It wants us to manage our sin, not completely kill it. It wants us to name our sins, plan our sins, look forward to our sin. It wants us to be okay with what sinners are doing. 

Sin wants us to believe that its pleasure outweighs its consequences. 

Awake oh sleeper! Arise from the dead! Stay alert so sin does not blind us. Run hard away from evil and fast toward righteousness. 

May we cling to the hope that one day God will trample Satan under His feet! May we hate what God hates and loathe what rises up against Him. Jesus has sent us out as sheep amongst wolves. He calls us to be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Fighting sin is not easy work! Paul urges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. 

But remember, it is only God who can give us both the will and the means to obey Him. Anytime we overcome temptation or do good, it is God’s work through us! Let’s HOLD FAST to God’s Word with a tight grip that cannot be loosened by the world. The closer we draw to God, the farther we draw from sin.   

KNOWING WHO GOD IS MAKES US HATE WHAT HE IS NOT

When we reflect on God's character and love toward us, our natural response is to hate evil. In Psalm 139, David reflects on how close God's knowledge, presence, and power. At the end of the chapter, David makes it very clear that David wants nothing to do with evil and everything to do with a continued nearness to God. 

David responds to evil (the opposite of God) in the right way: First, David talks about how much He hates anything that opposes God. His love for the Lord goes that deep. Next, He realizes He is not without that same evil. His natural flesh opposes the Lord. 

David wants sin not only out of the world but out of His own heart as well. He begs the Lord to show Him His sin so He can walk in righteousness. He hates darkness; He wants to walk in the light and needs God’s help to do that. 

When we find our hearts softening toward sin, let us reflect on God's steadfast love and mercy. Trust that God's Way for us is far better than sin. Trust that sin DOES hurt us and DOES have serious consequences. Run straight to the Refuge, the Deliverer of all evil. 

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.[b]
Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:19-24