Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
If you were to guess the number one sin plaguing the church
in America today, what would you say it is? I would say sexual immorality. In
fact, from what I can tell, sexual immorality, adultery, sensuality, impurity, passionate
lust and homosexuality appear to top the lists of most or all of these passages
of Scripture where specific sins are listed and where Christians (the church)
are being warned against taking part in these sins, and where they are being
called to holiness and obedient walks of faith in Jesus Christ.
So, why do you suppose that is? Why
does it appear that sexual immorality, in its various forms, tops most or all
of these lists of specific sins? I believe it is because the marriage
relationship between a man and a woman is to be sacred and held in high honor,
and it is to be modeled after our relationships with our Lord. In Scripture we
see where marriage between a man and a woman are paralleled over to our
marriage to Jesus Christ. And in both cases, if those covenants of marriage are
broken, it is called adultery.
Marriage relationships: [Matthew
9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:25-30; John 14:1-3; Ephesians
5:22-33; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4; Revelation 19:6-8; Revelation 21:2-4,9-11; Revelation
22:16-17]
So, when these marriage relationships
are broken due to sexual immorality and adultery, in its various forms, it not
only impacts those specific relationships, but it impacts the fellowship of the
believers, too. It is a lot like what is described for us in 1 Corinthians
5:1-13. Sexual immorality among the fellowship of the believers was being
tolerated and it was impacting the whole fellowship, and so they were being
counseled to remove from among them the guilty one so that it did not spread
throughout the whole body of Christ.
But in America today, if you literally
did that in most of these “churches,” you would have to remove probably over
half of the congregation. For, according to most statistics I read, over half
of American Christian men, including pastors (less than half of them), are
engaged in sexual immorality on a consistent and habitual basis. Usually this is
in relation to the viewing of sexually explicit materials, but it involves lusting
after others, too, which Jesus called adultery, and often it leads to other
adulterous actions, too. And a number of women and children are engaged in
this, too.
And I believe there are multiple
factors involved here, the first of which is that “the church” in America, for
the most part, has adopted a gospel message which does not require dying with
Christ to sin and living to him and to his righteousness. And many are teaching
against walks of obedience and true repentance (turning away from sin). And so
we have many people in the gatherings of the church professing faith in Jesus
Christ who have not died with Christ to sin and who are not walking in
obedience to him.
They believe that their profession of
faith in Jesus Christ sealed the deal for them and that all their sins are
forgiven and heaven is guaranteed them when they die and that their current
sins will not be charged against them. So, many of them feel at liberty to
continue in deliberate and habitual sin (the sin which clings so closely)
without guilt and without remorse. And so sin continues to permeate the
gatherings of the church, and morality continues to plummet, and marriages and
families are being destroyed.
Another factor involved here, too, is
the easy access to engaging in sexual immorality (and other sins, too) via the
internet and social media and especially smart phones (minicomputers) and
texting and emailing and illicit internet sites, etc. Many people can now
engage in sinful behaviors in the privacy of their own personal space via a
smart phone without anyone else knowing what they are doing. And lust is
everywhere you look, pretty much, on newsstands, in grocery checkout lines, on
billboards, and on most internet sites, it appears, including on some Christian
sites, too.
What’s the Solution?
So, what is the solution to it all?
First of all, “the church” needs to repent of her spiritual adultery against
the Lord, and she needs to start teaching and living the truth of the gospel,
and she needs to address sin in the same way that Jesus and his New Testament
apostles did rather than giving the professers of faith in Jesus Christ carte
blanche to continue in their sins without conscience and without remorse, while
promising them heaven when they die.
But all individuals professing faith
in Jesus Christ, who are living in immorality and who are making sin their
practice, and for whom godliness, righteousness, and obedience to the Lord are
not their practice, they need to individually repent of (turn away from, cast
aside) their sins which cling so closely, and they need to turn to the Lord and
follow him in obedience. Then they can run with endurance the race that God has
set before us to run, which involves daily dying to sin and denying self and
following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands (New Covenant).
But not one of us can do this in our
own flesh or of our own willpower. We must all surrender our lives over to
Jesus Christ and submit to him as Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives. And then we
can live holy lives pleasing to him in his power and strength, as we cooperate
with his work of grace in our lives. But we must all know that the Scriptures
teach that if we don’t do this, but if we continue in deliberate and habitual
sin, then heaven is not secured for us. We will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Please check it out:
He Lifted Our Burdens
An Original Work / February 15, 2014
Based off Isaiah 9:2-7
People walk in
darkness.
They abide in their
sin.
It has power o’er
them.
True belief escapes
them.
Jesus Christ came to
save them.
He gave His life up
for them;
Crucified; died for
our sin,
So we might be
forgiven,
And have life up in
heaven.
Many come to know
Him.
God’s love now
o’erflows them.
They rejoice in
vict’ry.
Their sin is but
hist’ry.
We were once bound
in slav’ry.
Jesus lifted our
burdens;
Set us now free from
Satan,
So we now walk in
freedom.
Sin has no more
dominion.
Praise be to our
Savior!
He showed us His
favor.
He took all our
burdens;
Cast them all upon
Him.
He is our mediator;
The Light which
shines in darkness.
Counselor in our
troubles;
He gives peace now
in our hearts;
Joy which is
everlasting.
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