IS SIN COMPATIBLE WITH LOVE? Part 2 by Teresa Beem

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. 2 Tim. 3: 1-6

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will 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, will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9

...and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 1 Timothy 1: 10

Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. 1 Tim. 1: 9-11

But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. 

Rev. 21: 8

Outside [heaven] are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. Rev. 22: 14-15

What is Sin?

I ask my Christian brothers and sisters, “What is sin? And do you think sin is really sinful?”

Yeah, yeah.... sin is lawlessness.” I can hear people sigh with annoyed impatience, “It’s breaking the Ten Commandments... yadda, yadda, yadda....”

Sin is not a popular subject. We’d rather talk about fun and tolerance and loving everyone and not judging them. After all, Christians are saved by their faith, so why go there? Why talk about sin? “Very disturbing and annoying and pessimistic. Let’s talk about the joy of the Lord and whatsoever things are good and lovely...” 

You think I want to write or think about sin? No way.... The devil daily shoves in my face the collapse of the lives of people I love. I am sick to death, sick and tired, so sick and tired I don’t know what to do watching people I love fall prey to and suffer enormous agony because of sin. I despise sin because it hurts good people. And what is hardest part is most of my family and friends are falling prey to someone else’s sinful choices....not their own. That is the diabolical madness of sin. The destruction of one “little” sin can ripple out like a shockwave flatting the hopes and dreams of the most innocent people.

And somehow I turn into Negative Nellie when I notice this. People think I am criticizing them when I talk about sin. Are you kidding? I hate sin. I am furious with sin for it is our enemy. People are not our enemy. You don’t hate a child for running in front of a truck and getting killed. You don’t hate a teenage prostitute. People need to be rescued from sin, not hated for it.

“Sin?  Lah Lah Lah...(Fingers in Ears) What Did You Say? I Can’t Hear You?”

Yet Christians, honestly, would rather ignore the subject and endure the pain of sin than confronting and dealing with it. Let’s face it, some sin can seem fun for a while and we may not feel guilty about doing it. Some people deceive themselves into thinking they are not doing anything wrong. And then, when the consequences finally catch up to them, they anesthetize the pain by more sin, by entertainment, by picking themselves up by the bootstraps and carrying on. Often the public doesn’t see the full results of someone’s wrong choices. We choose to ignore he possibility that sin will actually hurt us. We shrug it off... “Naw, I’m a good guy. God won’t allow me to go into too much trouble.”

We play Russian Roulette with sin. Just like that guy on the motorcycle without a helmet. He doesn’t want to think about the young quadriplegics that are spending their life imprisoned in the mental hell of a motionless body because they had a motorcycle accident. They would rather think optimistically of the fun and not the downer of what might happen.

The only difference between the motorcyclist and the sinner is that motorcyclist has a chance of not having an accident. The sinner has no chance of getting out of the earthly consequences of sin. Even if he repents and is forgiven. Sin always exacts a price. Always. You think I am wrong? I want to see you try and not die. 

Though Christ died for our eternal soul, death is the earthly physical consequences of everyone’s sins (Rom. 6: 23). But satan isn’t satisfied with getting to see everyone die. Sin is so destructive it persecutes us and torments us up until death. Sin wants total pain and total destruction of your life.

Think I am exaggerating? Listen to the word of God through St. Paul. He writes that Satan (he who tempts us to sin) is a deceitful, vicious lion seeking to devour anyone and everyone. And he is out to ensnare you and take away your freedom and control your will, your soul and your body. (2 Tim. 2: 26, Acts 13:10).

St. John tells us that Our Blessed Lord calls the tempter, the serpent of old, a murderer from the beginning and the Father of lies who is out to deceive the whole world (Rev. 12: 9, John 8:44) St. Luke records that satan is the great oppressor who had dominion over the earth and that Christ wants to heal us from his wounds! (Acts. 10:38, 26:18) St. Peter tells us to be sober and alert and watch out for satan (1 Peter 5: 8).

Satan, You Bad Boy, You….

Often we think of the devil as having human emotions. But he isn’t human and has no qualities of human compassion. He isn’t interested in giving you pleasure or a good time; nor is he cool or wanting to help you be cool. He is a cold and steely, emotionless killing machine. Relentlessly he will lie and steal to crush every innocent soul and animal, destroy every green blade of grass and pollute every drop of clean water and air. This unstoppable dark force indiscriminately devours and tortures the innocent as well as the guilty.

He killed Job’s animals and his children, then turned and relentlessly tortured Job. He caused Judas to commit suicide. The devil stood in the honored presence of his loving and merciful Creator and made war on Him. Then, Satan tortured and murdered God. You really think he will show you mercy?

God entered the physical realm of earth, absorbed a lifetime of hate and the full force destruction of sin, just to end His life in torture, humiliation and death--not to make us okay in our sin, but to save us from it! He came to destroy the devil and render the power of sin helpless! (Heb. 2:14; Rom. 6: 10; 1 John 3:8)--to rescue us from the servitude of sin (Rom. 6:17)--to deliver us from evil (John 1:29; Rom. 6: 2, 11, 13, 15; 1 Cor. 15:34; 2 Cor. 5: 21).

Now we are not to passively, fatalistically fall to temptation. We are to submit to God so that the devil will flee from us! (James 4: 7; Eph. 4: 27) We are to awaken to righteousness and produce the fruits of holiness (1 Cor. 15:34, Rom. 6: 22), put on the full armor of God so that we can stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6: 11, see also 1 John 3: 9).

In the Christian world there seems to be a great deal of confusion about this. It is as if we have forgotten who our enemy is. And because we have forgotten the sinfulness of sin, the love in most people has grown cold (Matt. 24: 12).

If you don’t take sin seriously, you are not taking the Cross seriously. To ignore sin is to misunderstand your Christian mission.

And yet, as terrifying as sin is, we do not have to despair. For we have a powerful Savior who saves us from death and heal our sins. Because of the cross we have the power over sin. 

I love you and I'm tired of sin hurting you!